Welcome to the site of Collingwood Historical Society Inc.

The Collingwood Historical Society has as its area of interest the former City of Collingwood, that is, the suburbs now known as Abbotsford, Clifton Hill, and Collingwood in Victoria, Australia. 

Below is a map of the area that this website covers. It shows the area covered by the old City of Collingwood which consisted of the suburbs of Clifton Hill, Collingwood and Abbotsford. The former City of Collingwood is bounded by Smith Street to the west, Victoria Parade and Victoria Street to the south, the Yarra River and Merri Creek to the east and Queens Parade to the north. Click this link to visit the City of Yarra Community Profile Site to see current information about these three suburbs.

This municipal district came into existence when the municipality of East Collingwood was proclaimed on 24 April 1855. At that time it included the areas which came to be known as Abbotsford and Collingwood, but within a few months the district had also annexed Clifton Hill, and the first election was held in October 1855. Collingwood was thus the second metropolitan municipal council to be established (after South Melbourne) and the first outside the Corporation of Melbourne boundaries.

It was called East Collingwood because at that time the term Collingwood also included much of the area now known as Fitzroy. Collingwood became a Town in 1873 (dropping the already redundant prefix “East”), with a population of around 19,000. By 1876 its income had increased sufficiently for it to become a City. In 1994 councils across Victoria amalgamated, and the City of Collingwood became part of the City of Yarra.

Collingwood Historical Society had its beginnings in the 1970s as a local interest group in the former City of Collingwood. The Society:

  • Promotes public awareness of our local history.
  • Promotes the conservation of Collingwood’s heritage places.
  • Organises events such as talks, displays and history walks.
  • Collects historical material relating to Collingwood, Clifton Hill and Abbotsford.
  • Records history in the form of photos, oral history tapes, publications, and electronic resources.

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Map courtesy of .id

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