Berthing at Little Dock … maybe for a cuppa?

Before the Spencer Street Bridge was built, this was the view from the corner of Spencer and Flinders streets.

This photo was taken some time in the late 19th or early 20th century, and features Spencer Dock, also known as Little Dock. It was opened in August 1854 and was described by The Argus (August 18) as the “first public dock in Victoria”. The first ship to enter was the Flying Cloud, which unloaded 300 tonnes of cargo. As The Argus reported, because the government was “too slow for the spirit of the people”, it was up to the merchants to do their own celebrating. Around an hour-and-a-half before opening, the Flying Cloud’s owner Mr Throckmorton ordered the Criterion Hotel’s Mr Moss to organise a makeshift luncheon on the vessel to celebrate the occasion. By some miracle, the order was fulfilled in the most “efficient and satisfactory matter”.

So starts Ashley Smith’s latest history article in Docklands News. To see the image and read the full story click below.

Berthing at Little Dock … maybe for a cuppa? | Docklands News