Rokeby Apricot Orchards

My grandparents started a family around 100 years ago in Beach Street, Bellerive. They had 13 children and most grew up on the eastern shore and naturally there is still a strong presence in the area. I grew up in a federation house in Mildura Street which still stands. I have lived in Rokeby for the past 27 years and Clarendon Vale for 16 years prior to that.

One of my uncles operated a cartage contracting business which was in Percy Street, Bellerive. My father and other uncles would drive trucks for the uncle on weekends delivering roadmaking material to Rokeby in the 1960's. I would often jump in with my father and recall the Rokeby area was mostly covered in apricot orchards at the time. There may have been other fruit trees there as well. It is a far cry from today with the whole area being developed rapidly with housing on every available land area.

I would like to see the whole area including Rokeby, Clarendon Vale, Howrah Gardens, Oakdowns and Glebe Hill renamed Clarence Plains. It would remove some of the stigma attached to the housing suburb areas and it has a nice feel to it.

Robert Millhouse