Living History

Life in the city

I bought my first house in 1943. It was a terrace home in the inner Melbourne suburb of Richmond. I paid 1300 pounds for the property, which at that time was quite expensive. Being a terrace house, the design was extremely narrow, with a single hallway that had bedrooms leading off the sides at the front of the house, and the kitchen and family rooms at the back. I remember the kitchen being really really pokey compared to today's luxurious kitchens, and our stove was still wood-fired!

Back then Richmond was really quiet, so it’s quite amazing to go back to Richmond and see how busy it is and all the traffic, it’s practically part of the city! 25 years I lived in that house, 20 of which was spent with my husband after we met, and it was also where we started our family. The only reason we moved out of there was because we didn’t’ have enough room for our children!

Jessie, Murray Bridge, SA

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