The residences of Carlo Catani

This post looks at the residences Carlo and Catherine Catani lived in after their marriage in May 1886.

Florence Cottage, 4 Mahoney Street, Fitzroy
Carlo and Catherine married on May 18, 1886 and their address on the marriage certificate was Marney Street, Fitzroy. This is a phonetic rendering of Mahoney Street. Whilst they were living in Fitzroy their first child Edward or Edoardo was born on June 2, 1886 and as noted on his birth certificate his place of birth was Florence Cottage, Mahoney Street, Fitzroy. Little Edward died on June 14, 1887 and the address on his death certificate was 4 Mahoney Street.

Catani entry in the City of Fitzroy Rate books, November 1886

From Ancestry.com.  Click on image to enlarge.

On May 31, 1888 their second child and first daughter, Elvira May (known as Vera) was born at Florence Cottage.

Birth of Elvira at Florence Cottage

The Argus, June 9, 1888 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6131161

Carlo is in the City of Fitzroy Rate books dated November 1886 and December 1887. He is listed as the owner and the building is described as being of four rooms and constructed of brick.

116 Malvern Road, Prahran
Sometime between May 1888 - the birth of Elvira -  and before November 1888 - the date of the City of Prahran Rate book - Carlo and Catherine moved to a five room brick house at 116 Malvern Road, Prahran (later numbered as 468) owned by Reuben Jackson. Carlo is also listed at Malvern Road in the November 1889 Prahran Rate books.

54 Murray Street, Prahran
The City of Prahran Rate books show that in November 1890 the Catani family were at 54 Murray Street, Prahran (originally numbered as 16) renting a 6 roomed weatherboard house from William Davies. The Catani's third child, Enrico Ferdinando was born while they were living at 54 Murray Street on January 19, 1891.

Birth of Enrico at Murray Street, Prahran

The Argus, January 31, 1891  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8471316

Oak Avenue, Elsternwick
By December 1892, the Catanis had moved from Murray Street to Oak Avenue in Elsternwick. In February 1893, the Shire of Caulfield Rate books list Carlo in a nine-room brick house in Oak Avenue, Carlo owned the house with the mortagee, the Royal Insurance Company.  On March 15, 1893,  their third son and fourth child, Ettore Luigi was born there. 

Birth of Ettore at Oak Avenue, Elsternwick

The Argus April 1, 1893 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8532317

Dandenong Road, East Malvern
At some time they moved from Oak Avenue to a property on Dandenong Road, East Malvern and this is where their second daughter and fifth child, Eugenia Anastasia was born on August 13, 1895.

  

Birth of Eugenia at East Malvern

The Argus, August 31, 1895 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9372701

As we can see from the entry in the 1895 Sands McDougall Directory, below, the house was two doors up from the Turf Club Hotel, between  Clarence Street and Tooronga Road. 

Entry for Carlo Catani in the 1895 Sands & McDougall's Melbourne and Suburban Directory

From State Library of Victoria

Carlo had actually owned this land from as early as 1889 as he was listed in the Shire of Malvern Rate books for the property.   The Rate books have the notation - Build'g in Pro + 15 ft land vacant - presumably this means building in progress.  The 1893 Rate books list Carlo as owning a brick shop of six rooms leased to Thomas Miles, a draper and a vacant block.  By 1895, he had three parcels of land - 2 vacant blocks and the brick building of  six rooms; Carlo and family were still living there in December 1896. 

Catani entry in the Shire of Malvern Rate book, 1889.

From Ancestry.com. From Ancestry.com.  Click on image to enlarge.

It is clearly the same property as listed in the Sands & McDougall Directory, as you can see from the fuller entry from the Rate books, below, which lists Carlo in the same section as John Heywood, the owner of the Turf Club Hotel.  Heywood was also a  Shire of Malvern Councillor and you can read about him, here.  

Catani and Heywood entries in the Shire of Malvern Rate book, 1889.

From Ancestry.com.  Click on image to enlarge.

Glenluce, 4 Elm Grove, Armadale
In 1897, the family made the move to Glenuce, 4 Elm Grove in Armadale. This was a newly constructed weatherboard house of ten rooms. The last child of Carlo and Catherine, a daughter named Enid Marguerite, was born at Glenluce on November 3, 1899. They lived there until around May 1912, when the house was removed for railway duplication works - I have written about this here.

Birth of Enid at Glenluce. The suburb was listed as Toorak, but it was actually Armadale. 

The Argus, November 18, 1899  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9038456 

Orrong Road, Elsternwick

After the family left Elm Grove, the Electoral Rolls show they lived for a short time in Orrong Road in Elsternwick.

Wyndham, 39 Blessington Street, St Kilda

Carlo and Catherine's final home was at Wyndham, 39 Blessington Streeet, St Kilda (later renumbered as 61). This was a recently constructed brick house of nine main rooms and they moved there in 1913. Carlo died on July 20, 1918 and Catherine and her children remained at Wyndham until her death on August 6, 1925. The house was sold out of the family in 1926.  You can read more about Wyndham in Blessington Street,  here.

Death notice of Catherine Catani at Wyndham.

The Argus, August 7, 1925 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2152675

Sources: Victorian Rate Books on Ancestry.com; Victorian Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Sands & McDougall's Melbourne and Suburban Directories from the State Library of Victoria; Birth and death certificates and birth notices in the newspapers from Trove.

The sale and demolition of Carlo's house in Blessington Street

On September 18, 1926 Carlo's house Wyndham, at 39 Blessington Street was sold. It had been the Catani family home since 1913, and after Carlo's death on July 20, 1918, his widow Kate lived there with her three surviving children Elvira, Ettore and Enid.  It was Kate's death on August 6, 1925 which prompted the sale of the house. If only I could go back in time, I'd buy the house and make it a permanent shrine to Carlo.

Sale advertisement for Wyndham

The Argus, August 7, 1926 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3800647

Sadly, we don't have  a photograph of Wyndham but this auction notice has a description of the house -That very nice brick villa, known as Wyndham, 39 Blessington st., St. Kilda, containing nine (9) rooms, including large dining room, all the rooms are in perfect order. The house is particularly well built, and on good foundations, and is situated in one of the best positions in St. Kilda, being near the tram, post-office, and town hall, and close to a splendid shopping centre. There is also a brick motor garage, with cement floor, for two (2) cars. Paths all asphalted. This villa is particularly well suited for a home, and in addition to this it is in an admirable position for letting purposes. It is only being sold to wind up the estate of the late Mr. C. Catani. Those in search of a good home, or investors. will do well to inspect this property, as it is for absolute sale. (1)

Sands and McDougall’s Melbourne, Suburban and Country Directories (2) indicate that Wyndham was built after 1910 and thus the land was likely to have been part of the Woodlands estate. Woodlands, built in the 1870s, occupied a large allotment on the corner of Blessington and Tennyson Streets and was sub-divided around 1910. (3)  Carlo was almost certainly the first occupant of Wyndham, when he and his family moved there in 1913 (4) - the year after their former house Glenluce in Elm Grove, Armadale was demolished for railway works. Read about Glenluce here. 

In 1910 there were only two properties in Blessington Street, south side, between Tennyson Street and Brighton Road. 

Sands and McDougall’s Melbourne, Suburban and Country Directory for 1910 (on-line at the State Library of Victoria)

In 1915 there were six properties in Blessington Street, south side, between Tennyson Street and Brighton Road, including Carlo's house.

Sands and McDougall’s Melbourne, Suburban and Country Directory for 1915 (on-line at the State Library of Victoria)

Wyndham was sold to Mr E. Shannon, as The Age reported - W.S Keast also begs to report having sold, on behalf of the trustees in the estate of the late Mr. C. Catani, a brick villa situated at 39 Blessington-street, St, Kilda. For this property there was also keen competition, and it was purchased by Mr. E. Shannon for the sum of £2075. (5)

Who was Mr E. Shannon? He was actually Mr Shannos. The 1930 Sands and McDougall's lists the occupant of 39 Blessington Street as Efstathios Shannos. His first name is spelt various ways - in the 1937 Electoral Roll, when he was still at Blessington Street, he is Epstathios and a later Electoral Roll when he was living at 244 Orrong Road, Toorak he is called Efstatheos. Mr Shannos was at one time a cafe proprietor and then a caterer. Efstathios was born on January 30, 1896 in Greece and was married to Athena; he was living in Athens in Greece when he died in 1978. (6)

In 1930 there were 13 properties in Blessington Street, south side, between Tennyson Street and Brighton Road,  including Mr Shannos at No. 39, as well as a new street Irymple Avenue. 

Sands and McDougall’s Melbourne, Suburban and Country Directory for 1930 (on-line at the State Library of Victoria

On June 12, 1930 Mr Shannos put the contents of Wyndham up for auction owing to his departure Abroad. The furnishings and effects included - 

Maple and Oak Bedroom Suites, Blackwood Dining-room Suite, Oak Breakfast-room Suite. Very fine Jacobean Standard Chairs. Blackwood Column Pedestals, Splendid Comb, Easy Chair and Couch, in Damask; splendid Blackwood Sideboard, Two Extra Fine Easy Chairs in Moquette; Plate-glass Top Tables, Cabinet Gramaphone, Electric Fans, and a Host of General Furniture - the Contents of a 10 roomed Villa. He also auctioned his late model Auburn 6-cylinder touring car. (7)

It appears that Wyndham was rented out  whilst he was away and it was occupied for a few years by Thomas Sydney Jackson and his family; he was  the manager  of William Peatt P/L Boot Manufacturer of Collingwood, an active member of the Collingwood Technical School who was constantly endeavoring to improve the standard of skill in apprentices and trainees. (8)  

In 1935 three things happened - Wyndham was demolished, flats were built on the site and Blessington Street was re-numbered and thus No. 39 became No. 61. The 1935 Sands and McDougall’s Directory still has Thomas Jackson at No. 39.  However, as the advertisement (below) from October 1935 shows, flats now occupied No. 61 Blessington Street, so I feel we can safely say that 1935 was indeed the year of the demolition of Wyndham, the erection of the existing  block of flats and the year of the street re-numbering. (9)

1935 - The first advertisement I can find for the new flats.

The Herald, October 30, 1935 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244792242 

1935 - Blessington Street, south side, between Tennyson Street and Brighton Road, including Mr Jackson at No. 39, as well as a new street Irymple Avenue. 

Sands and McDougall’s Melbourne, Suburban and Country Directory for 1935 (on-line at the State Library of Victoria)

1940 - Blessington Street, south side, between Tennyson Street and Brighton Road.  The Panonena Flats at No. 61, still had the same neighbours as in 1935 - the Baxters and the Abercrombys. Mrs Julia Israel is still on the corner of Irymple Street and Mr Harvey on the Brighton Road corner. 

Sands and McDougall’s Melbourne, Suburban and Country Directory for 1940 (on-line at the State Library of Victoria)

I am certain that Mr Shannos was the developer and in the 1937 Electoral Roll  his address was 61 Blessington Street; in 1939 he lived in Hawthorn and then, as we said, later moved to Orrong Road. There is one small mystery - were the flats named Tanonena Court  as listed in the advertisement or Panonena, as listed in Sands McDougall's?  I do not know. Nor do I know how long Mr Shannos owned the flats, however they remained in single ownership until 1997 when these older style apartments for connoisseurs of fine living, were sold off individually. (10)

1997 - The flats at 61 Blessington Street for sale

The Age October 11, 1997 p. 159 from newspapers.com

What is interesting is that Wyndham was only 20 years old when it was demolished however as its location was in one of the best positions on St Kilda, being near the tram and a splendid shopping centre (11) its fate was sealed like so many other beautiful houses and the site was redeveloped.  However, Carlo's connection to No. 39 /No. 61  Blessington Street is recognised by a plaque on the gate post of the flats. 

The plaque commemorating Carlo at 61 Blessington Street.

Image: Isaac Hermann.

The plaque commemorating Carlo at 61 Blessington Street.

Image: Isaac Hermann.

Footnotes

(1) The Argus, August 7, 1926, see here.

(2) Sands and McDougall’s Melbourne, Suburban and Country Directories available on-line at the State Library of Victoria (SLV)

(3) What is now No. 57 Blessington Street (2 doors down from Wyndham, on the corner of Tennyson Street) is Heritage listed with the City of Port Phillip and the Woodlands information comes from their citation - https://hdp-au-prod-app-pp-haveyoursay-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/4516/5276/3361/57_Blessington_Street_St_Kilda_citation_no._428.pdf  This house was built for Otto Treichel, I have written about him here. 

(4) The 1913 Electoral Rolls, available on Ancestry.com show that Carlo and Catherine lived at Orrong Road on Elesternwick and then 39 Blessington Street. 

(5) The Age, October 18, 1926, see here.

(6) Electoral Rolls available on Ancestry.com;   Sands and McDougall’s at SLV;  The Herald, December 13, 1946, see here, lists him as Cafe owner; the Incoming Passenger Cards at the National Archives of Australia list his birth date and place   https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=9788154&S=971 and https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=9788985&S=983 

Probate notice for Efstathios Shannos

The Age, July 4, 1978 p. 25., from newspapers.com

(7) The Argus, June 7, 1930, see here.

(8) Electoral Rolls available on Ancestry.com; Sands and McDougall’s at SLV;  The Age, June 17, 1954, see here.

(9) Sands and McDougall’s at SLV; The Herald, October 30, 1935, see here.  Another early advertisement here - The Herald, November 30, 1935, see here.

(10) Electoral Rolls; The Age October 11, 1997 p. 159 from newspapers.com

(11) The Argus, August 7, 1926, see here.

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 in May 1912 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, a ten roomed weatherboard house since 1897 and their last child, Enid, was born at the property. 

 

Birth  notice of Enid, at Glenluce

 The Argus of November 18, 1899. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9038456

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?

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. Read more about these moves, here.  I wonder where Glenluce ended up after its removal from Elm Grove?

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.)