Pre-demolition of Kew Junction, corner of High and Denmark streets, Kew
The Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854- )April 1934
Archives
Total copies: 1
Prior to demolition, sympathisers of Communist Egon Kisch met here at Federal Hall. These Kew Junction shops were declared unfit for human habitation and ordered by Kew City Council to be demolished. The shops were a variety of businesses including an estate agent, tailor and cobbler. The tobacconist’s shop displayed hand painted advertising signs promoting many local brands.
Title:
Pre-demolition of Kew Junction, corner of High and Denmark streets, Kew
Collector:
Date of work:
April 1934
Reference number:
MCK089
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materials
Part of:
Sub-sub-collection: McKenzie Collection of glass plate negatives (SC_MCKENZIE)
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedOpen access
Use restrictions:
Refer to individual item records for Use Restrictions.Please contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images. High resolution files may be available on request. Users must acknowledge City of Melbourne Libraries when reproducing images.
General notes:
Photographer notations on slide: "B20"Photo not published, probably taken in April 1934..Description:A view of a road with an approaching tram, overhead tram lines, electrical poles, parked cars and vans and a crossing pedestrian. Yellow Cab Co. taxi with driver and passenger, a taxi rank, a black cat, one and two storey shops line the road and include P. Retchford Estate Agent, Lilford Brothers Ladies and Gents Tailor, John Robertson dry cleaner, Federal Hall, Rapid Boot Repairing Depot, tobacconist, Bancrofts, Retreads, hairdresser, Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd, fruiterer. Painted advertising signs include Happy Thoughts, Capstan, Wills, Havelock, Country Life cigarette brands. Denmark Street sign, tram stop..Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer:Kew Junction, traditionally referred to as Five Ways, consisted of five major roads (High, Denmark, Princess Streets, High Street South and Studley Park Road) and two tram lines. (Princess and Denmark Streets were named to commemorate the marriage of Prince Edward and Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863). There was discussion for many years within Kew City Council about widening the intersection to eliminate the bottleneck, however the councillors felt that the expense of acquiring properties for demolition would be too costly for the ratepayers. The council also considered buying the Glenarbor Estate on the corner of Denmark and Wellington Streets, opposite the Kew Railway Station for the new Kew Town Hall. The council’s application to the government for a grant from the Unemployment Relief Fund was rejected..In 1934, Kew Council sent notices to quit within 14 days to the traders of the shops on the southern side of High Street from Cotham Road to Denmark Street on the grounds of being declared unfit for human habitation by the medical officer Dr. Derham. This affected twenty businesses including the Commercial Bank of Australia. The landlords were given three months to make the buildings habitable or demolish them, under penalty of fines. The shops were demolished and the council negotiated with the landlords to purchase the land on High Street to the depth of 15 feet (4.5 metres) over a frontage of 245 feet (74.6 metres). The landlords set the new buildings back from the previous street alignment and the council then widened the intersection..The many advertisements for tobacco brands painted onto the tobacconist shop illustrates that smoking was a very popular activity in the 1930s. Happy Thoughts fine cut, ready rubbed tobacco (“The Sweetest & Coolest Smoking”) was manufactured by Dudgeon and Arnell at 153 Palmer Street Richmond until 1953 when they were taken over by Dobie, George & Sons before being absorbed by Phillip Morris..In 2016, a painted ghost sign for “Happy Thoughts” tobacco painted by Hancock and Taylor was uncovered in High Street Thornbury..One on the buildings demolished was Federal Hall, a venue available to hire for “Meetings, Socials & Dances”, smoke nights and political meetings. In December 1934, a meeting for supporters of prominent Jewish, Czechoslovakian author and Communist Egon Kisch was held at the hall. Artist Max Meldrum addressed the gathering on the necessity of free speech in a democratic country like Australia and the Government using the Immigration Act to keep Kisch out. “The language test was designed to keep out those undesirable who seek to make their permanent abode here. It is a nice way of avoiding international complications by making out that a man is illiterate if he can’t speak certain languages. To apply it to a man of culture like Kisch who speaks 11 languages is quite wrong.”.On 6 November 1934, Egon Erwin Kisch 1885-1948, had arrived at Fremantle on the P&O liner RMS Strathaird. The Lyons Government had been given information from the British Government that Kisch was ‘undesirable as an inhabitant of, or visitor to the Commonwealth’ so his entry was forbidden..Kisch, a vocal critic of the Nazi regime and former prisoner of Spandau Prison, was to be the principal speaker at the All-Australian Congress Against War and Fascism, held as a counterpoise to the Melbourne Centenary Celebrations and the British Royal tour with its “Britain of the Southern Hemisphere” image..On arrival at Station Pier, Port Melbourne on 12 November, Kisch raised his fist and shouted ‘Red Front’ while his supporters on the wharf sang ‘The Internationale’. Kisch had been given legal advice that once on land he could not be returned to the vessel, so he leapt six metres from the deck onto the wharf, breaking his leg. The police swarmed the wharf and carried Kisch back on board. The Strathaird sailed on to Sydney with Kisch aboard. Meanwhile, the Labor Party and Trade Unions took the case to High Court Justice H.V.Evatt who ordered Kisch be freed on a legal technicality to visit as long as he respected Australian laws..In Sydney Kisch was subjected to the notorious dictation test where the applicant is required to write out a dictation of 50 words in a European language chosen by the Customs official. This process was part of the White Australia Policy used to keep out people who were considered “undesirable”..Kisch was multi-lingual in European languages so the Customs Office chose Scottish Gaelic for the test. Kisch didn’t even try to pass - he screwed up the paper and threw it away in disgust. Kisch was convicted of being a prohibited immigrant and sentenced to be deported. (From 1909 until 1958, when the act was repealed, not a single person passed the dictation test)..The High Court ruled that Gaelic wasn’t a recognised European language under the act and quashed Kisch’s conviction as a prohibited immigrant..Kisch became a popular figure, touring the country on crutches. He addressed around 80 rallies and meetings, describing atrocities committed by the Nazis in Germany and speaking against war and fascism..On the evening of 27 February 1935, a torchlight procession of 1200 men, women and children marched in protest of the Federal Government’s treatment of Egon Kisch and Gerald Griffin and against war and Fascism. The procession marched from the Trades Hall, along Bourke and Swanston Streets, a crowd of thousands cheering them on..Egon Kisch and New Zealand anti-war delegate Gerald Griffin 1904-1976, lead the procession, Egon limping on his stick ahead of an Aboriginal gum-leaf band who played “The Marseillaise” and “Colonel Bogey”. At St Paul’s Cathedral corner, a woman from the crowd put her arms around Egon’s neck and kissed him..The marchers carried painted banners depicting Attorney-General Robert Menzies in company with Adolf Hitler and highlighting the poor treatment of Australian Aborigines. Trucks displayed tableaux, one portraying the Nazi book burning, another the execution in Germany of two women spies under a banner proclaiming “Germany today: Australia tomorrow?” Only a week previously, on 18 February 1935 in Berlin, German Defence Ministry typist, Frau Renate von Natzmer and her friend Baroness Benita von Falkenhayn had been beheaded by axe after being found guilty of espionage and treason. They had been discovered passing information about preparations for Germany’s invasion of Poland to handsome Polish spy Jerzy Sosnowski, the lover of both women..The crowd then marched to Yarra Bank where they were addressed by Egon and Gerald. At the conclusion of the speeches the crowd sang “The Internationale” before peacefully dispersing..On 5 March 1935, Egon Kisch boarded the RMS Orford from the same Port Melbourne pier he had jumped onto from the Strathaird four months earlier, en route to France..The prosecution of Kisch by the Lyons Government caused a groundswell of support amongst Australians. He stayed a month longer and spoke to 10 times the amount of people as originally planned..The Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner’s Advocate on 6 March 1935 reported that Kisch said: “Thanks to the Attorney-General Mr Robert Menzies… the Anti-war Movement has increased from 8000 to 80,000 since my arrival. Australia is now one of the strongest branches of the Anti-war Movement in the world.” Herr Kisch declared that he had been shown sympathy by all classes..In 1928, German artist Christian Schad, 1894-1982, painted a portrait of Egon Kisch titled “The Journalist”, today held in the collection of Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany. Egon sits amongst the steel girders of the Berlin radio station, in reference to his profession. Egon styled himself as “The Frenzied Reporter”, who is always in search of the truth, so Schad depicted him barechested to show he had nothing to hide. On display are his tattoos, which the curators at Hamburger Kunsthalle describe: “Schad used Kisch’s pale, tattooed skin like a canvas in the picture. The motifs on display - a scantily clad prostitute, the head of an Asian man pierced by a sabre and the mask-like distorted representation of a black artist - probably come from relevant template books. They seem like template-like symbols that underline the journalist’s urbane daring. Schad probably also used the racist and sexist exaggerations contained therein to show Kisch as a drastic commentator on a time characterised by violence and power - as a hero whose weapons were a sharp mind and bold reports.”.Kisch published a book in 1937 called “Australian Landfall” detailing his visit to Australia, his impressions of the country and her people and the historical treatment of Aborigines..In 1977, Stern magazine founded a prestigious award for German journalism named the Egon Erwin Kisch Prize in his honour..References:MUST QUIT THEIR SHOPS IN 14 DAYS (1934, March 23). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 5. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243309982'Finally - the Happy Thoughts Tobacco sign on High Street Thornbury', Finding the Radio Book, 21 November 2016, http://findingtheradiobook.blogspot.com/2016/11/finally-happy-thoughts-tobacco-sign-on.htmlHALL WIRED ON OUTSIDE (1934, December 6). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 13. Retrieved May 6, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243083153HERR EGON KISCH (1935, March 6). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved May 6, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136844519'Attempted exclusion of Egon Kisch from Australia', Wikipedia, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attempted_exclusion_of_Egon_Kisch_from_AustraliaHIGHLAND GATHERING DECLARED AN ILLEGAL ASSEMBLY! (1935, January 5). Smith's Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1919 - 1950), p. 6. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article234612430KISCH KISSED (1935, February 28). The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 - 1954), p. 9. Retrieved May 27, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article246498724BANNER DESIGN (1935, February 27). The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956), p. 2. Retrieved May 27, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article277120951BANNER FOR TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION (1935, February 26). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 10. Retrieved May 27, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245442655'Bildnis Egon Erwin Kisch', Portrait of Egon Erwin Kisch, 1928, Christian Schad, Hamburger Kunsthalle, online collection, https://online-sammlung.hamburger-kunsthalle.de/en/objekt/HK-5165/bildnis-egon-erwin-kisch?term=schad&context=default&position=0GERMAN WOMEN BEHEADED. (1935, February 23). Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 - 1918, 1935), p. 24 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved August 1, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article255832952
Related material link:
Topics:
Form/Genre:
Record types:
Images, maps and artefacts
Record number:
1534353
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy | MCK089.jpg | 1 JPG | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |