The Whole Picture: A historic look at Bay Street

Foilacleugh, once at 15 Kent Avenue, was built c.1909 for millionaire James Watson. Watson’s son, aviator Basil Watson, built his single-seat biplane in Foilacleugh’s billiard room in 1916 -1917.

George Brougham Hubert Austin was born in South Yarra in 1860. He was the inventor and designer of an automatic balancing aeroplane built at his business premises in 1912-1913. The plane was operated by a mechanical pilot. The plane not only flew but it also lifted 380 pounds off the ground.

Located in New Street pre-1885, this was one of a pair of shops, owned by Elizabeth Hayball. The photograph shows Mr Horace William Hemsley inside his grocery shop with a delivery boy.

Carr’s Oriental Coffee Palace, which stood on the corner of Bay and Marion Streets, was a distinctive local landmark from the late 1880s until its demolition in 1968.

Carr Street takes its name from wealthy nineteenth century entrepreneur Henry Carr, a Brighton man who built his fortune shifting nightsoil. In the days before Melbourne’s sewerage system was built, Carr had sanitary contracts across many of the city’s suburbs, including Brighton.

This early timber grocery store was typical of local corner shops. The building is now demolished but was located on the corner of Bay and Parliament Streets, Brighton, Early Cadbury's and Peters signs are displayed.

Almost since they were opened the baths were the scene of competitive swimming in one form or another. The men’s baths were larger than the ladies baths and had better diving and racing facilities, so they became the preferred venue for many events.

In 1905 Middle Brighton Baths hosted the Australasian Swimming Championships.

Built in 1922 this cinema was originally called ‘The Brighton Theatre’. The building had a classic Victorian style façade. It was built with a large balcony and the projection room was located in the stalls. Windows at the rear of the balcony looked out over the street. The silent screen was painted on the wall as was common in those times.

Brighton Technical School was opened in 1922 and closed at the end of 1991. Brighton Technical School (Girls' school) was housed in a Victorian era villa named Cora Lynn, at 45 Cochrane Street, Brighton and was officially opened on 12 September 1924. This is a photograph of Brighton Technical School science students, c. 1936.

Fred Crook and his son Fred Junior ran the Brighton Cycle Works from these premises around the early 1900s. Fred Junior’s wife was a well-known local swimming instructor. The terrace building now operates as a restaurant.

A market-gardener in East Brighton, in 1861 Thomas Bent became a rate collector for the town council of Brighton, then a fast-growing suburb. He soon began buying and selling land in Brighton and became a property developer in new areas fairly close by, such as Moorabbin. He developed the suburb of Bentleigh, named after himself. He was a member of both Brighton and Moorabbin town councils and was Mayor of Brighton nine times.

The statue of Sir Thomas Bent was on the corner of the Nepean Highway and Bay Street before the highway was widened in 1979/1980 when it was moved to a nearby location. The statue, sculpted by Margaret Baskerville, was unveiled on 20th October 1913.

This portrait is of Thomas Bent in regalia, with his daughter Elizabeth Bleazby and granddaughter Nancy.

Elizabeth Bleazby served as a local government councillor for Brighton from 1929-1946. Daughter of a former Brighton councillor and premier of Victoria, Sir Thomas Bent, she was imbued with politics from an early age. She stood for election to the local council three times before she succeeded.

This Spooner's Bread sign was once on the site of Old Brighton Hall on the corner of Bay Street and Snooks Lane. Spooners Bakery was in Martin Street Gardenvale and his bread was delivered by horse and cart.

The image shows Bay Street at the railway crossing, about 1890. On the left-hand side are the Southern Cross Printing Offices. John Stott published the first issue of the Brighton Southern Cross on Saturday 27 February 1871 on a single sheet of paper folded into four and priced at one penny. The Southern Cross set out to be an enlightening commentary on local affairs. The initial circulation took in Brighton, Elsternwick, Moorabbin, Cheltenham, Oakleigh, Mulgrave, Mordialloc, Frankston, Cranbourne and Berwick.

A Brighton Branch of the Red Cross was formed around 1914. As part of the War effort, festivals were organised each year at the Drill Room; the one in 1917 raised 7,000 pounds. In that year 72,623 separate articles were sent away, including 5,652 shirts. Brighton was producing about a tenth of the total volume of Red Cross articles in Victoria.

Adam Lindsay Gordon was a pioneer poet and horseman. Gordon and his fellow writers and artists made the Marine Hotel a social centre. At one time the hotel lounge bore Gordon’s name and contained some interesting items relating to his life as a steeplechase rider and poet.

It is believed Gordon tethered his horse to the hitching post. The poet and horseman wrote some stirring verse in the “Front Bar”. His old hitching post, used for Cadger, Gay Lad, and Prince Rupert is retained.

William Head was a labourer and early resident that settled in Brighton in 1841, after arriving in Sydney in 1838. He took up farming on land in what was then known as Little Brighton, on a 10 acre plot at Hodder Street and North Road, opposite Brighton Cemetery. Head Street was named after him. In this image the Head family taking a donkey ride on the foreshore with their family friends.

This photograph was taken at the Brighton Charity Carnival 1913, 2nd prize tableau. The horses and carts belong to Bess Service's father who had a grain and grocery business in Brighton. The Group are the Druids, a Lodge which people joined for benefits. The day was organised by the North Brighton Traders and the parade included Bay Street, Carpenter Street and Church Street and ended up at a recreation hall where the Brighton Grammar School oval is now located. There were stalls in the fenced-in area. It was held on a week day; shops were closed for the afternoon.

J H Taylor was the Brighton Town Clerk for 44 years. During his time in public office he supervised municipal elections. He can be seen here with electoral officers checking voting slips.

Middle Brighton Baths opened on their present site in 1881. The ‘Town of Brighton Corporation Baths’ as they were called, operated according to strict rules. These set out strict hours at which men and women could bathe. One of the most popular events was the annual Ladies’ Swimming Carnival which raised funds for the Red Cross.

Brighton Ladies Swimming Club was founded in mid-Edwardian days and seems to have met at both the Middle Brighton and the Brighton Beach Baths. The photograph shows the Brighton Ladies Swimming Club Committee in January 1906.

Taken around 1923, the picture shows Bay Street looking east, crossing Asling Street, with the Railway Hotel, the Commercial Bank and the Coffee Palace on the right-hand side and on the left can be seen Coles & Co Drapers

Rosbercon Girls Grammar School began as "Ashburnham" in 1906 on the southeast corner of North Road and Cochrane Street.  It later moved to "Hazeldene" on the corner of Grantham Court & North Road.  The school was opened by Misses Tisdall and later run by Miss Iris Hay from 1933 until its closure in December 1941. It was one of a number of early schools in Brighton.