Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society
Photograph - Miss Congue's Costumier Shop, Bay Street, Port Melbourne, c. 1900
This laser print is a copy of a photo which has been in the Congues/McKenzie family collection since early this century. Mrs Marie Vernon of Doncaster showed the photo to her cousin, Elva Mason, also of Doncaster but formerly of 35 Cruikshank Street. Elva had the copy done and passed it on to Barbara Gardiner.
Mrs Vernon was unable to give us much information but could tell us that her mother, Mrs Mary Jane Congues (known as Ruby) was a tailoress who started her apprecticeship at age 13 and later established the shop which was next to Earl's hardware shop. We think that she was born in the 1880s. The Congues family lived at 36 Cruikshank Street, and their landlord in later years was Mr Sullivan, who supplied horse and drays for rubbish collection for the Council.
Simon McKenzie was the loca policeman who patrolled up and down Bay Street and became interested in Ruby. She later visited a fortune teller who told her she would marry a man with numbers on his hat. They married and lived in Brunswick East, Carrum Downs and later Calligee (near Traralgon). LIfe was tough but Mrs Vernon remembers that her talented mother was able to teransform garments and hats so that her daughters always felt that they had a new dress for each special occasion.
Mrs Vernon also remembers when a member of the famly needed dental care, they wee put on the train to stay with Grandma at Port Melbourne, who took them to Frost the Dentist (on the corner of Graham and Bay Strees), who pulled teeth for one shilling each.
Miss Gongues is the lady in skirt and blouse on the right; other people unknown.Laserprint of four women in entrance to Miss Congue's Costumier shop in Bay Streetbusiness and traders - tailors and clothing, mary jane (ruby) congues, mary jane (ruby) mckenzie, simon mckenzie, mr sullivan, frost the dentist
Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society