#ThrowbackThursday – At last night’s Society talk, “The Shallards of Montmorency,” we heard from Margaret Deighton, daughter of Blanche and Jack Shallard, about growing up in Montmorency in the 1940s and 1950s. So in keeping with that theme; today we time travel back to Were Street in the 1940s where we shall meet a dog named Jack.
Jack, an Alsatian was owned by Mr. and Mrs Musselwhite who ran the local post office from around the mid 1930s to circa 1950. The Musselwhites had trained Jack to go down to the railway station each day about 3pm and collect the daily parcel of evening newspapers delivered by train. Jack would then carry the bundle of newspapers up Were Street to the newsagency where they would then be placed on sale for the locals.
In those days (as we also heard from Margaret), Were Street was a one shop stop; very different from today’s thriving little shopping precinct.
Did you grow up in the same time period as Margaret? Do you recall Jack? Being an Alsatian, he would have been a very distinctive dog in those days. Or do you have more recent memories of Were Street and its growing number of shops from the 1960s on?
Eltham District Historical Society Inc. 
I remember Mrs Musselwhite from when I was a very small child. That was probably around 1960. I also remember my mother telling me that Morcombes were building a new shop (supermarket, that later became the cinema) on the other side of the street….
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Thanks for sharing Bob. Local people definitely have a special attachment to Montmorency
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Sandy’s Supermarket Bob?
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I Remember the supermarket opening. They had Brian Naylor and Swallows Juniors for the opening..
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Hi Elaine – how interesting, a great memory and a sad reminder that we lost Brian Naylor well before his time in the Black Saturday bushfire
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I remember the Supermarket. I also remember the fruit shops.
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yes I was there that day and Patty Mcgrath Newton was one of the dancers and singers
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I was at school with I think your sister Sue Durance if my memory serves me
Stephen
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My husband and I owned the ladies Fashion Shop in the picture in the early 90’s but it was called Cathys Crafts where we sold handicrafts and ran children’s craft classes.
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Thanks for sharing Cathy. It is good to see businesses continuing on and note the Hair and Beauty salon still operates too, though again different names
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At the station entry, there was a small kiosk, seen in photo above, that was open during morning and evening peak times to sell papers smokes sweets etc.. When this was burnt by vandals circa 1960, my brother and I rummaged through the ashes and found a bonanza of unburnt chocolates and some choo choo bars. I think this was operated by Musselwhites also.
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Thanks for sharing Brett. Sounds like you and your brother hit pay dirt.
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Hey Brett, I remember going to your place in Karingal Drive around this time, but you didn’t tell me you had a stack of choo choo bars!
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I think you will find that Jack Lockwood operated the Kiosk
Stephen
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My elder sister Judith and I used to walk down to the Montmorency shops from the top of Calrossie Ave in the early 1960’s to pick things up for mum. It was quite a big walk for two little girls and I remember grumbling a bit going back up the hill towards Mountain View Rd. There used to be a Ladies Hairdresser on the lower east side of Were St with steps going up to the door. I was always fascinated with Truscots (second hand yard) about where the Windmill is today.
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Thanks for sharing Alison; things always do seem bigger when you are a child
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Yes Truscots was great to visit
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I remember the fish and chip shop at the top of the hill we used to buy our lunch there from state school, the circus used the vacant land on the corner of Were Street and Rattray Road, there was also the cake shop further down the hill, Dot Gambrel worked there, and the barber who drove the 48 Chev I can’t remember his name but I’m sure someone will know him.
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Sounds like it was a great location to grow up in Carl. Lots of things to fascinate young lads.
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I went to Montmorency State School as well. We would occasionally get enough lunch money to buy potato scallops from the fish and chip shop. Used to put them in our vegemite sandwiches! Still do!!
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Thanks for sharing John.
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I remember Jack, concentrating on his task of collecting the papers from the train. It was my parents who ran the Milk Bar at the station for about 7 years. Jack used to pass it on his way to the platform. That’s must have been into the late 1950’s.
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Thanks for sharing Sue; what an amazing dog Jack must have been.
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Hi Sue I think my parents ran that little milk bar perhaps before your family? I have a great photo somewhere, inside of the shop. They would have there early 50’s I think. They were only there a short time when they were first married, around 1950. They told many happy stories of the people who came into the shop.
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Hi Sandy,
If you find that photo, would be interested in donating it to EDHS? Alternatively if you wish to retain it, we could borrow the photograph from you to scan at high resolution and then return the photo along with a digital copy to you.
Regards,
Peter (EDHS Admin)
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I’d love to see the photo, Sandy. I don’t think we had any, surprisingly. We had a cat that turned up and we looked after her. She would wait on a post at the station for pats every morning. She had her tail surgically removed after we found her injured.
Nice to hear from you. Sue
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This is Stephen White and I was in your class at primary school Sue and your dad had the kiosk at the station and my dad had the shoe repair shop in were street from 1957 with Arthur and Edna fletcher had the shop next door .
Stephen
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I remember you and your dad, Stephen. My dad was Albert, my mum Renee (Rene, as she was known).
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Hi Sue you were my dancing partner at the Collingwood town hall if I remember correctly and sorry I got your dads name wrong ,my dads name was Percy White
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We grew up in Lower Plenty in 30s/40s and used the train when we started working.There was a track through the bush and bracken which came out at Musslewhites paper shop/ post office..I recall Mr Shallard through my Dad knowing him.Monty was much different then,!,!,
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Hi Margaret, thanks for sharing for with us. The local community was very close back then. Must have been a great place to grow up.
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My cousin, Brian Wright had the Pet Shop in Were St in the early 60’s. He still lives in the district.
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I can also remember the men’s hairdresser where I went unwillingly to have a short back and sides right in the middle of Beatlemania. There was always the same characters sitting around listening to the radio and making jokes. I think a fair bit of sly grog was consumed on occasions.
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The barber was Ron the Barber and my dad would send me down to Ron for a hair cut but I would not let him cut any off
Stephen
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