The City of Port Phillip honours Carlo Catani

In the past few months, the City of Port Phillip have erected three interpretive signs connected to Carlo Catani - one in the Catani Gardens in St Kilda, one at the Catani Archway and the other at the site of Carlo's now demolished house in Blessington Street in St Kilda.  Well done to the City of Port Phillip for recognising and celebrating their history!

This is the interpretive sign in the Catani Gardens, St Kilda.

Image: Heather Arnold.

The text from the  interpretive sign.

Image: Heather Arnold.

This is the wording, which was supplied by Isaac Hermann, even though he didn't get a credit for it.  The photo was supplied by the Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society, of which I am President. Ironically, there is no memorial for Carlo on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp unless you count the Swamp town of Catani, which is of course, named for him. However, some sort of memorial is on my list of projects. 

This is the Catani Archway in the Catani Gardens - the plaque, mounted on a bluestone plinth, is on the left.

Image: Isaac Hermann

This is the Catani Archway plaque.

Image: Isaac Hermann

The Catani Archway plaque includes, the text, above and the image, below.

Image: Isaac Hermann

Photograph from the Catani Archway plaque

Image: Isaac Hermann

 The plaque outside 61 Blessington Street.

Image: Isaac Hermann

In 1912, the Catani family home, Glenluce, in Elm Street in Armadale was demolished to make way for the duplication of the railway line between South Yarra and Caulfield, read about this here, and the family moved to Wyndham, 39 Blessington Street,  St Kilda. The house was sold by the family after Catherine Catani died in August 1925. In 1935, the house was demolished  and the existing block of flats built on the site and around the same time  the street was re-numbered and that is why the plaque is at No. 61 Blessington Street. You can read more about this here.

This is a close-up of the plaque outside 61 Blessington Street.

Image: Isaac Hermann

Carlo's house is removed for rail duplication

Even being the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department could not protect Carlo's home in Elm Street in Armadale from being removed to make make for some public works - in this case the duplication of the railway line between South Yarra and Caulfield, from December 1911 to December 1915. I have written more about this project, here. 

The family had been at Glenluce, 4 Elm Grove, Armadale since at least 1899, as their last child, Enid, was born at the property. After Glenluce was removed, they moved for a very short time to Orrong Road in Elsternwick and then to Wyndham, 39 Blessington Street in St Kilda. I wonder where Glenluce ended up?

 

Birth  notice of Enid in The Argus of November 18, 1899. 

Interesting that they have the address as Toorak and not Armadale. Did the boundaries change between 1899 and 1912 or, as the property is very close to the Toorak Station (which is actually in Armadale), was the area was locally known as Toorak? Or did Carlo and Catherine think Toorak sounded posher than Armadale?

The removal of Carlo's house in Elm Grove, in May 1912.

The Australasian May 11, 1912 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article143331306

This is  the text from the article - 

CAULFIELD RAILWAY.

Since the work of duplicating the railway line between South Yarra and Caulfield was commenced there has been a good deal of speculation as to which properties would be affected. In one case two fine Queen Anne villas nestled in extensive grounds which abutted on the railway boundary have to be shorn of some of their beauties. From rose gardens and lawns in front a strip of 40ft. has been cut off, leaving the residences within a few feet of a narrow pathway, the charm and value of situation having vanished for ever. No compensation was at first offered. The owners, however, intend leaving no stone unturned to maintain what they claim to be their rights. In the majority of cases the compensation suggested would seem to be about one-third of the value set upon land by owners: in only very few instances have the ideas of both parties to the transaction coincided.

Property-owners contend, and with some reason, that the circumstances are entirely different from those where a new line of railway is being constructed, with an immense consequent improvement in values. In connection with the duplication work, it is claimed that the effect on property will be scarcely perceptible.

From Caulfield to Malvern stations no resumption will be necessary, as the line runs between the Dandenong and Normanby roads, with room for extension on both sides. (The Australasian, May 11 1912. See this article and seven other photos on Trove, here.)