John Fleming and his wife, May built this business from a 'ham and beef shop' to a more modern delicatessen from c 1930 until the 1950s. May and her mother, Mrs Ethel Pallisser, cooked 'potted meats', pies and rissoles. John cooked and boned the bacon and other meats. They also sold Herbert Adams cakes which were delivered in large slabs from which John cut into one and two pound pieces. Initially the shop had counters which they replaced with glass cases. The Flemings lived at the shop until the accommodation became too cramped. John Barry Fleming (1912-2010) married Ethel May Palliser (1915-1997) in 1938. Prior to marriage, May lived with her parents: father Henry or Harry Palliser, a bricklayer, and Ethel nee Johnson in Norfolk Road. The Flemings later lived in Yandilla Street, Balwyn.Close-up black and white photo of the exterior of 156 Union Road. The shopkeeper, John Fleming is standing at the door. Either side are display windows, on one side filled with shelves of cakes and on the other with packaged goods. Advertising on the windows is for Robur tea and Herbert Adams cakes.delicatessens, shops, businesses, union road shops, john fleming, john barry fleming, ethel may fleming, ethel may palliser, ethel palliser, ethel johnson

The house was variously known as ‘Mintaro’, ‘Montiere’ and ‘Goonoo Goonoo’, the later after 1920 when it was purchased by Natale Cerini and his wife Ethel May (nee Swan), who were married in 1918. Built 1887-1888 by William Wigley. The original colour was deep cream with dark green trim. Property included a block of land on south side and also land to the north. The original coach house was on what became 213 Union Road and was used to build a yacht in by the then neighbours, the Flemings. The street plane trees were replaced in the 1970s with melaleucas and in 1987 new plane trees were planted between the melaleucas. Sepia copy of an older photo of 215 Union Road from diagonally across the road. Shows street surface, bluestone kerbing, a young tree within a guard and a Victorian style home with 3 chimneys, a slate roof and a veranda on at least the south and west side. Beyond the house are mature cypress and other trees and a spire. The spire belonged to Surrey College, a boys' boarding school (later Nethercourt Hospital and St Judes.)'mintaro', 'montiere', 'goonoo goonoo', william wigley, mrs ethel may cerini, miss ethel may swan, miss jocelyn cerini, mrs jocelyn hall, miss lynette cerini, victorian style, 215 union road