Importance of community facilities in Parkville

On Monday, July 27 members of the Parkville Association gathered at Naughtons Hotel for its annual Christmas in July celebration attended by just under 60 members. It was a timely reminder of the important community role that the revitalised Naughtons plays in the Parkville community.

Established in 1873 as the Port Philip Agricultural Hotel, but known for some years as Molseed’s Hotel, after the name of its owner, it has continuously served the Parkville community as a hotel for 153 years. The 10-year anniversary of the reopening is being celebrated at Naughton’s on August 15.

An aspect of its history that is less well-known, is its role as a venue for political meetings, with Mr Story addressing electors in the North Melbourne Election on April 30, 1877. While during the Fitzroy Parliamentary Election in 1889 it was the meeting place for James Holden’s electoral committee.

Of particular interest to Parkville residents is that it was the venue for regular meetings of the Parkville residents to lobby on a range of issues, one of which is still current. Newspapers reported that in May 1880 a large meeting of residents of Parkville and the "Royal-park" was held to consider improvements required locally, focused on roads and footpaths, but also the nuisance from the pig-market.

In May 1882 there was a public meeting, attended by 50 residents of Parkville, to protest the sale of a portion of Royal Park, under the heading “Spoilation of the Parks”. The nuisance of the pig-market was the focus of a meeting in June 1884, although interestingly it resolved “that the residents of Parkville are opposed to having another hotel in the district”. Clearly this was successful.

Another vital long-standing part of the Parkville community is its Post Office. First established in 1884 by leasing an existing premises on the corner of Wimble and Park Rd (later Drive) in 1889 a purpose-designed Post Office was opened on the corner of Fitzgerald and Bayles streets.

This second Post Office was operated by Australia Post until March 1994, when it advised that it intended to seek expressions of interest for private enterprise to operate the Parkville Post Office under licence, and sell the premises.

A petition, and other submission resulted in its retention and use as a Post Office under licence. This continued until 2020, when the premises were put on the market. An alternative site was secured, via a lease of premises on Royal Parade.

While in its third location a Post Office has continuously provided vital services to the Parkville community for 142 years. A more detailed history of the Parkville Post Office can be found on the Parkville Association website.

The future of Licensed Post Offices in Australia is currently the subject of a Commonwealth Parliamentary Senate Inquiry. One of the focuses is on the “crucial role that licensed post offices play in delivering services to support local communities”. Written submissions are being made to highlight the critical role of the Post Office to the Parkville community.

Other current issues for Parkville include a proposed direct consultation on the Traffic Study proposals presented at the AGM, while on August 7 the final Royal Park Master Plan is going online, before being considered by the City of Melbourne on August 18. •