The Cremorne Pleasure Gardens was a grand entertainment phenomenon for Melbournians from 1853 to 1863. Having established London’s Cremorne Gardens, James Ellis came out to Melbourne to set up a similar attraction down by the Yarra around a natural billabong. It was shortly after greatly elaborated by the theatrical entrepreneur George Coppin. The Gardens attracted up to 10,000 visitors every day and night. It was a magnet for people arriving to the colony through those gold rush years.
The following is an excerpt from a column in 1921 in the Richmond Guardian written by George Buller titled ‘Early Richmond’. In this, George reminisces his times as a boy in South Richmond in the 1850s.
Next to the Sir Henry Barkly Hotel was the malthouse owned by an Italian named Paregalli, then Mitchell’s brewery and Cremorne-street, with the Cremorne Gardens. At one of the entrances was an hotel, belonging to the gardens and kept by Mrs. Peachman. On the opposite corner, the south-west and built on piles (it being a swamp) was a refreshment room kept by a man named Saunders. He had painted on the side of the building “Well Never Mind,” and he was always known by that name. The principal entrance to the gardens was where the Rosella factory now stands. A landing-stage was built on the river at the foot of Cremorne-street, and to bring patrons to the gardens two small steam gondolas used to ply for passengers from Princes Bridge, as well as a number of boatmen. From a staging near by a fireworks display was given every night, with tight-rope walking over the lake on a high wire. Boats also plied for hire on the lake.
Cremorne Gardens originally were managed by Smith, of Cremorne, London, who parted with it to a Mr. Scott, and then came Mr. George Coppin. When Mr. Coppin took it over he bought a large paddock running from Balmain-street to the river, which he added, making the gardens comprise some forty acres, and brought the boundary up to Kirk’s paddock (now contained by the Rosella factory). The gardens included every amusement that could be obtained. A theatre near Cubitt-street entrance ; a menagerie, consisting of lions, tigers, bears, monkeys and an elephant (situated in the north-west corner, near Cremorne-st) a dancing pagoda, with a central bandstand, in which the brass band performed the music for the dancers ; amaze, to amuse any who wanted to try and lose themselves ; a lake the whole width of the grounds, with a large fireworks stand representing the Siege of Sevastopol. This was painted in oils by Mr. Wilson, the scenic artist, who died in Sydney some time ago. He was brought from England by Mr. Coppin specially for the purpose. A good show of fireworks was given each night from this stand and was one of the most popular attractions. The whole garden was one blaze of light and illumination, as all the flower beds were picked out with different colored oil lamps. For the benefit of the thirsty there were three hotels — one at the entrance, another near the theatre, and another at the river entrance. There was also a refreshment-room at either side of the theatre; whilst on the other side there was a regular olla podrida of small side-shows — fruit barrows, Aunt Sallies, try-your-weights, skittles, bowls, oyster barrows, etc. The price of admission varied from a few shillings to a guinea for bal masque nights, when things were lively. Residents who lived adjacent did not get much sleep from the singing and drunken merriment of those returning to the city with their ladies.
Nothing was too good or too expensive for Coppin to import for his patrons. I have seen G. V. Brooke, the great tragedian, appear there, also Sir William Don, Lady Don, the Edouin Family (comedians and pantomimists), G. B. W. Lewis, with Madame Birch and their circus, Madame De La Casse (the intrepid wire-walker), Juan Fernandez (who used to put his head in the lion’s mouth), Bartine (the trapesist), and many others. A balloon was occasionally sent aloft, and for this purpose, Coppin brought out an aeronaut named Green, and later on another named Brown. He went up himself on two or three occasions, and on another occasion sent up a donkey. The balloon was filled in Melbourne with gas, and then dragged through the streets to the gardens, with as many boys as could cling on for ballast. After the railway bridge was built in Punt-road a gasometer was built in the gardens, and some part of it still remains near Cremorne-street. A fair was held once a year, when the grounds were open day as well as night. It was after the old English style, booths ad lib, fat men, bearded ladies, boxing shows, penny gaffs, etc. Before Coppin succeeded in getting a railway to the grounds the only mode of transport from Melbourne was the old-fashioned cab, with seats fore and aft, and the patrons were mostly diggers and their ladies. A man named Higgins, who catered outside with oranges, lemonade, etc., rented the large Kirk’s paddock (now occupied by the condiments factory), fenced it in, and charged the cabmen one shilling each to leave their vehicles there for the night.
During this time the Cherry Tree Hotel was built by Isaac Noseda, a Melbourne tinsmith, and there was also another hotel at the corner of Cremorne and Balmain streets, kept by a man named Bracher, with a large weatherboard dancing saloon next door to it. In the absence of a railway, great difficulty was experienced in bringing the people from town, and to obviate this, one well-known man built a small terrace of cottages in Cremorne-street to accommodate some of the ladies. It was such a monetary success that numbers of these ladies of the demi monde came to reside in Richmond. In fact, to such an extent was this done that Dover-street (then Barney-street) had fully half the houses so occupied.
After the gardens were shut up, which was very soon after the council determined that they should be carried on with more circumspection, the Barney-street residents deputised until they got the name changed to Dover-street. About this time also several sly grog shops had to close down, their occupation being gone.
Whilst on the amusement subject, Richmond had very little in that way at all, barring an occasional church concert, tea fight, or a travelling circus. Then what was termed penny readings were started (they were a sort of embryo vaudeville). I remember one lot managed by Teddy Dwight (a comique), held in the Lecture Hall, In Lennox-street, near Bridge-road, and one turn I remember particularly was two little toddlers coming in to do a little double. They were the Deorwyn sisters (Alice and Constance), who afterwards became well – known actresses. The former married Charley Holloway and is the mother of Miss Beatrice Holloway, and the latter married Dick Stewart, one of J. C. Williamson’s popular managers, and is the mother of Mione Stewart, now playing with the Royal Comics.
After the gardens were closed they came into the hands of Mr. Harcourt, who transformed them into a private lunatic asylum. “Oh, what a falling off was there!” After the asylum was given up the ground became the property of a syndicate, with which Sir Thomas Bent was connected. The land was surveyed and laid out in streets, and an auction sale called, when only one central block was sold. The buyer demanded his block, but the vendors wanted to cry off. They settled it later, however, and the whole is now built on.