City of Darebin Heritage Study Volume 1 Draft Thematic

DAREBIN HERITAGE STUDY STAGE 278the Frank Wilkes Court beside Northcote Park, and Roberts Street Northcote and Agg StreetThornbury (Lemon, 1983:257, 266).In the 1960s and 70s Darebin began to experience the new phenomenon of flat building. Thiswas a growing trend in Melbourne’s middle suburbs, aimed at young baby boomers leavinghome. Flats were also a response to a high level of migration. Between 1966 and 1971 privatedevelopers demolished 270 houses and replaced them with 3000 flats in Northcote. Prior to1971 there were few Council limits to the nature and density of flat developments, and like theworking class developers of the nineteenth century, twentieth century flat developers tried tomaximise profits by squeezing as many units onto a site as possible. This approach was alsoused by the Housing Commission for Frank Wilkes Court. By 1976 35% of Northcote’sdwellings were flats, well above the average for metropolitan Melbourne, but not as high as StKilda and Prahran (Lemon, 1983:264-6; Encyclopedia of Melbourne: 271).Rediscovery, new beginnings and gentrificationFrom the mid twentieth century Northcote and Preston’s old working-class housing stock alsoattracted post-war European immigrants, particularly Greeks, who also took over some of theold churches for Orthodox worship as described in Chapter 7.Towards the end of the twentieth century middle class suburban dwellers began moving intoMelbourne’s inner suburbs in the process known as gentrification. They took over many of theworkers’ cottages in Carlton, Richmond and Brunswick and renovated them to capture aromanticised notion of the Victorian cottage. By the end of the century, gentrification hadspilled out to Northcote, re-introducing a middle class element to what had become a stronglyworking class suburb (Encyclopedia of Melbourne: 300, 512).A new phenomenon of the twenty-first century is the filling up of the large areas of land in theDarebin Valley previously occupied by the large psychiatric institutions in MacLeod andBundoora with middle class housing estates such as Mount Cooper Estate and Springthorpe,advertised as ‘an exclusive master planned community in a beautiful environment’(www.springthorpe.com.au ) and Lancaster Gate.5.4 Supplying urban servicesLocal water suppliesDarebin’s first water supplies were taken from the Merri and Darebin Creeks. In 1864Brunswick resident, Theodotus Sumner built a weir on the Merri Creek in Northcote, andlocal people carted their water from there (Lemon 1983: 57). Since then the waterways havelost their significance as a general water supply, but are still used for irrigation to this day.Springs were also used as water supplies. Spring Street got its name from a spring in a slight dipin Regent Street, just west of Spring Street. It used to percolate down to Bayliss Street andSpring Street (Jones, 1994:81). Water from Rucker’s Hill would seep through to the exposedlayers at the south face, and the fresh water bubbled out of the cliff face in natural springs on tothe basaltic rock plain at Westgarth and then make its way down towards the Merri Creek.Along the way natural rock wells were formed, the most notable of which was near the alluvialplain at West Bend, opposite where Rushall Station is now. This well was renowned for itscrystal-clear water, which was in plentiful supply even in times of severe drought (Harcourt,2001:195).Although the Yan Yean pipeline ran right through the length of Darebin, there was noreticulated water to residents until 1869, and then only if the consumer guaranteed to Councilpayment of interest on the outlay made by the water supplier. It was not until after the turn ofthe century that the built-up parts of Darebin were all connected to the supply. Meanwhilestandpipes were provided at various points, including Murray Road - then known as WaterRoad - and at the Junction Hotel, from where water could be carted to consumers at oneshilling a load (Forster, 1968:41; Carroll, 1985:30).