City of Darebin Heritage Study Volume 1 Draft Thematic

DAREBIN HERITAGE STUDY STAGE 2Nyora, in Normanby Avenue. It was sold to the Thornbury Club a few years later. This Clubdid not survive the decline of the 1990s and the site is now occupied by a reception house(Lemon, 1983: 142-3; ‘Jubilee Celebrations’, 1933: 27).Figure 86Fairfield Bowling Club, Station Street,c1930s[DHE: ID 657]Water Sports - Edwardes LakeThe Preston Lake, now known as Edwardes Lake, and its Park have been a special place ofrecreation for Darebin people, especially those in the north, for over a century. It has been usedfor a wide variety of sports and leisure, both organised and informal. It was a popular place forswimming, even after it was declared dangerous, and a few swimmers have drowned there. Anumber of other sports, including tennis and athletics have used facilities developed at the parkand water activities on the lake included fishing as well as rowing and yachting (‘EdwardesLake’, 2002:passim).Rowing commenced on Preston Lake as early as 1891, well before the Edwardes Lake Park wasgiven to the people of Preston in 1914, but the Rowing Club ceased after the weir was washedaway. After a new weir was built in 1919 the Northern District Rowing Club was formed, laterrenamed the Preston Rowing Club. A women’s rowing club was formed shortly after. Boatswere donated by other suburban rowing clubs. In 1920 the Club held an Easter carnival toraise funds, and the carnival became a popular annual event. A boathouse was built in 1921and extended to include a clubhouse in 1927. Dances in the clubhouse also became regularevents until 1934, when the Club was fined because the clubhouse did not meet regulations. In1970 the old boathouse was demolished and the Ern Rose Pavilion, named after the Club’sfounding secretary, was built. The opening celebrations included a regatta. Over many yearsthere were problems with the Lake’s water quality, and it was drained and cleaned many times.Because of this the Rowing Club was disbanded in 1983 (‘Edwardes Lake’, 2002:18-9).Meanwhile the Preston Yacht Club had been formed at the Lake in 1967, and within a fewmonths had 60 members. The Lake was ideal for training sailors, as it offered a variety of windconditions. The Club was successful in competitions, producing several national champions.However, like the Rowing Club, the Yacht Club was forced to disband, in 1999, due todeteriorating water quality (“Edwardes Lake” 2002: 21-2).124