Carlton Community History Group
News
Walking with Curiosity and Eyes Open
Image: Courtesy of Nick Gadd
Despite the threatening wind and rain, some 45 people attended a fascinating presentation by Nick Gadd on the afternoon of Saturday October 5th at the Kathleen Syme Centre in Faraday Street, Carlton. Nick shared his experience of circumnavigating the whole city of Melbourne with his late wife Lynne in a rough circle in a series of casual walks. Walking with curiosity and open eyes, they discovered much to share.
In this presentation, for lovers of history Nick focused on ghost signage with excellent photos of signage for past businesses and of advertising for products that no longer exist. A nineteenth century advertisement for medical services led them to another advertisement for the doctor which mentioned that he could use his clairvoyant skills to diagnose what was wrong with patients if they were unable to attend in person. Nick introduced us to 'lost things' such as a building in Chapel Street, Prahran, with a very elegant but neglected facade that could have been a glamorous arcade to rival the Royal Arcade. The completion of the building unfortunately coincided with the economic depression of the 1890s and its owners dream was never realised. Following a grand opening with thirty shops, plus businesses that included a Turkish bathhouse, billiard rooms, a restaurant, an oyster saloon and the splendid Arcade Club Hotel, the owner had to sell.
A lively question time ran for 15 minutes. Nick's book 'Melbourne Circle' is still available in bookshops. That is fortunate as the dozen or so copies that Nick had brought along were too few for the attendees who were keen to buy a copy. The talk was organised by the Carlton Community History Group in partnership with the Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre.
Seventy Years of Weaving and Spinning
The Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2024 and has a long association with Carlton and North Carlton. The Guild was originally established as the Victorian branch of the New South Wales Guild in 1952. As interest and membership grew, the Guild became a not-for-profit organisation in its own right. The first meeting was held at the Public Library (now State Library of Victoria) in April 1954. For the next nine years, the Guild met at several city locations and in 1963 moved to the Loyal Orange Lodge at 524 Elizabeth Street, Carlton. There was another move in 1971 to the Horticultural Hall (popularly known as "Horti Hall") in Victoria Street, opposite Trades Hall. In the 1980s, the Guild became part of the wider craft movement at the Meat Market Craft Centre (MMCC) in North Melbourne. This was not to last, as the MMCC closed suddenly in 1999.1
In 2000, the Guild had to find new premises and the site chosen was in North Carlton. The scout hall at 12 to 18 Shakespeare Street dates back to the 1930s. The foundation stone was laid by the Lord Mayor Councillor Luxton in July 1930. The hall was purpose-built for public performances, with a raised platform, off-stage dressing rooms and cloakrooms. It served a dual purpose in providing a home base for the First Carlton Troop and also a source of income from hiring out the premises for public and private functions. When the Guild moved in, the building was a bit run down and had problems with water damage, but it provided a large open space for classes and workshops and a single storey setting. No need to carry bulky weaving looms and spinning wheels up and down the stairs.2
By 2011, the building was long overdue for renovation, and also required for scouting activities. Once again, the Guild had to find another home. This was a two-storey building at 655 to 657 Nicholson Street, North Carlton, a 1970s structure with a retail shopfront on the ground floor and a gym above. While not a heritage building, the new location offered more exposure in a local business and shopping precinct, with ready access to public transport. The Guild is expanding its floor space in 2025 by leasing the ground floor of the adjacent building at 653 Nicholson Street. This will provide improved access and facilities for classes and workshops. The two storey shop and its neighbour at 651 were built for Louisa Jones in 1888. The first occupants were the Harmsworth Brothers, painters & decorators, followed by a succession of businesses – confectioner, greengrocer, jeweller, cycle depot, optician, pawnbroker, chemist, real estate agent and restaurants offering a variety of cuisines. The most recent businesses have been the Koca Lane salon and Moosa Bar.3
Adding up the years, the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria has spent nearly half of its lifetime in Carlton and North Carlton, and has woven its way into our history.
1 Paramanathan, Elizabeth. Arachne's Children, 2006
2 The Argus, 21 July 1930, p. 7
3 Building ownership and occupancy information sourced from land title records, the Victorian Heritage Database, Sands & McDougall directories and newspaper advertisements.
More on Shakespeare Street
Full House at Enoteca Sileno
John Portelli
Carlton Community History Group has returned to in-person history talks in addition to its popular Zoom presentations. The first history talk for 2024, held at Enoteca Sileno on Saturday 13 April, was booked out in a few days. The topic was "Changing Melbourne's Food Habits: 50 Years of Promoting Italian Food and Wine in Carlton". The speaker, John Portelli, is a major contributor to the Carlton food and wine scene. Some members will remember John's appearance in the cinema documentary film "Lygon Street: Si parla Italiano" which documented the emergence of Lygon Street as the birthplace of Melbourne's world famous café culture and of the adoption of Italian cuisine. John started working part-time at the Lygon Food Store in 1970 as a teenager. He remembers cutting 35 kilogram wheels of parmigiana with an almond knife, six days a week. He told stories first of the days when the customers were Italian post-World War 2 migrants. They expected value for money, down to how much rind was on a piece of cheese, and sought out authentic produce from their own home regions of Italy.
Lygon Street proprietors used various methods to attract people from non-Italian backgrounds. Traders initiated an annual Italian Lygon Street festival in 1978, with many exhibitions and performers travelling from Italy to take part. These included the extremely popular "Sbandieratori" (flag-wavers from Gubbio) who, for many years, delighted the crowds with colourful displays of traditional medieval flag-throwing. Much-loved local events included "L'Albero della Cuccagna" (Greasy Pole Climbing), the Waiters' Race and "Spacca Pignatte" (Break the Pots). John had us laughing as he described his job of applying automotive bearing grease on the pole before the competition began. Regional Italian foods and music were a greatly anticipated part of any Festa. Giveaways of freshly baked Italian panini with olive oil at the Festa proved very popular
John became a regular guest speaker with Martha Gardner from radio station 3AW. The Tiramisu dessert made with newly available mascarpone cheese was first launched from the 3AW Broadcast Caravan outside the Royal Exhibition Building at the Home Show in the late 1970s. Demand for the recipe, and sales of the mascarpone to restaurants and consumers, was extraordinary. Plasmon, Italy's most famous brand of infant foods was imported and sold to European and Australian mothers for 55 years and was one of the first brands imported by migrant businessman Gino Di Santo who came to Australia in the 1950s. Gino Di Santo launched the first real Enoteca in Australia, Enoteca Sileno, inaugurated in 1982 with 180 Italian regional wines. Enoteca Sileno also pioneered the importation and sales of other significant products into Australia, such as extra virgin olive oils (over forty years ago), real balsamic vinegar, the condiment vinocotta, plus genuine artisan made pastas, authentic Vialone & Carnaroli risotto rices, the highest quality Xmas Panettoni cakes, and hundreds of other brands & products.
These days John promotes Italian artisan foods and wines as co-Director, with his wife Rosemary, of Enoteca Sileno in North Carlton, which is a major wholesale provider of Italian wines and produce. The family also have a retail show room on site. John's passion for quality, traditional methods and regional variety is just as strong as ever.
Related Item: Enoteca Sileno Gastronomia dal 1953