North Melbourne’s Lanes Lost and Found – a project by the Hotham History Project

There are a great number of lanes in North Melbourne, typically created when the title owner of the original crown land subdivided the land into smaller parcels. Many are named but some are not. 

Some lanes remain privately owned while others have come under the management of the local council – successively the councils of Hotham, North Melbourne, and now the Melbourne City Council. 

The Hotham History Project is in the process of identifying these lanes and telling their stories.

Lanes provided a meeting place for residents and a play area for children, but importantly they were designed to keep residents safe from disease. They provided access for the nightsoil men to collect the human waste that accumulated in every residence. 

Backyard toilets were invariably used until the widespread use of the flushing toilet: the first to be connected to the MMBW sewerage system was in Port Melbourne in 1897. Laneways were less essential after the installation of an efficient sewerage system.

Some lanes have a complex history, with Beaton’s Lane, accessed from Provost and Baillie streets, an example. In 1854 two men, Fulton and Walker, purchased Crown land on which they built several houses. They created this “S” shaped lane to provide access to the side and rear of their buildings. 

Ten years later, in 1864, the Borough of Hotham called for tenders for the lane, then referred to as Beaton’s Lane, to be upgraded. This was a usual process whereby the council would arrange for the lane to be upgraded, and the costs apportioned among the local landowners. The identity of the original person called Beaton has been lost over time. 

Twenty years later there was much argument between residents and the council as to who was responsible for the further upkeep of the lane. The case was resolved by the court deciding, in 1885, that the property owners should pay for the immediate repair of the lane, but, since it was considered unfair for all future repairs to be a private responsibility, all future improvements should be the responsibility of the local Board of Health. It was surmised that a case of smallpox in Provost St that same month could have influenced this decision. 

The critical role that the local authorities played in maintaining hygienic conditions is underlined by a situation that arose in the same lane a few months later when the contents of a night pan were emptied against the back gate of one of the properties. The council offered the huge reward of five pounds for information leading to the conviction of the person who had committed this deplorable act.

The project is being conducted by Lorna Hannan and Karl Hessian. They are keen to talk to local people and gather stories and recollections of how the lanes are used now and how they have changed over time. 

If you have stories to share or any information about the history and use of lanes with which you are familiar, especially personal or oral stories that have been passed down, please contact Karl Hessian at [email protected] or phone: 0422 971 373 or Lorna Hannan on 0428 426 626 •