City of Darebin Heritage Study Volume 1 Draft Thematic

VOLUME 2: THEMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORYknown at the time as Bullen’s Drain was notorious. Community concern about the healthimpacts led to the formation of the Northcote Health League in 1880, which got localcouncillors elected and argued for control of noxious industries. As noted above they alsoargued successfully for the separation of Northcote from the rest of the Shire of Jika (Lemon,1983:73-4). Pressures to clean up the creeks led to the removal of rocks from the Merri Creekand the tipping of large quantities of disinfectant into the creek to “clean it up”. Ultimately theconstruction of a reticulated sewerage system in Melbourne began to divert noxious wastesfrom the waterways, and their water quality began to improve.Polluted waters, rubbish, weeds and plain old mud also led to many of the tributaries of theMerri and Darebin Creeks being put into underground pipes. Concerns about flooding led tothe containment in channels of sections of Edgars Creek, and the straightening and desnaggingand de-rocking of other waterways in a misguided attempt to get floodwaters away asquickly as possible.Besides the use of quarries for the disposal of rubbish, swampy areas and creek margins werealso filled. Excavation to create the retarding basin in Merri Park Northcote in 1990 spannedan old section of creek-bed which had been filled, revealing a large quantity of glassware andother domestic rubbish.Even today the creeks are still used in some cases as water supplies. For example, the NorthcoteGolf Course extracts water under licence from Melbourne Water from Merri Creek.Hunting and eradicationApart from habitat removal by grazing, clearing and urban development, wildlife was alsodirectly targeted. Bob Stuart built a hut on the bank of the Yarra somewhere between Fairfieldand Darebin Creek in the 1870s. He made his living from trapping animals for the fur trade,and shooting birds, ducks bitterns and bustards, which were displayed on the hooks of citybutcher shops.The more colourful birds such as parrots, kingfishers and egrets supplied feathers to trim thewomen’s hats. Stuart also supplied birds to taxidermists, as it was fashionable to have a glasscase of stuffed birds.Stuart’s main source of income came from the trapping of native cats and rats, which wereplentiful up both creek valleys. These animals were used for dog baiting. Native cats were mostsought after because they fought back, to the great enjoyment of the people who came to watchthis barbaric sport.By 1900 nearly all of Northcote’s native animals had vanished, although the native cat survivedby raiding chicken coops along the creek valleys, but it was subjected to more modern methodsof trapping and by the 1930s disappeared from Northcote (Northcote Historical andConservation Society, 1988:13).4.6 RetailingLocal shopping centres had their genesis in early general stores such as Wood’s, opened in 1850on the corner of High and Wood Streets Preston; and Bastings’ store in High Street Northcote.While the development of transport networks as described in Chapter 3, particularly the tramalong High Street, boosted the development of some centres, they also lured shoppers away tothe City and places further afield. After the Second World War car-based centres weredeveloped to serve the new suburbs emerging in the northern parts of the study area.High StreetEdward Bastings’ hay and corn store was a two storey bluestone building constructed in 1854.It served as the district’s post office for many years. Across the road, his brother Horace builtthe Peacock Inn. By the early 1860s Bastings was joined by a saddler, a baker, a chemist, ablacksmith, three hotels and a barber. By 1881 High Street Northcote was well established as55