Opposite on the south side of Bay Street is Morley’s Coal Depot which stored coal for fuelling the ships in port and the nearby Gasworks (see Working People’s Trail). This rugged 1872 bluestone building, named after the first Sandridge Mayor William Morley, is classified by The National Trust. Next to Morleys is The Local, originally the Royal Mail Hotel, one of the few surviving pubs that clustered around the Town Pier at the bottom of Bay Street. In 1876 there were an astounding 48 hotels in this small Borough. The pubs evoke the port town where sailors and workers slaked their thirst, where unions were essential, where common hardship formed an ethos of community support and mateship, and where allegiance to the Port Melbourne Football Club was supreme.
by cityofportphillip on March 31, 2016Please login to comment on this item