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Apr 8, 20223 min read

PAST RESIDENTS

Updated: Jul 20, 2022

Have you ever wondered who lived in your home before you? Well, I was lucky enough to discover this document in the cellar of our home and it has sent me on a journey back in time. This document details the residents and tenants of Corio Bay Villa from the original builder in 1890 up until 1978. The information was collated by Adrian Peniston-Bird who lived in Corio Bay Villa from 1971 to 1977. He obtained the earlier names from the Sands Directories and the later names from rates books. Using these names as a starting point, I have been able to research the history of our home.

Image: List prepared by Adrian Peniston-Bird


Using historical electoral voting roles and rate records, I've been able to add to the original list (see below), focusing on the names of wives. Throughout this process I have paid particular attention to the wives and women who lived at the Corio Bay Villa, as women's history often goes undocumented.


Not all the all the tenants of Corio Bay Villa have been identified. The two most difficult groups to identify are earliest tenants and the women living on their own. As the earliest electoral roles for Surrey Hills commence in 1905, there is very little information available beyond the earliest tenants' names. Electoral role data contains additional information such as middle names, occupations and names of other adult family members living at the same address. Without this extra information it can be impossible to differentiate individuals with common names, such as William Martin.


Further these early tenants seemed to be quite transient, some only staying for a few months. This may be because of the economic collapse which saw tenants strapped for cash and moving for work. Or this may have been because Corio Bay Villa was quite isolated being one of the few properties on a large chicken farm estate that had sold before the economic crash. It is difficult to know without knowing more about the people who resided there.


The other group of tenants that are hard to find are married women who are living without their husbands. Without a first name, maiden name, or the full name of the husband, a woman's origins are difficult to locate, as she has likely changed her name at least once. It was been difficult to identify Mrs. F. M. Svensson, for instance, as she is both an early resident and a married woman. However, because of her uncommon surname, I was able to find her in the end.


Below is the updated list of past residents, excluding children. To see information on individual residents and their families click on the links for their stories. For some of these women there is scant information available, so they have been joined together in one post called All The Single Wives. Residents who were also owners, have been highlighted in green. Not all owners resided at the property, but most did. The two owners who did not live at Corio Bay Villa are excluded from this list which focuses on the lived experiences of Corio Bay Villa. However, there will be a post that focuses on the ownership of the Villa over the years.


YEAR RESIDENTS & TENANTS NAMES BLOG POST

I hope you enjoy my blog. If you have any information on previous tenants or residents, please contact me via the contact page.


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