St Kilda’s Developement from Virgin Paddocks PROGRESS OF ONLY REMAINING CITY BOROUGH

Evening Star, Issue 22212, 14 December 1935, Page 10

St Kilda’s Developement from Virgin Paddocks PROGRESS OF ONLY REMAINING CITY BOROUGH

and stables until a few months ago, when a transfer was made to newlyacquired property in Quarry street, Musselburgh. The present Town Hall, at the corner of Council street and Prince Albert road, has been occupied for about the past 35 years, and still adequate service as the council’s office and meeting chamber, providing also a small public hall, lodge quarters, and a library. Another fine asset is the Coronation Hall, which was dedicated to the borough on April 18, 1912, and which has been the stag© for many memorable entertainments in its time, including motion picture sessions. Its value is fully appreciated at such a period as the present, when largely-at-tended functions may be celebrated in comfort in the borough’s own “ hall of fakne.” IMPROVEMENT LOANS. Loans raised by tbe council date back to seven months after the borough’s proclamation. The first, obtained on July 6, 1876, was one for £I,OOO for metalling roads and providing general improvements. The last was put through in 1926 for £25,000, but the purpose was practically unaltered, except that, whereas metalling was the fashion 50 years previously, tarring had later come into vogue. Since that time, 19 of the borough’s 23 miles, of roads and practically all of its 46 miles of footpaths have been asphalted. Maintenance of the paving now demands the earmarking of about £5,000 annually. COMMUNITY SERVICES. Though an individual municipality, the borough has not been denied the major community services provided by the City Corporation. Gas was installed in homes and for street lighting purposes about the beginning of 1880, permission to lay the pipes being granted on December 10, 1870. Later, in 1880, reservoir water was laid on to St. Kilda homes, though for a time before this was done there was a heavily-taxed public tap at the corner of Bay View road, where a butchery establishment now stands. Electricity was first used to light borough homes in 1901, hut it was not until 1925 that street gas standards were dispensed with in favour of brighter and more easily lit electric lamps. Drainage was provided from .1881, a loan then being raised for this pur-

horse cars were being introduced. On November 30, 1878, a long proposal for the construction, maintenance, and working of a tramway was submitted to the council. But it did not grant permission for the commencement of the work in tho borough until December 8, 1880. _ Many a tale could be told about those rickety old conveyances, the shells of which are still to be found as garden houses and cribs. They were replaced about 1904 by electric trams, which had been introduced in the city about a year previously, and this service has continued up till the present day. Since 1925 a branch line to Forhury Park lias adequately provided transportation for race crowds and residents of that area.

PROVISION AGAINST FIRE. Fire fighting has ever been a subject of considerable public interest in St. Kilda. It all began with a £lO note voted by the council for the establishment of a volunteer brigade, as far back as October 12, 1880. Two months later tenders were being called for the excavation of several wells in various parts of the borough to supply water for fire fighting. After hand barrows and a horse-drawn engine, the brigade acquired a motor conveyance, which gave indifferent service until 1923, when