Historical information
View looking up Dalton Street from near Main Road where the former pond was situated. The pond was drained by Council in 1932 due to concerns of mosquitoes, etc against the wishes of long standing residents such as Thekla Jarrold (39 years) and John Clark (22 years). On the right is the Eltham Primary Schoool No. 209 with the former Headmaster's residence and to the left is Eltham Clinic once the site of the Grant home.
Comparison photo: SEPP_0643
In April 1935 the local paper reported on a story where a schoolgirl was talking whilst on her bicycle and it started moving off, flying down Dalton Street and across the main road missing cars and the guy wires for the telephone pole and hurtled 21 feet through the air into the drained pond suffering a broken arm and shock. She was rescued unconscious by John and taken into Mrs Jarrold’s for first aid. This was not the only instance of young girls losing control of bicycles down the hill.
Part of a presentation by Peter Pidgeon to the Society, 13 August 2022 showcasing a series of photographs taken by John Henry Clark over the period 1895 to 1930.
John Henry Clark was the youngest of three boys born to William Henry Clark (1823-1877) and Maria White (1843-1914). He and his brothers, William Charles Clark (1872-1945), Clement Kent Clark (1874-1912) operated a photography business (Clark Bros.) from 25 Thomas Street, Windsor near Prahran during the period c.1894 to 1914. Following death of Clement in September 1912 and their mother in 1914, the Clark Bros business appears to have dissolved, the premises demolished, and a new house was under construction in 1915. John set up business independently in 1914 operating out of 29 Moor Street, Fitzroy where he is registered in the 1914 and 1915 Electoral Rolls.
By 1916 John had relocated to Eltham where he continued his practice as a photographer and took many of the early images around the district of Little Eltham.
Around 1930 John changed professions and opened a small cobbler's shop in 1931 near the pond opposite Dalton Street adjacent to the Jarrold family cottage. He never married and continued his profession as a bootmaker from this little shop, maintaining a close relationship with Mrs Jarrold for the rest of their lives. His bootmaker shop remains today beside the Whitecloud cottage and is one of only three remaining shops in the area from the early 20th century.
Significance
Comparative photo taken 2022 with one taken from same location over 100 years earlier by noted local photographer J.H. Clark
Physical description
Born Digital
