Aviaries - Early Westgarth

During the 1850a an aviary was established near the old Toll House on the south west corner of High Street and Westgarth Street. The aviary including ducks, drakes, ravens, eagles and sparrows. By 1889 the aviary was in a very poor state of repair, being described as 'ramshackle'. Therefore the Northcote Leader was amazed and not particularly amused when the building was not knocked down but instead moved.  

The location chosen was directly opposite the Croxton Park Hotel in an area described by the paper as a 'rising locality'.

Northcote Leader (Melbourne), Newspaper, Northcote 1882 –
Northcote Leader, 15 June 1889