Hidden spaces and stories in Richmond
Come explore Richmond with me...
I love living in Richmond. I love the eclectic mix of buildings. Whether it’s the bricked edifices that remind us of a bold manufacturing past and that now shroud designer apartments, or the weather-beaten weather boards jostling for space among the high rise, Richmond defies easy categorisation.
Iconic buildings
I love living within coo-ee of iconic buildings like the Catholic Church and the Town Hall.
The clock on the Town Hall feels timeless, giving a sense of continuity, a link with past and present and future. Dependable. I also love the rows of terraces with the names of the original occupants, their businesses and the dates they were built. Bridge Road gives a glimpse of what once would have been. Now cafes, glitterati dress shops or nail and beauty salons, the past cannot be erased. It is etched in the buildings’ bones.
Our beautiful trams
I love the way the trams criss-cross Richmond ferrying people to and fro to all points of the compass. The familiar clatter of the metal wheels along the tracks and the ding-ding of the tram driver’s bell remind everyone of the tram’s priority of place.
The people
I love the way Richmond comes alive when there’s a Tiger’s game at the ‘G, or the tennis is on, or there is an indie band playing at that Melbourne musical institution ‘The Corner’ Hotel near the station, or there is a fund-raising fun run nearby.
Even a sunny Saturday morning brings everyone out. Richmond bursts at the seams with families, groups of mates decked out in totemistic football paraphernalia, laughter, chatter.
But among these things that I see and feel in the minutiae of daily life, Richmond offers something else.
Hidden places
There’s all sorts of quiet hidden spaces in Richmond where the generations of neighbours have metaphorically carved their names and their stories against the industrially framed natural landscape.
There’s Annie’s Place on the river or Dame Nellie Melba Park on Coppin Street or tiny Cairns Reserve on Lyndhurst Street. These tiny spaces of green pop up and welcome us to see what defines them and how they have been defined by those living nearby. Sometimes, gazebos, play grounds, and war memorials encourage us to venture further, read the inscriptions, or to play.
Golden Square Park
The other day I went to Golden Square Centennial Park near the station at Burnley. Barely a hectare in area, the park is formally laid out with European trees. Artistic licence is provided by a sprinkling of wattles and grevilleas whose flowers colour the bare brown bones of their deciduous neighbours. A walk around the perimeter of this small garden reveals two things that would probably go unnoticed by many passers-by.
Hidden stories
The first is a hand-made memorial to the brothers Hendrick (FACT CHECK – cf. below Hendrick or Haddrick?) who died in World War I. This is not a memorial carved in stone. No bronzed statues or flag poles adorn the memorial and I doubt that an ANZAC day ceremony would commemorate these boys who died over a century ago. There is just a simple, hand painted sign on Masonite depicting the birth and death of the brothers Eth and Hedrick Haddrick.
The simple sign is laden with symbolism, power, community and links to the past.
Fairy houses...
Fixed to the trunk, there was a little house for fairies. A letter box had been fixed to the trunk where children could post their special messages, there were some little windows and hand drawn plaques with pictures of elves and trolls and fairies.
Around the other side of the tree a little red door, complete with a brass knob, had been painted above a gnarly root of the tree. Pretty white flowers adorned the little path to the door. There is no doubt that fairies and other fantastic creatures lived here.
Go and explore Richmond, you’ll never know what you may find.
Author: Geraldine Ditchburn
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of the ESSSuper.