Historical information

Copied by Ken Hall from an early postcard. This is Surrey Hills Reservoir No 1 on the corner of Tower Street built in c1892 at a cost of £12,000 to supply higher sections of the area. The builders were Jack and Bob Laudehr, partners in a wood yard in St. Kilda (Vic). They began by delivering firewood but extended to contract work involving timber. Another of their projects was to lay cable tram tracks commencing in Acland Street St. Kilda and running along The Esplanade. The reservoir in Canterbury Road was a large concrete structure built before the introduction of reinforcements. The excavated material was banked against the sides and pine trees were planted in it to add strength to the embankment. They were paid £2,000 for their work.
Construction of Surrey Hills Number 2 Reservoir was completed in 1913 and the accompanying tower was built in 1929.
It is assumed that the Miss Hill as the source of the donation (via Bill Dempsey) was Ivy Annie Hill (1902-1984). She was the only female child of William Valentine Dempsey to not marry. Bill Dempsey's mother was Laura Constance 'Birdie' Hill (1900-1968) who married Albert Dempsey.

Physical description

A sepia photograph within a post card of a reservoir on Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills. In the background to the left you can see the top halves of two houses and the tops of some trees. The photo takes up only the central section of the postcard.

Inscriptions & markings

Below the photo on the front of the postcard on blue biro "Reservor [sic] Canterbury Rd / Surrey Hills."
On the rear in grey lead pencil in Jocelyn Hall's handwriting: "Donor W Dempsey ------------- Keep / (nephew) / [arrow pointing down] /
From Miss Hill / 10 Pembroke St SH /
This house can be / seen in front of / No 12 which has / tower"