U3A Benalla and District Inc.
  • Home
  • Benalla
    • Benalla
    • Benalla District
    • Who, What and Where? - Benalla Rural City
  • About
    • Our U3A
    • President's Page
    • Executive Committee
    • Policies
    • Convenors >
      • Convenors
      • Convenors A - Z 2025
    • Program Ideas
    • Newsletter
    • Website
  • Groups
    • Groups A - Z
    • Recent Groups >
      • Armchair History
      • Chess
      • Cooking Solo
      • Demystifying Psychology Course
      • Enjoying the Internet (S2)
      • Family Research Drop In
      • Lifeball >
        • Home
        • Lifeball Videos
      • Sky's the Limit
    • Archived Groups >
      • A - M >
        • A Different View Of German History
        • Armchair History (British)
        • Armchair Traveller
        • Booker Reading Group
        • Bushwalking - Mid-week Walks
        • Comparative Religion
        • Facebook for Mentors
        • Family Research - Advanced
        • German - Beginners
        • Google Apps/TS Plus
        • History - An Introduction to Western Civilization
        • History - Moments in Australian History
        • Hot Topics/The News - Fact or Fiction?
        • 'In the Lap of the Gods'
        • Investment I (1996 -2015)
        • Jane Austen Book Club
        • Legal Matters (Short Course)
        • Meditation
        • Making the Most of the Internet
      • O - Z >
        • On Target - Learning to Shop Online
        • Opera
        • 'Over There'
        • Rail and Tourism
        • Russian Literature
        • Tech Savvy Apple - 'Pages'
        • Tech Savvy Apple Devices - Intermediate
        • Tech Savvy Community Projects
        • Travel Group
        • Wise Guys Book Group
        • Zoom Short Course
  • A-Ch
    • A-Ch
    • 'A Taste of Art'
    • American History
    • Art Appreciation
    • 'As Time Goes By'
    • Australian Shares and Stock Market
    • Be Connected - Android
    • Be Connected - Tech Advice
    • Birdwatching
    • Brain Games
    • Bushwalking - Easy Walks
    • Car Torque
    • Cards '500'
    • Chat n' Chew
  • Co-E
    • Ch - E
    • Coin Collectors
    • Collectors
    • Colour Mixing and Watercolour Techniques - Botanical
    • Come and Learn Croquet
    • Community Singing
    • Creative Writing
    • Demystifying Psychology - Discussion Group
    • Demystifying Psychology - Perception
    • Exercises for Fun
    • Exploring the Universe
    • Exploring Writing Children's Books
  • F-Pa
    • F- Pa
    • Family Research
    • Film Discussion
    • French at the Table
    • Garden Appreciation
    • Garden Team
    • German >
      • German Home
      • Lessons
    • Let's Talk Books
    • Mahjong
    • Meet and Mingle
    • Music Appreciation
    • Page Turners
    • Patchwork and Craft
  • Ph-W
    • Ph -W
    • Photography
    • Play Reading
    • Politics & Current Affairs
    • Recorder
    • Singing for Fun
    • Spanish
    • Stock and Land
    • Sustainability
    • Tech Talks
    • Train Buffs
    • Ukes4Fun
    • Wine Appreciation
  • Join
    • Join Us
    • Membership Application/Renewal Form
    • Program Guide
    • Timetable with Dates
    • Venues and Maps
  • News
    • News Update
    • June Newsletter
    • 'What's On' Calendar 2025
    • Monthly Calendar
    • Website & Facebook
  • FB
  • Gallery
  • Links
    • Resources and References
    • U3A Network Victoria
    • Seniors Online Victoria
    • U3A Albury Wodonga
    • U3A Beechworth (Indigo U3A)
    • U3A Bright
    • U3A Goulburn Valley
    • U3A Murrundindee East
    • U3A Wangaratta
  • Contact

'Friends and Neighbours'

16/4/2023

0 Comments

 
The Peter Lalor Housing Cooperative

This story originates from the family history that I wrote in 2020. Lalor was my first known ‘community’ for eight years, until my parents moved to Wollert in 1956. I do remember many of the residents, and events where families would share meals in their homes, and also the functions that were held in a Nissan Hut, on the land near the railway station. Many special events were held there, such as birthdays, Christmas and other community get-togethers, with almost all of the community attending.  I do have vivid memories of the tables groaning under the weight of the food that everybody had made especially for the event. I also have vivid memories of the masses of crayfish that were obtained by members of the community. I am not sure which family had the contacts, but there was always more than an ample supply of crayfish at every event.

My father (Allan Murray or ‘Bill’) and his eldest brother (Austin James or ‘Jim’) were experienced woodworkers and carpenters. After the war they became involved with a project involving returned servicemen who were tradesmen.  The group formed themselves into a co-operative, and with assistance from the Government and the local MP, they commenced a project to build each other’s homes.

The co-operative was the brain child of Frank Purcell. Frank Purcell was a member of the Australian Labour Party and planted the first ‘seeds’ for a special committee to assist with the rehabilitation of returned service personnel. The PLC evolved out of a number of years of ‘wheeling and dealing’, which Frank was known for. Whilst he did not hold an executive position in the PLC when it was formed, he remained the public relations advocate for the project. He took over the role of Chairman in 1947, when the current Chairman, Peter Russell, stepped down.

The project commenced in a paddock located on the eastern side of the railway line between Epping and Thomastown. Initially the streets were unmade, the water had been reticulated, but the electricity was not to come until 1952. The lack of electricity added a considerable amount of time to the completion of the early homes, as only hand tools could be used.

The name for the area was chosen by the men themselves. The new suburb was named after Peter Lalor of the Eureka Stockade, who later went on to become a parliamentarian. (Just a note on the pronunciation: The older and original residents always called it La(w)lor. The newbies call it La(y)lor).

An area of the suburb Lalor, near the railway line, was allocated for War Service Homes, within which returned servicemen and women could secure finance to build a home. My father, was the nominated builder on these homes, however the owners were to do as much of the work themselves using local specialist tradesmen, with Bill supervising the work.
 
In 1954 there was an issue with the finances of the Peter Lalor Co-op. Whilst Jim and Bill were the nominated builders on the project, they did not have any early involvement in the management or the finances of the organisation. At its peak at the end of 1947, the PLC employed 153 workers. They had a factory set up to make prefabricated walls, which were then transported to site. The plan was to build 1000 homes. The plan was not achieved due to the PLC being placed into voluntary administration in 1954.
 
The Administrators findings are some 30 pages of legal technicality. The bottom line was that the executive of the PLC accepted deposits for land and houses, did not keep an accurate record of the terms of the deposits, did not place the funds in trust, but used them as general revenue.  The exact number of houses that had been built by 1954 is unknown, but from records it appears that there were around 200 homes and a total of 388 rateable properties in Lalor at that time. The failure of the PLC was attributed to a number of additional causes. Some being the fact that early homes were sold for around £400 ($800 or 25%) under the construction cost; there were constant material shortages including cement, roof tiles and timber; decisions were being made on compassionate grounds rather than actual costs; and the obvious lack of support from Whittlesea Shire Council and other Government Departments.
 
The PLC did own some of the land, however the administrator sold it to Coolnong Estates Pty. Ltd. who quickly on-sold the land at an even bigger profit. A search of company records suggests that Coolnong Estates was a company of NSW based investors. It is most unusual for the administrator to have sold the land to people who profited, when many of the shareholders in the PLC actually lost money. It was reported that the PLC held deposits of £25 each for some 800 blocks, which had not yet been built on.
Picture
Home under construction in 1950 prior to electricity being installed in the suburb.
Bill O’Connor on the right, standing behind the stud wall.
​

​Barry O’Connor,
15th April 2023.
0 Comments
    'Our Stories'

    Barry's page

    Barry began sharing stories in 2016 and 2017, rejoining during the Covid 19 break in 2020.  An active class member, Barry is also writing stories as part of the Family Research class - https://u3abenalla.weebly.com/family-stories/category/barry-oconnor

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    '18 Vasey Avenue
    'A Childhood Memory'
    'Advice'
    'A Memoir Of Importance To Me'
    'An Item Of Clothing Which Symbolizes A Time In My Life'
    Car Stories!
    'Community'
    'COVID Five Years On'
    'COVID In The Country Benalla Update'
    'COVID In The Country - Benalla Update'
    'Crash'
    'Easter'
    'Friends And Neighbours'
    'Ideas Piggy Bank'
    'If Only I'd...'
    'I Met Her...'
    'I Quit!!'
    'It's Never Too Late'
    'I Was There ...'
    'Julia's Jacket'
    Lalor'
    'Learning From History'
    'Lest We Forget'
    'Lost And Found'
    'Making Waves'
    'My ... Almost Brilliant Career'
    My 'Best Steak' Holiday
    'My Other Life'
    'One Moment
    'Options'
    Peter Lalor Housing Cooperative
    'Precious Objects'
    'Rebellion'
    'Retirement
    'Retirement'
    'Right Here
    Right Now'
    'Shaped By Childhood'
    'Someone Who Shaped Me'
    'Steep (Remembering) Curve'
    'Stock And Land'
    'Summer'
    'Tennis'
    'The Book I Could Not Put Down...and Why'
    'The Sky Is The Limit'
    'The Telephone'
    'The Year That Challenged Me'
    'The Year That Made Me'
    'This (Confusing) Life'
    'This (Extraordinary) Life'
    'This (Flexible) Life'
    'This (Fortunate) Life'
    'This (...) Life'
    This Year'
    'Time Travelling'
    'Too Hard Basket'
    'Trees'
    'Trigger'
    'Tuesday 6th October 2020"
    'Two Moments This Year'
    'what Happened On Tour'

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    March 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    RSS Feed

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay our respects to their elders - past, present and emerging.
Picture
News
​Newsletter
Facebook Page
​
Program Suggestions
​CO-VID Safety

U3A Benalla & District Flier 2025
Membership Application/Renewal 
​
Semester 1 Program Guide 2025
Semester 1 Timetable with Dates 2025
Developed and maintained by members, this website showcases U3A Benalla 
​Photographs - U3A members; Benalla Art Gallery website; ​Weebly 'Free' images;Travel Victoria and State Library of Victoria