Grosby Slippery Factory/Primrose Park

Primrose Park [Click image for larger photo]

Primrose Park was built in 1888 for Edward Hanley, a former Berwick Shire President (1882-1883). An Italianate Victorian Villa with a polychrome facade constructed from bricks manufactured at an Officer brickworks. The house is historically significant in the Cardinia Shire, as at the time the district was known for an ample timber supply and consequently dominant timber construction. Surrounding the home are several significant trees including Bunya Bunya Pines, Canary Island Pine, Himalayan Cypress and Irish Strawberry tree, also dating back to the 1880's and earlier. Past owners of Primrose Park were: Mrs Fanny Ann Gower (late 1880's-1925) Mrs Rebecca Stevens (1925-1949) Reginald & Ethel Barlee (1949-1969) Raymond & Shirley Hayes (1969-1988) Richard Bell (1988-1999) Primrose Park was painted white in the 1960's to "freshen up" for sale.

In the years following, many of the Victorian features were removed or covered over and the home fell into a state of disrepair. In 1999, the current owners commenced restoration of Primrose Park, starting with huge task of stripping the paint from the external brickwork. Thousands of hours have followed since restoring the home inside and out to its former Victorian glory. Many hours of work still lay ahead to finish the home (probably a never ending project) with the creation of a Victorian Era garden, a large part of the work still to be completed. The main goal of the present owners was to restore Primrose Park to a standard that would ensure the home would never be demolished (a real threat in the 1990's, with the development of the land immanent.), hopefully this has been achieved. Footnote: The present owners, Annette & Rob Aldersea, are eager to hear from anyone who may know more about the history of Primrose Park, its past owners or have any old photos, etc,.

Staff of the Grosby Slippery Factory in Beaconsfield [Click image for larger photo]

GROSBY SLIPPER FACTORY : The Grosovsky family, originally from Minsk, Russia, started the Grosby Shoe Company in Melbourne in 1925 where their two-story factory was on the corner of Flemington Rd. and Racecourse Rd. in North Melbourne. In the forties Nathan and Ralph Grosovsky took over the business and in about 1945 they opened the Grosby Slipper Factory in Beaconsfield. It was started in Roberts store on the corner of Beaconsfield Ave. and Woods St. opposite the railway station. Ralph was in charge of this factory and used to travel to Beaconsfield and then onto Koo Wee Rup to another Slipper Factory that they owned.

About thirty girls worked at the factory cutting out the slippers and shoes, sewing, binding and putting in the eyelets. Once a week the Grosby truck would come to pick up the slippers to have their soles put on at the Melbourne factory. The truck driven by Charlie Tasker brought the materials for more slippers. Originally the staff were paid a wage for their forty-hour week but later it was piecework, where they were paid for the amount of work they did. As they had no phone they would send a telegram for the wages and Postal notes would be sent to the Post Office as pay for the girls, later the pays would come on the truck.

Pfaff sewing machines were used which some of the girls found a bit frightening at first as they were only used to the treadle machines and the electric ones were so fast. About twice a week Mr. Baker from the Melbourne factory would come out to fix the machines. Later Mr. Bill Rankin was the mechanic. The main accidents they had were needles through fingers. On cold days they had two smoky smelly kerosene heaters which were shifted around the factory to keep everyone warm. Ralph Grosby was a generous good-looking man with black wavy hair. He would let the girls who traveled by train work until it was time for their train so that they didn't have to wait for long periods in the cold. In about 1951 Mr. Ralph Grosby invited Amy Warner and Beth Coombs for afternoon tea at the Central Hotel where he asked them to work at the Melbourne Factory, both girls went and soon afterwards the factory in Beaconsfield closed. Most of the workers were single women, about two or three were married. Some of the girls lived at Mrs. McNaughtons boarding house in Woods St. while others traveled from as far away as Nar Nar Goon. During some of the train strikes (which would last for up to six weeks) the girls would hitch a ride on the milk truck with the cans on the back. Other girls rode bikes to work as none of them had cars. Union fees were three pence a week and Irene Chambers was the union representative.

At Christmas time all the staff would be taken to the Central hotel for their Christmas breakup. The photo of the staff (above) was taken about 1946, outside the Central Hotel and the Grosby truck is in the background. Back Row L-R: - Mrs. Mary Ennis, Patricia Chambers (Ellis), Rhoda Ford (Humphries), Elsea Holmes, Nancy Crowley (Ryan) or Amy Warner (Tweddle), Charlie Tasker, Cherry Thompson, Doris Clements, Mable Barr, Nancy Clements, Joan Baker (Hanna), Alma Gardner (Dyker) and Nora Robson (Barwise). Front Row L-R: - Lois Danziel, Molly Hills, Irene Chambers (Bumpstead) Dianne {Jackie} Coombs, Edith Miller (Robertson), Betty Pidgoen, Cath McLean (Goldsack), Mrs. Swift and Joyce Robson (Storer).

Other names mentioned were Betty Handley (little girl that did messages) Mrs. Mary Ennis (Senior floor lady or manageress) Violet Bowles (Manager), Mr. Ogilvy (Manager) Pat Sands (Board), Stella Nelson (Montague), Edith Miller (Forelady), Una Robertson (Whitburn), Olive Robertson (Pollock), Katie Robertson (Price), Beth Coombs (Webster), Betty Fortune (Atkins), Noreen Fitzgerald, Ann Fitzgerald (Cruden), Maureen Fitzpatrick (Kierle), Lorna Hobson (Lee), Rae Marshall (Fortune), Kathleen Warner (Emerson), Stella Montague, Jean Graham, Daisy Marsden (Lia)and Myrtle Parkes. Thank you to all who attended the history afternoon on 24th August, also Ralph Grosby who was not able to attend but donated a cheque of $100 towards the history group, Debbie Stacy, Tracie Lund, Kath Baker and Dulcie Rushton for their support.