Today is Good Friday on the Easter Calendar and all is quiet in Port Melbourne save for the children and their families at the playground on Garden City Reserve.
I am not sure if I have told you the story of Garden City Reserve which I see every day from my front porch.I am very lucky to be living opposite such a tranquil piece of parkland.Garden City Reserve was named after the the estate built on this reclaimed land in 1928.Financed and built by the LATE State Savings Bank of Victoria with two storey homes fashioned on an English style village designed by an English architect .Built of cincrete/ash cement/stone wiith walls 11 inches thick some rough caste other smototh cement finish .The houses were built around parks for families to enjoy as most older streets in Port Melbourne were narrow and devoid of open space.
This was a unique housing experiment as the homes built were of a much higher quality than usually afforded working class people.
A deposit of 50 pounds was required and the male of the household was to repay no more than 25% of his wage to the S.S.B of Vic.plus a small interest over a 25year period.
During the Depression many had to sell their "BOOK" or have the bank reduce their payments some were lucky and were able to let their homes and keep the payments going.Times were hard in these these years of the depression.
In the middle 30's residents banded together and saw in front of them a vision for a community park and thus was born the Progress Association of Garden City.Trees were planted in the vein of the English style homes creating mostly deciduous type trees.A childrens playground ,a cricket pitch and a tennis court.Residents and the Port Melbourne council worked together to maintain the reserve and many happy hours were spent by me in this safe haven
Today it stands as a monument of beautiful English Trees that in Autumn are a painters delight.
Lois Daley 29th March 2002.