47 John Street | Gun Alley Stories Lilydale Historical SocietyMax Sheldrake2023-10-26T16:31:07+11:00
47 John St Stories
Gun Alley Stories
Introduction
Lot 8 Block 1 47 John Street was unusual in that 1888/1889 Charles Walker built two semi-detached homes on the block – both of which he rented out causing much confusion in the Shire of Lillydale Rate Books.
The property remain in Walker hands – Charles and his daughter Jane Hannah until her death in 1923 – more than 30 years which was the longest continuous ownership.
By the 1940s, when the Nation family moved in, the front verandah had been filled in and the two homes joined into one.
The home was probably demolished about 1964 when Elliott newspapers built their new premises and printing works.
Audio introduction
Throughout the Gun Alley pages you will see references in old articles to £ (pounds). £1 = $2; 10/- (10 shillings) = $1; 5/- (5 shillings) = 50 cents. Please note: this does not reflect the value of the money but serves as an indication only.
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Timelines
Lots 7 and 8
November 17, 1880 – Thomas Macintyre purchased the block.
February 8, 1886 – Annie Addis purchased the land and sold it the same day to Frederick Walter Perrin making a profit of £67.
Lot 8 only
April 19, 1887 – Frederick Walter Perrin sold the land to William Parr.
May 16, 1887 Charles Walker is the new owner.
1889 – Charles Walker erected a house on the property as the shire rate increased from £1 to £15.
March 14, 1904 – John Rookin Walker – (Executor for his father above)
March 14, 1904 – Jane Hannah Walker
William Lewis Hannah & Hugh Percival Hall – executors for Jane Hannah Walker
September 22, 1923 – Thomas Mitchell
November 1, 1938 – Henry Wilfred Briers
1940s – Tenants were Mrs and Mrs Gray who had a daughter Telma Joy born in 1934.
1947 – Elieen and Richard Nation became tenants in 1947 to c 1952
1953 – Betty and Eric Davis became tenants later purchasing the property.
July 5, 1957 – Eric & Betty Joyce Davis
September 28, 1960 – John Phillip George & Phyllis Mary Isabel Cummings
Lots 7 and 8
July 21, 1961 – John Phillip George & Phyllis Mary Isabel Cummings became the new owners of Lot 7 as well and on the same day sold it to T.C. Garland Proprietary Limited.
1962 – Bart and Olive (Humphries) Swart lived in the home followed by James and Claudia (nee Humphries) McLachlan.
August 5, 1964 T.C. Garland Pty Ltd sold the site to the Elliot Provincial Newspaper Group who sold it the same day to their parent company Express Newspapers Proprietary Limited (Mildura).
August 7, 1964 – Elliot Newspapers announced in the Lilydale Express that work had started on its new office and printing works.
November 27, 1964 – the Lilydale Express moved into its new Hutchinson Street building.
Thomas Macintyre
In keeping with so many of the early owners, Thomas Macintyre probably purchased the property to help the Hutchinson family out though he would have also been wise enough to see it could be a good investment. He paid £39 for both lots 7 and 8 on November 17, 1880.
Thomas Macintyre junior was born in Sydney in about 1833 and came to Victoria on April 1, 1837 with his parents who settled in a cedar-board tent near Prince’s Bridge before squatting at Westernport and then to Hawthorn.
In 1852, he decided to try his hand on the goldfields and headed to the Forest Creek gold field at Chewton, central Victoria. He was succe