We continue where we left off last week, at Swallow & Ariell in Port Melbourne. When Ariell died, founder Thomas Swallow went into partnership with his son-in-law, Frederick Derham. Like Swallow, Derham was civic minded. He was a councillor and Mayor of Sandridge and went on to represent Port …
Port & South Melbourne
A Ginger Nut Bakehouse
One of the most fondly remembered but most tantalisingly elusive of Port memories is the smell of gingernuts baking at Swallow & Ariell. Over more than one hundred and thirty years Swallow & Ariell's operations expanded to occupy a whole Port Melbourne block - apart from the London Hotel. …
Feeling the heat
I just couldn't settle on a topic for Port Places this week. Ideas arose only to be dismissed like tennis balls at the Australian Open. None would do. Then I realised what was most on my mind - and might be on your mind too - is the climate emergency in which we are now living. We're familiar …
Trees in the median
Each year begins with the profuse flowering of Corymbia ficifolia trees in the broad Danks St median that connects Middle Park and Port Melbourne. The flowering gum is originally a native of open forest in a very restricted area on the far south coast of Western Australia. The trees intensely …
Pavilions in an urban forest
The fences came down at the exhausted end of the year when attention and time were scarce. Martin Foley, recently re-elected as the state member for Albert Park, opened the newly completed Pickles St campus of Albert Park College on 18 December before dashing off to Albert Park Primary School's end …
Year of the Dog
Bay Street is often said to be the heart of Port Melbourne. It can be hard finding that elusive heart on such a long street that runs all the way from the Bay until it curves towards the City. With Port's great transition over the last thirty years essentially complete, at least in the built form …