HISTORY

 

1908

Fairfield boathouse was established by John St Clair as a picnic,  camping and refreshment room area. John St Clair was a piano tuner from  Smith street Fitzroy, with a vision. He firstly wrote a letter to the Premier suggesting that he open a refreshment room and boat shed area, with motor boats at Fairfield Park.

 

The Premier had to seek the approval form Yarra Bend Hospital of the Insane because the proposal for the boat shed was actually on the hospital grounds. The Premier gave his permission for the boat shed project to go ahead. Mr St Clair built the boat shed and six years later Fairfield Park was set aside from the same grounds. However Mr St Clair had seven troubled years with Crown Bailiffs over building permits. Eventually in 1915 the Heidelberg council bought him out.

 

1923

The boathouse was raised by 12 feet to help minimise flood damage, a frequent threat to boathouses along the Yarra.

 

1950s

Boat and canoe carnivals and open air carnivals were common sights at Fairfield up to the 1950s.  

 

1980

The Fairfield boathouse was closed as boating popularity declined and it was declared unfit for human habitation.

 

1985

The boathouse was restored and re-opened. The derelict building had recently housed squatters and possums. The project took 30,000 hours of restoration work. Meticulous work and an eye for detail was required for rebuilding. Even the gardens have been restored to encourage native birds.