City of Darebin Heritage Study Volume 1 Draft Thematic

DAREBIN HERITAGE STUDY STAGE 2Army during the Second World War, but he suggested that his workshop contribute to the wareffort by making cranes and other equipment. After the war Bradley was ‘head-hunted’ byBrunswick Council. He eventually became Director of the Housing Commission (Lemon,1983:231, 239-40, 251-2).In 1962, following a petition by Fairfield and Alphington ratepayers dissatisfied with theservice provided by Heidelberg Council, the South Ward of the City of Heidelberg wasannexed to Northcote. This area included the Yarra Bend Park (Lemon, 1983:260-2).Figure 54 Northcote Town Hall, 1908Artist: Keith MartinOil on canvas on board, 67 x 87cm[DHE, ID 627]Figure 55 Northcote Town Hall –photographed on the funeral ofJohn Cain (Senior) c1957[DHE, ID 627]The Municipality of PrestonAfter the severance of Northcote from the Shire of Jika in 1883, the old shire was renamed theShire of Preston. Like Northcote, Preston built a large Shire Hall (later known as the TownHall) on High Street, completed in 1895. However Preston took much longer to attain thestatus of Town. Although Preston had sufficient population and revenue to become a boroughin 1921, its area was too large, and it needed a special Act of Parliament to upgrade its status.The Borough of Preston was proclaimed in March 1922 and just a couple of months, later on24 May 1922, it became the Town of Preston. Four years later on 14 July 1926 Prestonbecame a City. A new City Hall was built next to the Town Hall in Gower Street in 1929, toincrease the accommodation for Council and its various functions. (Carroll 1985:37, 144-6).Like the Northcote Town Hall the halls were the civic focal point. They drew commercialactivity to the locality, eventually establishing it as Preston’s central business district. One ofthe roles of local government was welfare, especially during times of hardship. During the90