Charles Thomas Crispe

1852-1932

Charles Crispe was born in South Australia. His father was Dr. T. Crispe of Kent, England. Charles Crispe was apprenticed to a builder in South Australia before moving to Melbourne to run the Melbourne Saw Mill in Bourke Street, Melbourne. Later Crispe moved to Heidelberg, establishing a timber yard there. He served as a Councillor on the Fitzroy Council before moving to Preston in 1887. He was elected to the Preston Council in 1897, remaining there until 1930. 

During his 33-year term of office Crispe served as President of the Shire in 1900-01, 1902-03, 1912-13 and 1920-21. In 1921-22 he became the first Mayor of Preston. Crispe was one of the founding members of the Fitzroy, Northcote and Preston Tramway Trust as well as the Preston Bowling Club. Crispe was also nominated as a member of the Board of the Metropolitan Board of Works, representing Preston. Crispe’s son C. T. Crispe served in the A.I.F. during the First World War, winning the Military Cross. Crispe Park and Crispe Street in Reservoir are named after Crispe.

Carroll, Brian & Rule, Ian (1985). Preston: an Illustrated History. Preston: City of Preston.

Death index Victoria 1921-1985 : index to deaths in Victoria [CD-ROM]. (1998). Melbourne, Australia: Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Preston Historical Society (1968). Brief biographies of prominent Preston People. Preston, Vic: Author.