City of Darebin Heritage Study Volume 1 Draft Thematic

VOLUME 2: THEMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORYAble Seaman C.V. Williams, a police officer from Northcote, had the unfortunate distinctionof being the first Australian casualty of the First World War. In September 1914, he wasmortally wounded during successful operations involving the Royal Australian Navy, whichresulted in the capture of Rabaul and other German possessions in the Pacific. Williams iscommemorated in a plaque at the old Northcote Police Station. 15 During the Second WorldWar Darebin’s industries manufactured all kinds of military equipment, ranging from themobile cranes made in Victor Bradley’s Northcote Council depot to the pontoon bridges madeat the Tramways Workshop, and sole leather for military boots produced by Braithwaite’stannery to insulators for explosives made at the Premier Pottery. Again the civilian communitysupported the war effort with fundraising for comforts for the troops. The Preston communitycontributed a mobile canteen (Lemon, 1983:239-40; Carroll, 1985:166-9).Carroll describes the range of defence activities carried out by the Preston community duringthe Second World War, when Australia feared invasion by Japan. Air raid wardens wereappointed and Preston Council provided a control room in Kelvin Grove staffed by 70telephonists with boy scouts as messengers. Preston Girls’ School became a first aid post, readyto be turned into a casualty station if necessary and people were trained in first aid. Air raidshelters were dug in backyards and at schools, and the Preston City Hall became theheadquarters of the Volunteer Defence Corps. People were encouraged to invest in war loans toassist the government to finance the supply of arms, and streets where residents responded bybuying War Savings Certificates, became War Savings Streets. Similar activities were occurringin communities all over Australia (Carroll, 1985:163-9).Most importantly, Preston Town Hall was, for a few months in 1941-2, the secret location ofRAAF Air Defence Headquarters. An Anti-aircraft Operations Room was set up in the hall andit was manned by specially trained civilians of the Volunteer Air Observers Corps, releasingService personnel for other work. The Operations Room accounted for all aircraft approachingthe defended area. It received reports directly from the coastal radar stations, enabling aircraftto be sent to investigate unidentified aircraft, ships and submarines. After the Battle of theCoral Sea, the Air Defence Headquarters moved on, however Signals 16 stayed at the Town Halltill the War’s end.Figure 58bMembers of theVolunteer Air ObserversCorps manning the bigoperations table at theRAAF Air DefenceHeadquarters atPreston Town Hall,November 1944.[Australian WarMemorial, ID:VIC1731]Preston honoured two of its war heroes, both Victoria Cross winners. William Ruthven was aFirst World War veteran and State Member of Parliament was honoured in the naming of arailway station and a park reserve. Bruce Kingsbury, Victoria’s first VC winner in the Second15 Information supplied by Paul Michell, of Darebin Libraries and,www.naby.gov.au/spc/maritimepapers/piama16/rabaul.html16 Military intelligence95