memorial plaque in a small reserve at Mount Eliza...
It reads:
This memorial was erected in 1973
to honour
John Thomas Smith 1816 - 1879
the first settler on this land which he purchased in 1854.
He built a cottage and later a homestead.
The bricks in the panel beside this plaque are from the original cottage.
He was seven times mayor of Melbourne between 1851 and 1864.
Further,
in 1845, Smith built the Queen's Theatre Royal, Melbourne's first theatre.
Today, Ranelagh House (once called Nyora) stands as his homestead.
It was used as Smith's summer house
on a large parcel of land which cultivated wheat and grape vines.
More details HERE.
Ranelagh House was sold in December 2015.
Views of the house are HERE.
Interesting that Smith's main biography HERE
makes no mention of his connection with Mount Eliza.
stories in stories
fame embedded with
secrets
Linking to:
Signs, Signs
