Tuesday 19 January 2016

FAIRFIELD BOATHOUSE

Fairfield Boathouse was established in 1908 by John St Clair as a picnic, camping and refreshment room area. John St Clair was a piano tuner from Smith St, Fitzroy, with a vision. He firstly wrote a letter to the Premier suggesting that he open a refreshment room and boat shed area, with motor boats at Fairfield Park. The Premier had to seek the approval form Yarra Bend Hospital of the Insane because the proposal for the boat shed was actually on the hospital grounds. The Premier gave his permission for the boat shed project to go ahead.

Mr St Clair built the boat shed and six years later Fairfield Park was set aside from the same grounds. However Mr St Clair had seven troubled years with Crown Bailiffs over building permits. Eventually in 1915 the Heidelberg council bought him out. In 1923 the boathouse was raised by 12 feet to help minimise flood damage, a frequent threat to boathouses along the Yarra. Boat and canoe carnivals and open air carnivals were common sights at Fairfield until the 1950’s. Boating popularity declined until finally the Fairfield boathouse was closed in 1980 as it was declared unfit for human habitation.

In 1985 the boathouse was restored and re-opened. The derelict building had recently housed squatters and possums. The project took 30,000 hours of restoration work. Meticulous work and an eye for detail was required for rebuilding. Even the gardens have been restored to encourage native birds. It now enjoys renewed popularity and is a pleasure to visit.

This post is part of Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Trees & Bushes meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.






6 comments:

  1. some nice pic here

    Have a nice Tuesday

    much love...

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  2. Australia is another place on my bucket list and as I have a friend in Melbourne, perhaps I will see this lovely setting in person some day. Very nice, Nick ...

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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  3. The reds just stand out in the photos, don't they! A beautiful place! Happy Ruby Tuesday Too!

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  4. I am really pleased that the boathouse was restored and re-opened thirty years ago. Now I can take my grandchildren, and relive the experiences of the 1950s when my grandparents took me :)

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  5. A beautiful series of photos! The second one is my favorite!

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  6. All these boats ready to be used look inviting! Beautiful area to relax:)

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