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Heritage Street Signs

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The stories behind some of Hobsons Bay’s oldest street names have been acknowledged through the installation of heritage street signs. The signs provide a glimpse into the history of the city, the lives of political, business, cultural and community leaders and opportunities to showcase important elements of its past.

Created with input and advice from Hobson Bay’s historical societies, 17 signs are placed at historical streets across Williamstown and provide a short history of the street or street name. There are also four signs in Williamstown North, seven signs in Altona receiving heritage treatment, eight in Newport, six in Altona Meadows and three in Laverton.

Council will continue to work with local historical society representatives and historians where available to identify streets with historically significant names. So, if you’re travelling through our residential areas, look out for these signs and find out more about the history of your local community.

Here is a list of the heritage street signs in Hobsons Bay.

ALTONA

Street Name

Sign Text

SARGOOD STREET

Sir Frederick Thomas Sargood (1834-1903). Victorian Minister of Defence and Education, 1890-1892. Australian Senator, 1901-1903.

BLYTH STREET

John Blyth (1824-1908). Commissioner for the Melbourne Harbour Trust.

ROMAWI STREET

A combination of Robert, Mary and William. Children of a founding member of the Altona Bay Estate Company.

MILLERS ROAD

Thomas Miller, local landowner. Purchased farmland at the north end of Millers Road in 1867.

BENT STREET

Sir Thomas Bent (1838-1909). Politician and land speculator. Premier of Victoria, 1904-1909.

RAYNER STREET

Rayner family were a pioneering family who settled in the area in the 1890s.

UPTON STREET

Henry Upton Alcock (1823-1912). Founder of Alcock & Co.

ALTONA MEADOWS

NEWLAND STREET

Newland family were early settlers in Laverton. Four brothers attended Laverton State School and served together during the First World War.

CAMERON AVENUE

Cameron family were early settlers in Laverton. Students at Laverton State School.

ALMA DOEPEL DRIVE

Alma Doepel is a Schooner ship which operated to transport jam jars, glass bottles, Victorian wheat, assorted household goods and explosives from Truganina Explosives Reserve to ports around Australia and New Zealand between 1916 to 1959.

ARGONAUT PLACE

The Argonaut II was a 174 ton general cargo ketch ship built in 1947 by Arga Shipping. The ketch was used to transport explosives from Truganina Explosives Reserve to ports around Australian and New Zealand.

HUIA CLOSE

The Huia was built in 1894 and was used to transport explosives from Truganina Explosives Reserve to ports around Australia and New Zealand. In 1917 she made the journey from Melbourne to Hobart in a record 48 hours. The Huia was also put in service carrying passengers and cargo between south sea islands and made the longest ocean crossing of her career, from Auckland to San Francisco. Huia became a favourite vessel in Australian waters.

PIRI GROVE

Built in 1917 the Piri ship, prior to being conditioned for the purpose of carrying explosives, was the motor ship Tangaroa. The Piri was one of Australia's biggest and fastest trading schooners used in the transportation of explosives from Australia to New Zealand.

LAVERTON

BLADIN STREET

Air Vice Marshal Francis Masson Bladin (1898-1978), CB, CBE was a Senior Commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He underwent pilot training at RAAF Point Cook, and was stationed at RAAF Laverton.

LOHSE STREET

William Henry Lohse (1900 - 1955) was the Werribee Shire President between 1938 and 1939.

MAHER STREET

Bernard Joseph Maher (died 1937) was a Laverton shopkeeper and Werribee Shire President in 1916-17.

NEWPORT

HALL STREET

William Hall, early settler and pioneer. Owned Hobson’s River Farm, sold for residential development in 1884.

FARM STREET

Site of Hobson’s River Farm. Owned by William Hall, subdivided in 1884.

RIVER STREET

Site of Hobson’s River Farm. Owned by William Hall, subdivided in 1884.

MASON STREET

Thomas Mason (1817/18-1896). First Mayor of Williamstown, 1856-1857. Member of Victorian Legislative Assembly.

DURKIN STREET

Michael Durkin. Local landowner and owner of nearby Durkin’s Dairy.

SCHUTT STREET

John Schutt (1831-1919). Supreme Court Librarian. Councillor Williamstown Council.

COLLINGWOOD ROAD

Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1stBaron Collingwood (1748-1810). Admiral of the Royal Navy, served alongside Lord Nelson.

ELPHIN STREET

William, 15th Lord Elphinstone (1828-1893). Scottish peer. Visited Melbourne onRMS Indus,1884-1885.

WILLIAMSTOWN

FERGUSON STREET

Captain Charles Ferguson (1813-1868) Master of the barqueRajah, 1852; Victoria’s first Chief Harbour Master.

PASCO STREET

Rear-Admiral John Pasco (1774-1853) served with Lord Nelson, 1805, Battle of Trafalgar.

VERDON STREET

Sir George Frederic Verdon (1834-1896) Councillor Williamstown Council 1856, Founder Royal Victorian Navy, Victorian Treasurer 1860.

HANMER STREET

Captain Richard Hanmer Bunbury (1813- 1857) Harbour Master Williamstown 1844, artist, pastoralist.

COLE STREET

Captain George Ward Cole (1793-1879) Steamship owner and land developer.

GIFFARD STREET

Captain Henry Wells Giffard (1811-1854)HMS Tiger(1849) Crimean War.

NELSON PLACE

Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson (1758-1805) British Naval Commander.

ANN STREET

Anne Maria Bourke (1806-1884) daughter of Governor Richard Bourke.

THOMPSON STREET

Sir Edward Deas Thomson (1800-1879), Public Servant and Parliamentarian.

LYONS STREET

Admiral Edmund Lord Lyons (1790-1858), British Naval Commander.

ELECTRA STREET

HMS ELECTRA arrived in Williamstown in 1853 under Captain Morris to protect port waters.

AITKEN STREET

Daniel Aitken (c.1828-1908), baker, hotelkeeper, Mayor of Williamstown 1875-1877

CECIL STREET

Lord Salisbury, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil (1830-1903), Statesman and three time UK Prime Minister between 1885 and 1902.

KANOWNA STREET

S.S KANOWNA (1903) luxury liner, WWI troop and hospital ship, wrecked off Wilson’s Prom February 1929.

SYME STREET

David York Syme (1844-1932), Manager of Williamstown Floating Dock; Chairman of Melbourne Steamship Company.

COUNCIL LANE

Original site of municipal offices for Williamstown Council.

CHANDLER STREET

Christopher Chandler, Councillor Williamstown Council, 1905-1914 and Mayor of Williamstown, 1910-1911.

WILLIAMSTOWN NORTH

LEMMON STREET

John Lemmon (1875-1955) Carpenter and Labour politician. Member for Williamstown from 1904-1955, making him the longest serving member of Victorian Parliament. John Lemmon was a great supporter of Dr. Louis Joel who built and opened the Altona Community Hospital in 1937.

EDINA STREET

SS Edina was the longest service Screw Steamer in the world and is one of the most remembered vessels that plied the waters of Victoria's Port Phillip Bay. Her active service included the North Sea trade and Crimean War.

CERBERUS CRESCENT

HMAS Cerberus 1871 Colonial Navy. In service with the Williamstown Dockyards for 55 years. Decommissioned as HMAS Cerberus 1921.

GEM STREET

PS Gem was a Paddle Steamer ship who made her first trip across the bay from Gem Pier, Williamstown to Sandridge, Port Melbourne in 1868. The pier in Williamstown, formerly Old Pier, Kangaroo Jetty and Steamboat Pier, was finally bestowed with its present name in recognition of its long association with the Paddle Steamer GEM.