House at 186 St Brigids Terrace in Scarborough

The below story was entered with this photograph into the 2018 History and Heritage Awards.

When my parents Josephine and Noel Palmer married in 1951, they bought a quarter-acre block of land at 186 St Brigid's Terrace in the relatively new suburb of Scarborough, close to the boundary with the even newer suburb of Doubleview. There were very few houses in the immediate locality, only a very old house next door which belonged to an elderly couple and a newer family home a few doors down. There was little in the way of amenities in the area as most shopping and entertainment venues were located closer to Scarborough Beach, several kilometres walk away. As with many young couples in those days, Josephine and Noel built and lived in a shed (later the laundry) on site, while Noel and his father-in-law built the house. Building materials were difficult to come by, with some war rationing still in place and there were restrictions on the size of dwelling, in this case two bedrooms. The house was built mostly on weekends and was timber-frame and fibro with a lounge-room, kitchen/dining, two bedrooms and enclosed back veranda and bathroom. The luxury touch was achieved by lead lighting in the two street-facing windows. The house was finished in 1953 and by then the first child had arrived. 186 St Brigid's Terrace was added to several times over the years to accommodate the growing family of three children. Shops and commercial enterprises, a library and various community entertainment facilities and a school were built around it as this pocket of Scarborough grew into a vibrant and valued community. Josephine and Noel lived there for over 25 years before deciding to downsize and the house still lives on today. This photo is a collage of the life of 186 St Brigid's Terrace Scarborough taken in 1951,1954 and 1962.