By Yvette Campitelli-Slee
Tucked away on Napier St in Footscray is Ercildoune, a heritage building which is owned by and is home to the Footscray Historical Society. It holds a remarkable collection of local history that many residents may not realise exists.
Ahead of Ercildoune’s 150th anniversary later this year, The Westsider was invited inside the former National Bank of Australasia building to discover how the Footscray Historical Society preserves the stories that have shaped the area.
The Society was first formed in 1968 following a meeting of like-minded residents who recognised the need to protect Footscray’s heritage at a time when many historic buildings were under threat.
Since that time, the Society has collated thousands of historical documents, photographs, artworks and artefacts related to the City of Maribyrnong, with records dating back as far as the late 19th century.
Footscray Historical Society Secretary Steve Wilson leads us through Ercildoune, which has been home to the Society since it acquired the building in 1970.
“It was originally built as a bank, the first bank built in Footscray. This was the National Bank of Australasia,” Steve says.
“We also keep a fair bit of our collection in the old bank vault.”
Inside the former vault, shelves are lined with voter rolls, rate or valuation books with gold-lettered spines dating back to the 1890s, and decades of bound editions of The Footscray Advertiser. It’s a truly incredible archive, but according to Treasurer Maree Letteri, the collection exists for far more than just display.
“We want people to know we’re not a museum,” she says. “It’s about research.”
The Society assists residents researching family histories, local properties and community stories, offering research services for $11 an hour. Students and members can undertake independent research at Ercildoune free of charge.
One person who knows the value of the Society’s collection is Committee Member Olympia Koziaris.
Growing up in Maribyrnong’s Greek community, Olympia recognised that while migrant communities have played an important role in shaping the west’s multicultural history, many of their stories have never been formally documented.
“I thought: Why don’t I be the person that goes and finds the stories?” she says.
With the support of the Footscray Historical Society, Olympia successfully obtained a Maribyrnong City Council grant and began compiling the experiences of the post-war Greek community in Yarraville.
The project became her book Yiasou Yarraville, which tells the stories of 20 local families and their contribution to the suburb.
“When I wrote it, I wanted it to be something that represents a community that didn’t have a voice or didn’t have anything documented about their experience of – not just how they arrived – but how they settled and how they changed the environment,” Olympia says.
Yiasou Yarraville is available for purchase at Ercildoune, alongside other research publications on local history, with proceeds supporting the Society’s continued work.
The Society is keen to welcome more volunteers, particularly younger people, university students, and members of the area’s many multicultural communities, to ensure a diverse range of histories are preserved for coming generations.
For Olympia, volunteering has been as rewarding personally as it has been professionally.
“The Historical Society are a lovely group of volunteers. They are so welcoming.”
“I get to experience things I wouldn’t normally experience. I get to learn things about where I live and my locality, which I love. It’s enriching and it just makes you feel proud.”
As Ercildoune approaches its 150th anniversary, the Footscray Historical Society hopes the milestone will encourage more people to step inside and discover the stories that continue to shape Melbourne’s west.
To learn more about the Footscray Historical Society, upcoming events, or volunteer opportunities, visit their website:footscrayhistoricalsociety.org.au.
OPENING HOURS
Tuesday: 11am – 2pm
Saturday: 11am – 2pm
