Union Inn with verandah corner of James and Cox Streets Port Fairy. Built by William Anderson. James Anderson (William's brother was the first licensee in 1852. A fire burned down the stables in 1879 but neighbours stopped the fire from spreading. The Gillespie and Keating families appear to have been owners of the Union for much of its history as licenced premises. The building was demolished in the 1950's A renovated facade of the union Inn showing the addition of a verandah to the facadePhotographhotel, cox street, james street, james anderson, william anderson, gillespie, keating, union inn, verandah

This photograph of the Merrijig Inn was taken from the top of the flour Mill.Black and white photograph of Black and white photograph of a steep roofed rendered cottage on the left hand corner of the street with the bluestone customs house on the right and the courthouse on the far righthotel, gipps street, merrijig inn, campbell street, inn, cottage

In Victoria’s State archives there is a remarkable cache of letters written by George Bateson, who was arrested and convicted of sodomy in late 1860. There are some 200 letters addressed to notable Victorians including the governor, premier, inspector-general of penal establishments, members of parliament, and lawyers. These rare documents provide powerful evidence of homosexual life and the impacts of mid-nineteenth century laws relating to sodomy. The story begins on an evening in November 1860, when 19-year-old William Gardner went to the police to complain that the previous evening, when he was staying at a city hotel with George Bateson, he had been subjected to Bateson’s sexual advances. The police asked Gardner to meet with Bateson again the following evening and when their sexual connection was sufficiently advanced, Gardner should cough twice. He agreed to the plan, and when Gardner coughed the police emerged from a closet in the hallway, catching the two men in the act. Bateson was convicted of sodomy in 1860, but his death sentence was recorded rather than pronounced. In due course the Governor of Victoria commuted the sentence, as was usual for the crime, and instead sentenced Bateson to 15 years’ hard labour, with the first three years to be spent in chains. In 1871, Bateson was released, having spent four years less in prison than his original sentence. During and after his time in prison, Bateson wrote letters to the authorities to assert that he was innocent, falsely accused and the victim of a conspiracy. He demanded that this terrible miscarriage of justice should be reversed and a pardon granted to him. Bateson was not the first man in Victoria to be convicted and sentenced in this way; nor was he the first to petition for redress. But the extent of his letters and the scope of the issues raised in them offer a remarkable insight into homosexual life in the mid-nineteenth century, such as how men might meet each other, and approaches to police and punish homosexual behaviour. Bateson’s letters provide crucial evidence to expand our understanding of Victoria’s queer past. Quoted from "A History of LGBTIQ+ Victoria in 100 Places and Objects" by Graham Willett, Angela Bailey, Timothy W. Jones and Sarah Rood.

Canterbury Road at Balwyn Road intersection looking east. c1960.canterbury, canterbury road, malones hotel, railway crossing

Real estate advertisement for the auction on Wednesday 21st September 1994 of Canterbury Mansions.Includes photograph of the building and Post Officecanterbury, canterbury mansions, malones hotel, canterbury road, gorman commercial real estate

Extracts from an interview with Wlliam Costello (born in 1892) during which he shared his memories of Canterbury shops and people.canterbury, canterbury road, balwyn road rochester road, canterbury library, malones hotel, goldings rubber factory, oregan family, maling road, shops, costello> william

Some memories of Bill Munday of growing up in Canterbury from approx. 1906canterbury, mangarra road, horse drawn vehicles, moran and cato, fire station, canterbury road, laundries, salvation army corps, malones hotel, canterbury scot troop, geo carnell upholsterers, delivery vehicles, danks family, shenley street, outer circle railway, lifestyle