The Mont Albert District - a Pictorial History 1830 to 2013

Mont Albert Road - Early History

Home
Demographics
Prologue
Indigenous Heritage
Geology and Topography
Vegetation and Fauna
Climate and Hydrology
1830s
1840s to 1870s
1850s - Parish of Nunawading
1852 - Whitehorse Inn
1861 - Postal Services
1880s - Electricity Supply
1880s to 1920s
1882 - Phantom Railways to Doncaster
1883 - Residential Heritage Precinct
1884 - Broughton Park subdivsion
1884 - Brickworks
1885 - Surrey Hills district - map
1888 - Football Clubs
1889 - Gas Supply and Gasworks
1889 - Doncaster Electric Tramway and Tower
1890 - Mont Albert Railway Station
1892 - Surrey Hills Golf Club
1892 - Water Supply, Reservoirs and Sewerage
1899 - Telephone Services
1905 - The Surrey Dive
1907 - Scouts and Guides
1912 - Mont Albert Village Shopping Precinct
1914 - Mont Albert Progress Association
1916 - Californian Bungalows
1917 - Schools
1917 - Wattle Park
1924 - Early Shortwave Broadcasting from the Surrey Hills district
1924 - Black's Estate
1925 - Bus Services
1929 - Tramways
1930 - Cricket Clubs in Mont Albert
1930s - Balwyn - Beckett Park Bonfires and Wildlife Sanctuary
1948 - Grange Tennis Courts
1957 - Pioneer Park
1961 - Surrey Hills Communications Tower
1981 - Box Hill Miniature Railway
Koonung Creek Parklands
Heritage Notes
Mont Albert Road - Early History
Mont Albert Rd - the East End
Elgar Rd - north and south of Mont Albert Rd
Mont Albert Rd - View St to Elgar Rd
Bushland Reserves
Service Associations
Sporting Clubs
Box Hill Institute of TAFE
Walking Trails
Epilogue
Timeline
The Author's Websites
References and Acknowledgements

1890sviewmard.jpg
1890s - looking east on Mont Albert Rd from Balwyn Rd

Overview 

Mont Albert Rd bisects the modern suburb of Mont Albert, and runs from Burke Rd (Camberwell) to Elgar Rd, passing through the surburbs of Canterbury and Surrey Hills. A small extension continues past Elgar Rd to the site of the former brickworks.

 

The western side of Elgar Rd is within the Mont Albert suburb – the eastern side is within the Box Hill suburb.
 

Early History 

1841  Survey Rd, which ran through Elgar's Special Survey, was later to become Mont Albert Rd, named after the hill "Mount Albert" near modern Kenmare St. Rough tracks had begun to be shown on maps: these included an approximation of Mont Albert Road, which existed as a track from Barkers Road, in the west, east to Elgar Road. "Mount Albert" was the original name for Mont Albert Station

1850s The first roads consisted of rough tracks used by timber cutters and farmers.

 

1870s The section of Mont Albert Rd in the Canterbury area was opened  up to housing in the 1870s, and became a strip for the wealthy, and the name ”The Golden Mile” was coined. Many huge mansions on large properties were built, some still standing today.

 

1873  Mont Albert Rd was officially named, along with other main roads in the area.

 

Mont Albert Rd crosses the site of the former Outer Circle Railway, in Canterbury, built in 1890 and closed in  the mid-1940s. The line is now a shared Rail Trail.

 

 

1910-1920modelfordboxhill.jpg
1910-1920 - T-model Ford in Box Hill

donkeyandcar.jpg
1920 - donkey and car

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