Collingwood and Northcote Historical Societies; the history of local pubs
April 7th, 2007

The Collingwood Historical Society now has a website. It is fairly minimalist for the time being, but no doubt it will grow. Their main event from the public’s point of view is the annual history walk, which I lamented missing last year. I discovered that there is an out of print book published by them, “Hotels of Collingwood”, which I must get a copy of: anyone want to lend me one? Though I must confess I still haven’t exactly read cover to cover J.M. Freeland’s The Australian Pub or Larkins and Muir’s Victorian Country Pubs or Griffin’s John Wren; A Life Reconsidered or Dr Kovesi’s book about the Abbotsford Convent’s Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Pitch Your Tents on Distant Shores.
Then I found the Darebin Historical Society’s website, which has a fair bit of stuff on it, including this little pamphlet on the earliest hotels in Darebin. And the pictured book seems to be in print and for sale for a mere $9.90.
The Collingwood Historical Society has put up 6 historical plaques, including this one on the front of what used to be the tobacconist which was the front for John Wren’s Tote in Johnston St.

3 Responses to “Collingwood and Northcote Historical Societies; the history of local pubs”
01
dear sir/madam,
was the hotel on the corner of johnston st and wellington st. collingwood (now called the tote) once called the ivanhoe?
thanks, steve
02
No idea, sorry Steve.
03
Steve, The hotel on the corner of Wellington street and Johnston St Collingwood was previously called Healy’s (1870-1872), and then for most of its life if was called the Ivanhoe, ie from 1872 and until some time in the early 1990s when it changed its name to The Tote to celebrate John Wren’s tote which operated just east of Wellington street on the north side of Johnston St. There is a plaque on the building.
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