04 Sep 21

Miss Camm, having arrived in Victoria in August 1854, went with a party for a picnic to Brighton.  They made the journey in a dray. On their return, the driver of the dray sought a short cut to St Kilda along the margin of the Elwood Swamp. They were well into the swamp, with its slimy mud bed, when the horses became frightened.  The men had to carry the women to the lagoon’s margin where there was firmer land, and in doing so the men sank into the mud as far as their knees.

From Elwood’s first Settlers by Beverley Broadbent 2005.
The Elwood canal is a unique seam of open space running through the urban fabric of Elwood.  In its former life it was the Elster Creek, which drained to a swamp  near the beach.  This rare nineteenth century canal has shaped Elwood’s pattern of settlement, its parks and public works, recreational spaces and wildlife habitat.  Today the Elwood Canal Master Plan of Port Phillip Council is guiding its restoration from a drain to an aesthetic waterway.

For most of the nineteenth century the wetland was viewed as a barrier to European development.  While the subject of complaint for moist of its history, it has also been a source of striking recollections, even entering into Australian literature.  In his brilliant autobiography, A Fine and Private Place, Brian Mathews describes an epic voyage as a child up the Elwood canal from the foreshore to his home.  Leigh Redhead’s crime thriller, Peepshow, culminates in a violent struggle between female sleuth, Simone Kirsch, and a corrupt cop in the ‘oily waters’ of the canal.  The brutal murder of Molly Dean in 1930 in a nearby lane off Addison Street was included in one of Australia’s best-known novels, My Brother Jack by George Johnston.

Today, the Elwood Canal is a man-made watercourse connecting the lower reaches of the Elster Creek with Port Phillip Bay, three hundred metres north of Point Ormond. It drains forty square kilometres of southeast Melbourne, including Prahran, Glen Eira and Kingston.  The upper reaches of the creek were originally a natural watercourse that ended in an ill-defined wetland near the beach between 108 and 160 acres in size, depending on rainfall.

Swamps like Elwood, which waxed and waned with the weather, were the natural safety valve of streams and rivers and the source of food and wildlife for the traditional owners.  However, European settlement changed all that by using waterways for waste disposal.  In 1869 the foul conditions of the Elwood swamp prompted local residents to call for the St Kilda Council to remove the nearby abattoir and night soil depot.  Added to their problems, the Brighton Council in the early 1870s cut a drain through Elsternwick Park to near the swamp's boundary at St Kilda Street. To prevent Elwood flooding, the St Kilda Council was forced to continue the drain to the Bay, which until 1904 entered the sea about 150 metres north of the canal's present mouth (near today's Meredith Street)

Life by the swamp is illustrated by a story told by R.D. Ireland, a barrister famous for his defense of the Eureka rebels.  Ireland and his friends were invited by Richard Heales, Premier of Victoria, to dinner at Tennyson Villa (1860) in Tennyson Street.  The mansion stood out like a lighthouse on a ‘forest of piles’ in the middle of the Elwood swamp which heavy rain had turned into a lake.  Boats conveyed the distinguished guests to the house.  Wet and chilled, Ireland bitterly lamented the lack of alcohol (Heales was a teetotaller) until whisky arrived which was immediately quaffed.  The whisky turned out to be lemon concentrate, leaving Ireland and his friends choking, inwardly cursing their host and calling for the boats.

There were physical dangers.  A beachcomber who sold mussels to buy alcohol stumbled into the poorly lit canal during a storm and drowned, as did journalist Arthur Davies on the night of 31 July 1898.

By 1888 the Mayor and Health Inspector of St Kilda Council found the stench from the swamp to be an ‘intolerable nuisance’. 11   Sixty men were employed to construct a concrete canal 1.2 kilometres from Glenhuntly Road to Elwood beach.  Engineer Carlo Catani (1852-1918), was involved in the design.  Mooring rings were provided on the canal’s walls for typing up pleasure boats.  Iron girder bridges, supported on brick piers, were initially built at Marine Parade, Barkly, Addison and Ruskin Street, and Broadway.

Most of the water was supposed to be carried out by pipes on the walls but since they weren’t maintained, all water entered the canal.  The canal was also found to ‘float’ and now has six inches of concrete base to anchor it.  Additional drains such as the brick drain at Byron Street were connected increasing the overload of water.

Engineer George Higgins was also engaged to drain 134 acres of swamp on crown land.  An additional 26 acres of private swampland near Byron Street was drained and subdivided for speculation.  An advanced dredge built by Alexey Von Schmidt was imported from San Francisco.  Acclaimed by the public as a mechanical marvel, it was mounted on a barge, pumping sand and clay from the Elwood foreshore, mixed with water, into the low-lying swamp areas.  Surplus water was then channelled back to the Bay.  The canal was also extended from Glenhuntly Road to beyond St Kilda Street.  By 1905, the St Kilda Council was finally able to report that the swamp had been filled.

Engineer John Monash, later commander of Australian forces at Gallipoli and France, built six bridges across the canal between 1905 and 1907 of which two survive.  His first bridge at St Kilda Street is the earliest surviving reinforced concrete girder bridge in Victoria and possibly Australia.  This innovative design inspired the use of reinforced concrete for bridge building throughout Victoria. 12

The first sales of residential land allotments on the former swamp took place on 21 January 1908.  Most of the land adjacent to the canal between Marine Parade and Broadway was sold in 1914, with those adjacent to the canal upstream of Broadway not sold until the 1920’s.

In 1924 the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) assumed responsibility.  They proposed in 1928 to fill in the entire canal to create ‘rateable’ land but were deterred by the Great Depression.

A polio epidemic in 1937-8 caused many panicked parents to label the canal as Plague Canal and ban their children from the vicinity, including the local school which in 1937 closed from June to September.  The MMBW reacted by widening the upper reaches of Elster Creek to improve the flow.

Violent storms showed the canal was ineffective in preventing Elwood from flooding.  A record high tide, combined with gales of 100 kpm per hour in December 1934, caused the canal to break its banks, extensively damaging a number of homes.  The following year saw flooding close Marine Parade in April and Foam Street inundated in May.  In November, waves beat on the sea wall, furniture floated in homes and boys delivered papers from rowing boats.  In 1955, after another serious flood, a project began on a giant diversion drain beginning at New Street, Brighton, and emptying into the Bay at Head Street to dramatically reduce the flow of water in heavy rain.  The dumping of rubbish in waterway and on the banks by local residents was also of continued annoyance.

By the 1960s, the canal had begun to improve with re-grading of banks, planting of lawns and renewing access roads, right-of-ways and footpaths.  Two new bridges, for north and south-bound traffic on Marine Parade were constructed across the canal in 1967.  These were made possible by the reclaiming of 45 acres of land from the sea, 25 acres of which were set aside for recreation.  The remaining 20 acres were allocated for the new St Kilda Marina built in 1969.  in 1972 the mouth of the canal, downstream from Marine Parade, was widened and its banks lined with rocks and the adjacent land gazetted as a recreation reserve.

In April 1970, more attention was drawn to the outlet when Prince Charles swam at Elwood and described the water as ‘diluted sewage’.  In the same year the MMBW was appointed as the Committee of Management of the land surrounding the canal between Marine Parade and Goldsmith Street.  From 1983 onwards, demands from local residents and the council saw it developed as a linear park to encourage recreation with bike and pedestrian paths connecting to the beach.

The environmental group, Earthcare St Kilda, and local residents agitated for change and undertook plantings with St Kilda Council staff.  An Elwood Canal Task Force was established in 1993 from the local community, Melbourne Water and the City of St Kilda, resulting in further works to improve the flow of the canal and the condition of its environs.  Flood prevention works have also been undertaken, including the construction of lakes in Elsternwick Park to help with water management. Landscaping along the canal and its mouth at Elwood beach, including the construction of the John Cribbes footbridge in 1998, have transformed the water feature into a centre for recreational activities.

Today this open canal remains a unique Melbourne landscape and an integral part of the urban character and history of Elwood.

The removal of the swamp was one of the last barriers to improving Elwood's prosperity. The other barriers were the noxious activities which had plagued the suburb for most of the 19th century.

Elwood Swamp 1886. The bisecting roads are Barkly Street and Glenhuntly Road
(Map Collection, State Library of Victoria)

Credit: St Kilda Historic Society https://www.stkildahistory.org.au/
Original article: http://skhs.org.au/~SKHSflood/From_Swamp_To_Canal.htm
Picture: Elwood Swamp 1886. The bisecting roads are Barkly Street and Glenhuntly Road(Map Collection, State Library of Victoria)

05 Sep 21

Thank you for all the positive feedback on our first edition of Port Phillip Matters. We were pleased to see that nearly 1,200 people read the newspaper within 48 hours of publication and 10% of readers looked at articles in a language other than English. Our paper can be read in 14 languages by selecting the language button at the top right of the page. 

We hope you enjoy reading our local newspaper which is produced by local contributors and volunteers. We thank everyone who has taken time to write an article and our volunteer editors and publishers. We welcome you to contribute a story or announcement. We will share articles on local people, community groups, local news and celebrate living in Port Phillip from Elwood and Balaclava to South Melbourne and Port Melbourne. We are also looking to publish information about sports clubs, schools, community groups and local events particularly when the pandemic restrictions are relaxed. If you would like to send us an article, please click on the “Got something to Say” panel at the bottom of this page to provide text and an image. Remember the old saying: a picture is worth a thousand words. Please upload images in landscape format. 

Port Phillip Matters includes Family Friendly Fun, Council Services, Local Live Music, and a Cinema guide – see the tabs under the masthead. We hope you will find this information useful when lockdown restrictions end. We will welcome publishing information about events and activities at your schools and sport clubs when COVID restrictions end.

We will be adding Looking for a Local Tradie in future editions. If you are a trades person and would like to place a classified advertisement, please contact us using the button at the bottom of the page. 

To access upcoming editions of the paper we have created the Port Phillip Matters Facebook Page click on link Port Phillip Matters | Facebook and like our page to receive notification of future editions.  You can also subscribe to the e-newspaper by clicking on the “Order Yours Free” panel at the bottom of this page.  

If you would like to volunteer and be part of the team producing the next issue of Port Phillip Matters, simply click the "Contact Us" panel below and let us know how to reach you. 

Finally, it has been a challenging couple of years for everyone and we hope that you and your family are well and coping well with pandemic restrictions.

West St Kilda is a beachside suburb with over 3,000 residents. It is the area bounded by St Kilda, West Beach, Middle Park and Albert Park Reserve. The West St Kilda Residents Association (WSKRA) is a community-based organization of West St Kilda residents with the general objective of serving the community interests of that group. 

WSKRA was set up over 20 years ago and aims to provide an open and public forum for all West St Kilda residents to express their views and to be informed on issues relating to their community such as:

• preserving and enhancing neighbourhood character and amenity; 
• town planning, traffic management, parking regulation and public transport; and
• preservation of heritage buildings.  

The group’s focus changes over time due to the priorities of the community. Recent issues have included the rejuvenation of Fitzroy Street, rat-running and speeding traffic in the area, street art and event management.

If you are interested in joining up, or hearing more about the Association, please click https://wskracom.wordpress.com/join-up-now/

We are delighted to share with you our new community health initiative to partner with Albert Park College and St Michael’s Grammar School to vaccinate their VCE students against COVID-19 prior to their upcoming examinations (the Initiative). 

You may have observed that our Initiative was reported by the Herald Sun on Friday 27 August 2021 in a story written by Susie O’Brien titled “Elite school offers private jabs for its students” (the Article).

According to the Article:
 ‘’Albert Park College wrote to parents on Friday telling them Port Melbourne Medical Centre had “kindly reached out to the college to offer our year 12 students Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations’’.

The shots will be administered on Sunday September 12, with the school telling parents it is “very happy to be able to streamline this opportunity”.”

The article’s header states “As supply issues plague access to Covid jabs, a growing number of Melbourne schools are using a network of GP parents to help student’s access appointments.’’

Port Melbourne Medical is deeply offended by the reporting of our Initiative by the Herald Sun. Regretfully, the article is inaccurate, misleading and written by the Herald Sun without any invitation for comment. 

For the record, Port Melbourne Medical wishes to confirm:

• The owners, staff and GP doctors at Port Melbourne Medical DO NOT have any children who currently attend or previously attended either school; and
• This is not a case where either school has used their networks, connections or their status to partner with Port Melbourne Medical to vaccinate their VCE students. To the contrary, the Initiative originated with Port Melbourne Medical who made the approach to each school, motivated to protect VCE students in its community by making their vaccinations accessible prior to their upcoming examinations.

Port Melbourne Medical is taking steps to report its concerns about the Article and make formal complaints to the Australian Press Council and to the Editor-In-Chief of the Herald Sun. Port Melbourne Medical will be seeking the publication of an apology, a correction of the inaccurate and misleading statements and the publication of balancing material which reflects the true intention of the Initiative. 

WHAT ARE THE FACTS?

• Both Albert Park College and St Michael’s College are located in close proximity to our practice and we currently have a high number of patients who are VCE students from these schools
• Port Melbourne Medical offered identical assistance to both schools
• Albert Park College is not an “Elite private school” but a Government school
• The schools are not paying for any staff/doctors/nurses or vaccines and the vaccines are part of the Federal Government’s allocation of Pfizer vaccinations to Port Melbourne Medical
• The costs of staff/doctors/nurses are absorbed by Port Melbourne Medical and it is expected that the Initiative will result in the Practice incurring costs (as opposed to making a profit)
• Port Melbourne Football Club has kindly offered its venue rent free to the schools for these vaccinations days
• Premier Dan Andrews announced on Thursday 26 August 2021 that VCE students were a designated high priority group. As Port Melbourne Medical has done in the past with other high-risk groups, we took the initiative to reach out and offer our assistance. At this stage, there is no other plan in place to achieve this
• Approval was sought by Port Melbourne Medical and given by the Federal Department of Health before both schools were approached.

WHY PORT MELBOURNE MEDICAL STARTED THE INITIATIVE?

As we have been a dedicated Respiratory Clinic for the past 18 months, we have a larger allocation of vaccines than regular GP clinics

To date Port Melbourne Medical has administered in excess of 15,000 vaccines and continues to vaccinate the Port Melbourne community. We have recently increased the number of vaccine appointments and we remain committed to adding more appointments  as increased supply occurs

Port Melbourne Medical’s main priority is to protect the local community and our dedicated vaccination clinic is currently the only large scale local solution

We have the proven capacity to execute the Initiative and our vaccination clinic has run without incident since March 2021

The VCE-clinic is being conducted on a Sunday to avoid disruption to the schools, VCE students and our current patients 

Early on we identified our high-risk patients and these patients have all been vaccinated or offered the vaccines. VCE students at the identified schools are not taking them from the needy (who have had ample opportunities to get vaccinated). 

The expected number of vaccines (Dose 1) represents 6.8% of our monthly allocation.

Our Vaccination Clinic has been 100% accessible to everyone in Port Melbourne, and approximately 50% of people who have attended were not registered as clinic patients

The under 30 age group represents a high proportion of current cases.

No other plan is in place to help these VCE students with important exams on the horizon.

We are delighted to help these students, who have had a very challenging 18 months; they are our future and should be given every support possible as they approach their exams.

An outbreak through this cohort would be devastating and extremely disruptive to the students, schools and their futures.

We do not have an infinite supply of the Pfizer vaccine. We have focussed on our local area as an act of goodwill, with a deliberate focus on high-risk groups, the majority of whom are not students. It is not our responsibility to offer the vaccination to all Victorian VCE students - we have just provided a local solution after it was announced by the State Government that year 12’s should have their vaccinations prior to their examinations.

Similar scenes were available in the former Cities of Port Melbourne and South Melbourne around the time this was filmed in 1962.

Description of the video accessed via the link below. The old 'bottle-oh’ has worked for seven days a week, year in and year out, collecting empties. He’s never used the whip on his mare and talks about her as though she is a person. The iceman is another of these great characters, who describes how easy it is to deliver ice when the horse stops at each door, ready to move on without having to be told.

Curator’s notes by Janet Bell Until the early years of the 20th century, horses were a common sight on Australian city streets. They were a necessary form of transport without which the commercial life of the community could not function. When this documentary was filmed in the early 1960s there were still a few workhorses plying their way around the streets of Melbourne. The bottle-oh, the iceman, the woodman, they were the last of their line. The city of Melbourne is magnificently filmed with its urban streets frozen in a time just before the untrammelled development of the late ’60s and ’70s. There’s a corner shop, empty streets with hardly a car, and men still wearing hats in public. The carters muse about their life and times encompassing the First World War, the Depression, the Second World War and into the postwar period. This documentary is part of Australia’s filmed heritage and an example of the richness of the ABC’s film and video archive, available to all of us for posterity.

CLICK on the link to travel back in time. https://aso.gov.au/titles/tv/with-gentle-majesty/clip1/?fbclid=IwAR1O3xNuZwNSAcU_omifelJPZcPHw2lI9x735Kcp2y1vP4H8N5I9MU0uvdo

At the Council Meeting on 1 September 2021 Council voted unanimously to proceed with a trial of a ‘kerb charging’ permit for residents with no off-street car parking to install electric vehicle chargers on Council land, for example nature strips. 

Port Phillip Council will now trial a ‘Kerb Charging Permit’ for residents and businesses with no off-street parking to install electric vehicle chargers on Council land. Council have authorised a trial of ‘Kerb Charging Permit’ to up to ten properties on a rolling six-month basis, up to a maximum permit period of 31 December 2023. At the conclusion of the first six months, Council will review the progress of the trial to help shape future policy direction in this area. 

The permit application fee is $124 and the annual renewal fee is $100 per year. The cost of installation will be at the expense of the permit holders and is likely to be in the region of $4,000 to $5,500 depending on constructions requirements and the commercial supplier. Details of the Kerb Charging Facility Application Guidelines can be found on the City of Port Phillip website: https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/media/rewjj1za/11-1-att-1-electric-vehicle-charging-permit-application-guidelines.pdf

Back to the music in St Kilda.

Port Phillip Council unanimously voted in favour of a proposal from Live Nation Australasia to erect a purpose-built, COVID-safe outdoor music venue on the St Kilda Triangle car park during February - March 2022 and November – December 2022.

Council voted to provides provisional approval for an event permit for February/March 2022, pending permit requirements being met/required documentation being provided. Provisional approval for an event permit for November/December 2022, will depend on a review of the February/March 2022 events. Local businesses expressed have concerns that loss of car parking at the St Kilda triangle may adversely impact to their business during the busy November/ December period.

Live Nation are required to work closely with Council Officers between now and the event to ensure that any negative impact to local traders is mitigated as much as is possible. Live Nation who are the lease holders of the Palais Theatre to erect a purpose-built, COVID safe outdoor music venue on the St Kilda Triangle car park similar to the April Sun outdoor music venue held in 2021. This decision is welcomed by live music fans who have been starved of live events and the music industry which has been greatly impacted by the COVID pandemic.

Live Nation Australasia is a subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment a US$19 billion multinational entertainment company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

On 1 September 2021, Council voted to apply to the Victorian Government Department of Transport (DoT) for $13M to build three shimmy ‘pop-up’ bike routes: Park Street (West), Moray Street to Albert Road connector and the Bay Trail to Moray Street link that aligns to the Victoria Government’s Shrine to Sea project. 

FOR: Crs Baxter, Crawford, Cunsolo, Copsey, Martin and Pearl

AGAINST: Crs Bond, Sirakoff and Clark

Council will seek from the Victorian Government delivery of a process of design, community engagement, evaluation, adjustment, and maintenance will be implemented over the life of these trial ‘pop-up’ bike lanes. Following the confirmation of any funding, Council Officers will provide the permits and approvals necessary for the installation and maintenance of the ‘pop-up’ bike lane infrastructure on Council owned roads.

We asked Cr. Rhonda Clark why she voted against this proposal and received this response:

"One of the things that I have come to admire about council and council processes is the strong commitment to consultation and engagement with the community. It is provided in everything council does and in every small change. Everyone has the opportunity to have their say and their feedback is taken into consideration.

It is this commitment to our community which is totally missing from this proposal. Not only is it missing, but it has also never happened and the proposal from Dept of Transport is to only allow 6 weeks. For most residents this is the first time they have heard about a shimmy bike lane or removing one traffic lane from Park St or taking out 13 car parks on Park St or losing 25 car parks in Kerford Road.

Council’s own recommendation is that it “Seeks a commitment from the Department of Transport that for proposals funded by the Program, a process of design, community engagement, evaluation, adjustment and maintenance will be implemented over the life of these trial ‘pop-up’ bike lanes."

Who are you and what is your connection with our Port Phillip community? 
I am Paul Dimattina. Proprietor of Lamaro’s Hotel, proud Elwood resident and supporter of the local community and sporting clubs.

We sponsor Middle Park Primary school and Kindergarten, St Kilda City Junior Football Club, St Kilda Cricket Club, South Melbourne Park Primary school, Elwood Primary School market and many more local coomunity groups.

Why do you choose to live in Port Phillip? 
I chose to live here as I have always loved the eclectic cosmopolitan feel of Elwood. It has a very relaxed vibe and we have so many liked minded friends that live in the area. We also have easy access to the beach, lots of parks and gardens and plenty of great cafes and restaurants.

What is your passion? 
My passion is family, food, football and friends!! I am really lucky that I have been able to live my childhood dreams of owning my own restaurant/pub and playing AFL football. Hospitality is in my blood and I just love the social aspect of what we do. I really love my food and wine and being in hospitality I get to enjoy these every day!!

Tell us about the impact in these challenging times.
The last 18 months have been the toughest and most challenging of my business life.

The uncertainty and restraints put on us are a great strain.

The tears from the staff every time we get sent into another Lockdown are heart wrenching.

Total days the hospitality has been shut in Melbourne is 232 days and counting.

Total days all of us have been locked in our homes is 206 days. There were a further 26 days when lockdown had ended but we were not permitted to open.

When we have been allowed to trade, we have been working with severe capacity restrictions for another 300 days, and counting. We first got hit with capacity restrictions on 18/03/20.

230+ days of forced closure.

302+ days of capacity limits and restrictions.

It is not easy trying to run a business with a maximum capacity of 50% but still incurring full operational costs!!!

The greatest challenge has been staff retention and to provide leadership, inspiration and hope for them.

We treat our staff like family here at Lamaro’s and I feel a great sense of obligation to assist them through these tough times.

It is particularly hard for the casual workforce?
We have provided assistance in the form of food and personal loans where needed.

The mental toll has been debilitating not only to the staff but also to us in leadership and management roles.

A great leader inspires, a great leader cares, a great leader shows empathy and compassion and a great leader leads from the front and does everything possible to keep up morale and hope.

I have been doing my utmost to be the best leader I can be and to instill hope and positivity into the wonderful team that works with me.

Tough times don’t last, tough people do!!

We pride ourselves on being a community hub and knowing our customers personally.

We love tending to their needs and seeing the smiles we can put on people’s faces.

We love to surprise and delight our customers.

We look forward to welcoming you with open arms when we get to open again.

In this edition Campbell Spence interviews St Kilda resident Geoffrey Conaghan.

Tell me about your connection to the Port Phillip community.
I came to Melbourne in 1987 and moved to West St Kilda.  I bought my flat in 1990 in St Kilda so I haven’t moved far - about 500 metres.

I met Mathew, my partner of 20 years and my husband of 3 years, in a St Kilda coffee shop. He lived around the corner so it was a very local romance.

In the 1980s I discovered Linden gallery on Acland Street and I’ve learnt a lot about contemporary art by attending seminars, artists talks and events.  Around 2000 I joined the Linden Board for 6 years and was chairman for three years.  In 2018 I was made ambassador of Linden Contemporaries, the donor network. 

My Greek club (through my mother) is the Kastellorizian Association in South Melbourne.  Descendants of this tiny island arrived at Station Pier in the early 20th century and settled in Port Phillip’s suburbs and many of us live in the area.

In 2020 I stood for Council as an independent candidate.  My outstanding vision was not shared by the citizens as I secured only 8% of votes.

Why do you choose to live in Port Phillip?
There are many reasons - St Kilda’s great public transport (we don’t have a car), interesting architecture and great assets like Theatre Works, the Palais theatre, Red Stitch, the Jewish Museum - all in walking distance. Access to the city is easy and the foreshore and Albert Park are nearby.I also like the medium density environment and interesting neighbours with diverse backgrounds.

Tell us about yourself Geoffrey - what has your career looked like?
I'm 62 and retired from full time work.  I now advise one client in the specialised area of international airline business development.  So, I’m a single-client consultant!

I was with Melbourne Airport management company for 15 years in a variety of roles and previously to that the founding executive director of the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Training Board. 

My final two roles were with the public sector as Victoria’s Commissioner to India based in Bangalore and then Victoria’s Agent General in London. I’ve had interesting jobs across the private, public and not for profit sectors.

I was a board member of Tourism Victoria for over a decade, appointed by Labor and Liberal governments so I’d like to think I was a merit appointment. In the 1990s I chaired the Victorian Tourism Awards and was a judge on the Australian Tourism Awards for five years. Before I left for India in 2009 I received a Victorian tourism industry award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual.

What are your interests?
Since the 1970s I’ve travelled extensively through Asia, the Middle East and Europe.  I’m a slow, independent traveller and enjoy ‘the deep dive’.  Our last overseas holiday was a trip to Rome for about 3 weeks - one city, one flat. Our ‘holiday project’ was to see as many Caravaggio paintings as possible, visit second tier museums, find the best pasta Carbonara in Rome and eat only Lazio cuisine. We returned via Bangkok and spent three weeks visiting the old capitals of Thailand. 

I’m a keen collector of contemporary art. Mathew remains amazed that the walls can accomodate new paintings, but I’ve always said ‘where there’s a wall, there’s a way’.  I’ve never called myself a collector as it suggests a sense of purpose and discipline.  I buy what I want to look at every day, there’s not much discipline to it.

What really matters to you?
Education is a door-opener and my own path changed dramatically in the 1970s due to education and I’ve never looked back.  I want to see the doors of opportunity open for others.

Closing the gap for Indigenous Australia matters to me and education, health and housing are three basic requirements to engage successfully and equally with the broader population.

Other things? I hear a lot about ‘Australian values’ but fear they are deteriorating.  Two pillars of Australian society have been meritocracy and home ownership.  We’ve lost ground in these areas.

I get anxious about housing unafordability.  When I brought my flat it was 3 times my annual income which ownership possible.  I think people are now looking at  8,9,10 times their household income.  For people who aren’t ever going to own their home we need secure, quality housing for low income Australians.

I hope environmental targets don’t forget waste management and litter. There are volunteer groups that clean the Port Phillip foreshore - endlessly - and I ask the question: why is the rubbish there in the first place? Dumped rubbish around Port Phillip, cigarette buts and litter around Fitzroy, Acland and Carlisle streets.  I don’t think ‘heightened environmental awareness’ is broadly embraced.

I’m a fan of promoting excellence.  Australians are increasingly anti-elite, unless it has ‘sport’ in front of it. We need to promote elite musicians and performers, writers and intellectuals, visual and performing artists, teachers, artisans and trades people.  There’s nothing wrong with elite.  I wish I was elite at something!

Are there any secret passions?
I have a passion for the hand crafted and hand made. Our home has many things that we’ve ‘commissioned’ or found and had restored. 

I’m a good cook.  Mathew and I both cook, which has been a big bonus during Covid lock downs as we’ve had a varied and good menu. My mother was a very good cook because she could create a great meal from whatever was at hand.  As a result my sister and I can do the same.

OK, tell us somethings people would be surprised to find out about you.
Where do I start! 

I didn’t drink alcohol until I was 40 years old. I was a good swimmer - I did my surf lifesaving bronze medal when I was a teenager in Sydney, and later did many distance swims of over 3km.  I was a competition ballroom dancer which was abandoned as I had to choose between study and dancing. There may be a pattern here - I’ve never been particularly worried about being ‘on trend’!

I pick and then preserve the olives from trees on the footpaths around Middle Park and Albert Park.  There are dozens of untended trees, I leave the ones that are being looked after by locals.  Last year we picked 10 kilos.

In the mid 1990s I was the founding co-convenor of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, now The Victorian Pride Lobby. That group was formed in response to the notorious Tasty nightclub raid that proved to be pure harassment of its gay and lesbian clientele. The Pride Lobby remains a significant advocacy group.

My name is Hayley Giemza and my family have a rich history with the City of Port Phillip. 

My family bought their first Hotel in 1986 in St Kilda. It was the St Kilda Inn which is located on the corner of Grey St and Barkly St. As a family we lived upstairs on top of the pub and every day we worked, breathed and lived it. I was 13 years old, my brother only 7yrs and we encountered a childhood rich in experiences. Growing up in St Kilda in the 80’s was controversial. Bojangles was still in operation which bought a lot of the underworld to the area. However, The St Kilda Inn was known as a second home for the New Zealand community and the culture inside the Pub varied from the streets. The pub was adorned with beautiful Māori carvings. The beer garden was always full of the community cooking traditional foods for one another, using the pub to teach traditional dance and perform cultural dance and the ever-exciting Haka! We sponsored the St Kilda Rugby League which created another element of connection. I remember my friends and their parents coming from Brighton, walking into the establishment initially intimidated and then welcomed by open arms once introduced to the local community. I remember being dropped home from a trip to Mt Buller by a school family and they asked if Mum and Dad were home. I replied “no, they are away however all the locals will look after me”. The staff were full time and took their positions whole heartedly. It taught me the values of a strong local community and what the original Public House was designed for.

In 1986 Liquor Licences were difficult to receive. It involved exams, Justice of the Peace, the Sergeant of St Kilda Police and proof that the Publican was an upstanding citizen, so a Publican took their role seriously. This in turn taught me the importance of the local pub, being pivotal for people to congregate, share opinions, show compassion to others and the Publican historically being a shoulder for the best and worst times for many.

Life of the Publican’s Daughter continued. In 1990 my family bought the New Market Hotel in Inkerman St, St Kilda which was the only early opener in the City of Port Phillip. The Council yards were across the road and every Wednesday afternoon the bar was full of big burly blokes swigging 7oz glasses, throwing their pay cheques over the bar because the Publican could cash it quicker than the banks. I have memories of all walks of life stepping into that front bar at 7am. Either still partying from the night before or needing a quick chin wag before the day begins. It was a working man’s pub with Marika in the kitchen providing the biggest chicken schnitzel with a capsicum and paprika sauce to soak up and cure remanence of the previous evening. Working the Pub was like no other vocation. It wasn’t 9-5, 40 hour weeks. It was a lifestyle, every day and every night open to everyone! I could write a book about those teenage years in St Kilda. Every day bought new experiences, new people, new stories which in turn taught me about the rich history of the area.

Life in Pubs continued with my family buying the Fountain Inn. The Fountain Inn was on the corner of Bay St and Crockford St, Port Melbourne and was known as the Fountain Inn due to the old watering fountain placed in front of the Pub for horses to draw water. Unfortunately, it no longer exists. The pub was quickly transformed into an Irish epicentre with Eddie Hayes as the Manager who was considered the God Father of the Irish community. A man who was always the life of the party. The Pub was renamed The Blarney Stone and had a 3am licence which enabled live music most evenings. My brother and I would trudge to school, blazers smelling of cigarettes, learning to sleep with the high-pitched laughter and drum beat from below. Once again, a pub full of community and culture, only this time being Irish. I can’t even explain the excitement and activities of St Patricks Day. Bay St was completely closed to traffic and the community would walk from Molly Blooms (beach end of Bay St) to the Blarney Stone. Marquees set up between the infamous Faram Bros hardware and the Pub. Stages with young dancers showcasing traditional Irish dance. The Council was open minded with less red tape and the community was richer for it. I remember every hotel in Bay St having to enter a team of four people for a boat race from one end of Bay St to the other. Eight Competing boats all representing a Pub, lined up ready to race 1.5km. Unfortunately, our 4 competitors had a skinful of Guinness by the midday start and our boat painted with the lucky 4 leaf clover was built of wood, whilst others made of polystyrene. Obviously, not thought out too well although riveting and joyful for local spectators. It felt as if the good times continued for years.

Next stop was the Middle Park Hotel.  Suddenly, we found ourselves in a quiet, gentrified establishment with only 4 older gentlemen “the barflies”, frequenting the front bar from 11am-2pm. However, our family quickly changed that. Overnight the hotel filled with young people from Albert Park. Team sports all congregating 5 nights a week, celebrating their wins or commiserating their losses. The back dark nightclub transformed, habits were changing and so was the expectation of the local Pub. No longer the 7 oz swill but the communal jugs being filled with flowing Carlton Draught. The everlasting chicken parma being a Pub staple, materialised. I’m a firm believer that a pub has a particular purpose. It is not a restaurant; it is not a café. It is a stand-alone establishment for the community. Any one is welcome and should be treated with respect. Give the punter what they want and deserve.

It was the year the Middle Park Hotel experienced its first Grand Prix. The crowds were enormous which overflowed into the local watering holes. I thought St Patricks Day was crowded until I experienced the Melbourne Grand Prix. 10 security guards standing on wine barrels scattered around the pub and the street. Once again closed off for people to enjoy the surrounding atmosphere and glorious sunshine Melbourne occasionally showcases. Larrikins were tossed into nearby taxis by security men looking as wide as tall. The typical caricature of the 90’s bouncer. This allowing for the locals and families to enjoy the festivities. It was like the Royal Melbourne Show on your doorstep. The Redbull cars, the flag bearing girls, Melbourne was alive.

Next Stint was across the Westgate to create another Irish successful venue however the family quickly returned to the beloved roots of Port Phillip. The Palmerston Hotel. A pub steeped in tradition, owned originally by old Ma Monroe for 60 years and then passed onto us. Receiving that Pub was like receiving a museum, full of historical remnants from yesteryear. 1950’s photos of local scallywags laughing, standing around the then circular bar which I framed proudly around the walls. I clearly remember the first day I walked into that Pub. My family had told me I was taking over the following day and I should go and see what needed to be done. It was an absolute eyesight. Originally, I thought the barmaid was a stripper. The entire pub looked as if it was an ice cream shop. Pastel walls with white plastic furniture. I remember asking the barman for a coffee and being swiftly sent across the road. How things have changed. Within months the Palmerston was transformed, a quick lick of paint and a new start. Suddenly, the menu and staff changed and so did the clientele. It became a Hub for businesspeople within the area to meet and eat. With a catchy slogan, “Have a Parmie at the Palmie”, quickly the Palmerston Hotel became known in the community. Murals decorating the exterior. Many will remember driving down Kings Way, seeing a mural of a man hanging out the front window or Jackie Collins kicking a goal. Saturdays were full of men and women alike drinking and punting. It feels as if my entire life has been one long bar full of characters, there are Gunners and Longy’s, Skinnies and Sausages, Wayno’s and Rockets all nicknames that continue from Pub to Pub.

The Latest stop, but not the last, is The Rising Sun Hotel, South Melbourne. What an establishment and what a time like no other. Even though the Hotel is located in a strong socio-economic suburb, we offer food and beverages at reasonable prices to accommodate everyone. The Rising Sun Hotel is your quintessential Australian community Pub. Therefore, it brings great sadness that the first time in history, Government has forced closure on such an important establishment for so many to seek solace. However, let’s not dwell on the constant talk of closures but the reopening of business bringing laughter, joy, a social backdrop for our ever-evolving community. The Rising Sun Hotel, the home of the South Melbourne (Sydney) Swans. The Riser, an institution for footy, racing, good food, cold beer and an avenue for live music. Once a pub tucked away, for the working-class man born into the rough and tumble of South Melbourne, shirking from the ever-looming St Kilda Rd Police precinct. Evolving from a pub surrounded by the local dairy to one now surrounded by 12 storey buildings, housing corporates, hungry for a break from the office surround. To now, a pub transformed back to its roots. Offices becoming apartments with new locals, neighbours, The Riser, a thriving community meeting point. Community supporting each-other’s needs and expectations through these changing times.

Although these establishments vary, the heart of the Pub never does. I hope I have given you an insight into my life in the City of Port Phillip. I’m sure my story has given you a taste of why I live in such an eclectic space and clearly displays my passion for people.

Who knows where the next chapter of my life takes-off? Catch you for a drink soon.

Hayley’s family owned over a dozen Hotels in Melbourne. She is still today known as the “Publicans Daughter” at The Rising Sun Hotel, is married to Mal Wakefield and has 2 boys. She continues to live in the vibrant City of St Kilda.

• 2 large onions, diced
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 chicken breasts, no skin, diced
• 1 tsp. chilli (we used crushed from a jar)
• 2 tsp. ginger (we used crushed from a jar)
• 3 large cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ cup cooking cream light
• 1 cup natural low fat yoghurt
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 140g tomato paste (1 small can)
• 2 cups canned tomatoes, diced or crushed
• 1¼ cup water

• 1 tsp. cardamom ground
• 1 tsp. garam masala ground
• ¼ tsp. cloves ground
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. coriander ground
• 1 tsp. turmeric ground

• In a pot on low heat melt butter and oil together.  When melted add onions and cook until translucent.  Make sure you don't burn, you just want to soften onions, so keep stirring for around 6 minutes.
• In a small bowl, measure all your spices and mix. Set aside.
• Keeping heat low, add the garlic, ginger and chili, stir 1 minute.
• Now add tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute.
• Now add the spices until aroma released, around 1 minute.
• Now add the canned tomato, sugar and water, simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  After this time add the cream and yoghurt, stirring.
• Now gently place the diced chicken breast into the simmering sauce and cook on low heat for 15-20 mins.
• Serve on the rice with option to add Nan bread or roti bread.

Everyday many loved pets go missing in the City of Port Phillip, dogs, cats, birds so this article is to guide you on what to do if you have found a pooch or lost a loved one.

We don't tend to pay attention until it happens so it is a reminder on what to do, all information is from the council website for future reference. Another tip is to check local Facebook groups as many found pets are posted there, also check local vets where found pets can be delivered to for microchipping scans.

If you have lost your dog, cat or pet, you can report it online using Online Services, or contact us.

What should I do if I have lost my pet?

When making a report, please provide the following information:

1.       a description of the animal

2.       the current registration tag number

3.       microchip number

4.       when and where the animal was lost

5.       your name and a contact phone number.

If an animal fitting the description of your pet is found in Port Phillip, you will be contacted and asked to come to The Lost Dogs' Home to determine if it is your pet.

What should I do if I have found a dog or cat?

If you have found a dog or cat and have it contained, you must contact Council as soon as possible. If the animal has identification, Council can get in contact with the owners by tracing the registration tag number or microchip.

It is important to report any found animals to Council.

Although you may not wish to see the animal impounded, you are required by law to deliver the cat or dog as soon as is reasonably possible to an authorised officer of the Council, or to a person or body which has an agreement with Council such as the Lost Dogs' Home.

Not doing so can reduce the owners' chances of finding their dog or cat, as the pound is the most likely place they will check. It is also important not to take the animal out of the area where it was found as this also makes it more difficult for owners to find their pet.

If you have found an animal, please contact council as soon as possible.

Where are the pets taken once picked up by council?

All animals that are found in the City of Port Phillip are taken to The Lost Dog's Home in North Melbourne

The Lost Dogs' Home- 24 hour service

You can check for lost or found animals, and submit your lost or found animals.

Website: The Lost Dogs' Home

Phone: 03 9329 9493