The Carlton Community History Group arose from the interest of a number of people who had many questions about the history of Carlton, North Carlton and Princes Hill. Those questions ranged from trivial things like why Rathdowne Street was spelt that way or without an "e" in some early records, to more significant issues like what was Yarra Council doing about preserving the history of the area now we are no longer in the City of Melbourne. What had happened to the Carlton Community History Catalogue which many people worked on for more than 2 years and recorded on computer but has now disappeared? What was it like growing up, going to school or working in Carlton North in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and so on? Are there interesting stories and photos which should be preserved?
As we started to explore some of these questions we learned more and more about the area and realized how big the gaps were. Where were the ordinary people, those people who still love the suburb even if they no longer live there? We know a bit about the high profile purveyors of coffee or pasta, the writers who call Carlton home but not much about the people who owned the shops for years and years, who worked in the factories and dairies, who delivered the wood, sold the papers on the street, went to the SP book makers up the lane. We found that people were still interested in Giorgio Mangiamele, a photographer and film maker, the Bassos who have run a tailoring shop in Rathdowne Street for decades, the Wards who lived in Fenwick and Henry Street.
Do you know what life was like in Davis Street in 1891 when 14 women signed a monster petition asking that women be given the right to vote and do you know what the women of Davis street feel about the value of the vote they exercise today which was finally won in 1908?
If you have some stories to tell or some things to share please contact us as we try to record the continuing history of this fascinating suburb.
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