(Corvey, Brighton Road St Kilda, fell into disrepair and then demolished)
For only the third time in more than a 100 years the game was drawn at 67 points all.
(captains of Collingwood and St Kilda looking stunned at the end of the game)
I don't really follow football, and I can tell you that is pretty unusual in Melbourne. But I always watch the Grand Final and it was an amazing, heart stopping 1970s style game on Saturday. I actually 'barrack' (I use that word very loosely) for Richmond but St Kilda comes a close second. For no reason other than I love the suburb and spent many happy years living there.
Do you know what happens in AFL when a game is drawn? Unlike 99.9% of the other ball games played on this planet, there is no extra time. No no. They replay the game next week. Although for future finals, they may need to rethink this.
So here, for my second most favourite team, are some St Kilda iconic buildings. All demolished now. Do you think we have learned not to demolish beautiful buildings? I am not so sure. St Kilda was a wealthy suburb in the 1800s and full of Italianate and Victorian mansions. Many were saved simply by virtue of being converted into apartments. Others were demolished in the 1960s to make way for brick flats or glass towers.
(Iloura in St Kilda Road demolished in 1964)
(Armadale in St Kilda Road, demolished in the 1970s)
(Summerland House, located near the corner of Fitzroy Street and Acland Street, St Kilda)
I read an interesting story on the origins of the name of the suburb. The buyer of the land on which Summerland House was located was a Lieutenant James Ross Lawrence. He was captain of the schooner Lady of St Kilda. Captain Lawrence named Acland Street after Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, the ship’s owner.
Acland’s ship was in turn named after a Lady Grange. In 1734, it is said that she was imprisoned by her husband for seventeen years on the St Kilda group of islands, the westernmost point of the British Isles, and way beyond the Scottish Outer Hebrides. Only on his death could she be released. Her crime was in remonstrating with him about his schemes to restore the position of Bonnie Prince Charlie. There are seven islands in the group, but Hirta is the largest. It has not been continuously inhabited since 1930. Lady Grange was probably left on Hirta.
I will remember that next time I remonstrate with my husband about his schemes.
(Images: (1) Not sure sorry (2) The Age (3) (4) The Collector (5) St Kilda Historical Society
8 comments:
Yes, so sad - such gorgeous buildings - and yet, do we not learn??? - we are about to do tragic things with the Windsor Hotel that will surely be lamented in future decades.
Ah yes Jane, 68 points though I hate to correct you I have to. It's a number that will never be uttered in our home again. My Collingwood tragic husband flew to Melbourne from Auckland at great expense and somehow wangled a ticket two days before (at great expense I suspect but I haven't seen our bank statement) only to see both the worst and best Grand Final of his life. Luckily I do not care a jot! I do rather like St Kilda the suburb rather more than Collingwood, the suburb.
Hey Jane
Well I don't really follow football.. of either league... but I did hear about the tied game on the news last night... So you will be getting two weekends of football.. We will have the crazy NRL fans next weekend also...
You know my favourite spot in Melbourne is St Kilda.. [I say that after only having visited Melbourne twice!! haha..] but loved Acland street and it's interesting shops and restaurants.. so filled with colour and life.. a little like Oxford Street Paddington here..
Thanks for the history lesson and the fab images of these historic homes.. Have a lovely week xxx Julie
Dear Jane, I normally never watch football but the final fifteen minutes of that game was so exciting we were all screaming here. As my daughter and I don't follow the teams we were going for both which suited a draw.
I always want to weep when I see such grand old ladies who were demolished. Ghastly. Sydney is guilty of the same (if not worse) crimes. xx
I love how you tied in St Kilda's demolished architecture with the footy results. How sad such wonderful buildings were demolished! I can't see that as being progress. x
Aren't those buildings stunners! Such a pity that they are no longer standing.
I don't follow footy either but did watch the end of the game - it was very exciting but disappointing as well - imagine having to go through all that stress again this Saturday!
That game was awesome Jane, & I actually didn't mind the result at all. Although my lovely rabid Pies supporter work colleague who lives in East Malvern & drives a Beemer (have never got that!!), is devastated & unable to function. The images of those long-gone glorious houses brings a tear to the eye.
Millie ^_^
Such a shame these beautiful old buildings have been demolished. I think we often learn this lesson too late over here too. Poor Lady Grange! Mind you she sounds as though she may have been better off without her husband!
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