North and West Melbourne from above: July 1938

This photograph of a part of North and West Melbourne taken from the air is fascinating for two reasons: the photograph itself, and the biography of the photographer.

Charles Pratt (1892-1968) was a New Zealander who started life as a grocer. He fought in Europe during World War One – he was wounded while fighting in Gallipoli – but went on to become an air force pilot, and at the end of the war he was a member of the Royal Flying Corps based in the Middle East with the No. 113 Squadron RAF. He became proficient in aerial photography during the Palestine Campaign.

At the end of the war the RAF had no use for some of its planes and Charles purchased four that he dismantled with the aim of shipping them to New Zealand. Neither Charles nor his planes made their way home as they were detained in Melbourne due to a dock strike.

This led him to settle in Geelong where he set up a sight-seeing business and became a flying instructor. He later collaborated with others in a company named Airspy to photograph areas of Victoria from the air.

The photo displayed here is from July 1938. The shadow of the spire of the St Mark the Evangelist church in Curzon St indicates that the photo was taken in the early afternoon. But it doesn’t appear to show any motor cars, vans or trucks. The Queen Victoria Market shows no signs of activity. Perhaps it was a Sunday when the good people of North and West Melbourne were taking a siesta after attending morning church.

We can trace many of the changes that have taken place in the area over the past 87 years. The highest buildings visible were not more than five levels. There was a road that ran through Eades Place that appears more wooded than it does now, as does Flagstaff Gardens. King Street School has a huge play area that is now taken over by the Salvation Army Hostel. The old Coffee Palace on the corner of Victoria and Roden streets was burnt down in 1972 and is now a car park that is designated as a site for affordable housing.

The photograph is one of many Charles Pratt’s photos that can be viewed on the website of the State Library of Victoria. If you look at it online here you can zoom in to see more details.

Photo credit: State Library of Victoria. •