Today I thought I might enlighten you to some of the history of our street names..Some very old some quite new...... Here we go..... SWALLOW ST was named after Thomas Swallow who founded the great Swallow & Ariel biscuit factory which at the time (1850's) was the 5th largest steam biscuit factory in the WORLD. He was the 2nd Mayor of Sandridge 1860-1862.He helped found the Sandridge Freemasons Lodge called Marine Lodge and was a philanthropist in many areas of the municipality.Swallow St was formed in 1890 and in 100 years along the residents fought to save their street from compulsory aquisition when Beacon Cove was developed.Much of Swallow still remains with over 90% of the original homes still standing even with additions and modifications.
TODD ROAD was named after M.L.A. Archie Todd a councillor from 1951-1962 and Mayor in 1952 and 1956 and in later years a member of the Victorian Parliament
SPRING STREET is split in two by the Town Hall as it crosses Bay St.Once where the town hall now stands was a pond with a stream that ran into Sandridge Lagoon .Possibly this street wich crosses Lagoon Infill and encircles the Town Hall was named after this spring and the features it created at the time ( This is just a guess) No info is at hand to tell us otherwise.
TOM HILLS COURT In 1998 the newly formed City of Port Phillip renamed this street after Tom Hills.
Tom was a prominent wharfie who came to Port Melb as a runaway teenager from N.S.W.
He was an activist on behalf of the unemployed wprkers during the1930's depression,he was a member of the Historical Society which has set up an oral history prize in his honour.Tom was involved in many many causes and when he died in 1996 at the age of 92 he was as true to his beliefs as he was as a boy growing up the hard way.Tom wrote a book with writer/author Wendy Lowenstein an oral history of the wharf labourers and their life and families called On The Hook .Tom Hills was a rare human being,of his like we may not see many others.Posted on a wet wintery Friday in Port Melbourne