The rich history of one of Melbourne’s smallest suburbs is being brought to life in a new book.
A Distinctive ‘Wedge’ in the West: A History of Kingsville until 1930, traces the little-known story of how today’s Kingsville came to be.
The book, a labour of love by Dr Emma Curtin and Tony Kelleher and more than a decade in the making, is being launched this Saturday.
Mr Kelleher first moved to Queensville Street in 1993 and started taking an interest in the history of his own home. “I found bits and pieces about houses across the road and down the street and it just developed from there,” he said. “I’d never done anything like it before, so it became a big learning curve.”
After the death of his partner, Mr Kelleher moved to Seddon and parked his project.
But he had “unfinished business” that he picked up again after chatting with Dr Curtin at their gym.
“I’d already done a lot of the groundwork but Emma helped take it that step further,” he said.
The book takes a journey from the area’s Indigenous beginnings through to residential development, World War 1 and the creation of basic amenities now taken for granted.
It outlines how Kingsville grew from two distinct estates, Kingsville and Queensville.
Dr Curtin, a historian who moved into Queensville Street in 2003, said the project had deepened her love for the area. “It’s been lovely to walk around the streets and say, ‘Oh, that part of Wales Street used to be a quarry’,” she said. “It’s been a great journey.”
Maribyrnong mayor Nam Quach will officially launch the book at Ercildoune at 2pm this Saturday.
Details: footscrayhistoricalsociety.org.au, RSVP foothist@bigpond.com or 9689 3820
