The 1870s was a period of rapid growth in Essendon. The pursuit of knowledge, community and friendship

He was John James Clark, better known simply as J J Clark: a very talented, budding architect who would eventually design the Essendon and Flemington Mechanics Institute, which was later transformed into the Essendon Town Hall.

A few years later, at the age of just 19, this young man designed Melbourne’s Treasury building, which is now one of the finest examples of Renaissance Revival architecture today. It was more than enough to find him employment in the colony. He had completed a drawing of the city of Liverpool the year before, which demonstrated his exceptional draftsmanship. Little did they know that their fortune would be with this bright, eager boy. They left behind their 14-year-old son who had secured work as a draughtsman in the colonial architect’s office. Among them was the Clark family who joined the long trek along Mt Alexander Road towards the goldfields in 1852. Thousands of hopeful prospectors poured into Melbourne after gold was found in Victoria in 1850.

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