next door neighbour. A Government road from east to west obtained the name of Johnston Street, after a yvell-known Alderman ; whilst the patriotic and persistent William Westgarth yvas nominally honoured by having his cognomen wedded to a street marked on the City Surveyor's plan as N e w Street.
The "Lost Square" of Fitzroy.
In the plan submitted, a portion of the (then) large tract of unoccupied country, desolate and swampish, between (now) Moor and Johnston Streets, was marked out for a public square. By what right or in what manner this yvas done has ever been an unelucidated mystery. N o one then appeared to own it, so the Corporation thought the public might as well have a slice of this " N o Man's Land," and it was, accordingly, handed over to the inhabitants of the new Ward. It was primarily intended to call it " Latrobe," in honour of the Superintendent; but Alderman Greeves proposed that it be styled " Queen Square," in honour of Her Majesty. This was agreed to, and Queen Square became a legally dedicated thoroughfare, though through some clerical error, or otherwise, in the official minutes of the Council, it was entered as "Latrobe" Square. Whether " Q u e e n " or "Latrobe" is n o w a matter of little consequence; but the most unaccountable feature of the business was that, though the Corporation duly took possession, and exercised all the rights of ownership for years, the Square yvas suffered to pass as completely out ofthe Corporate mind as though it never had an existence. N o one gave it a thought for more than a quarter of a century, until some few years ago an industrious fossicker in the abandoned diggings of antiquity, discovered the old Square and disinterred it. Such a singular disappearance of the only Square in Melbourne, in 1851, naturally excited public curiosity, and various were the questions asked concerning it— What became of it ? Where was it? A n d hoyv did the Melbourne Corporation, usually yvatchful after the City Parks and places of public recreation, let it slip through theirfingers? Mr. John M'Mahon, Mayor of Fitzroy for 1880-81, took the matter in hand to ascertain yvhat had really become of the Square ; and at his request Mr. E. G. Fitzgibbon (Town Clerk of Melbourne) furnished an explanatory statement on the subject. Like all the " Fitzgibbon " despatches, the document yvas both exhaustive and interesting. "Boiled down " is in effect thus :— "In the City Council on the 23rd May, 1851, it was moved by Alderman Greeves, seconded by Councillor Robinson, and carried : ' That the ground between the line of Napier Street and Brunsyvick Street, and the line of Hanover Street and St. David Street, be proclaimed an open Square for the use and recreation ofthe inhabitants of Collingwood;' and on the motion of Councillor Kerr, seconded by Councillor Hodgson, ' That the proposed Square be proclaimed as Latrobe Square.' This, as well as a number of the streets opened on the same day which the Council resolved should be ' opened and proclaimed,' was private property. T o enable the Corporation to give effect to its desire for such openings, yvhat was called the 'Fitzroy Ward Improvement Act' was passed in April, 1854, by yvhich the Council was empowered to purchase lands necessary for the opening of certain streets; and named and in the schedule (No. 2) is ' Latrobe Square, extending from Brunswick Street to Napier Street, and from St. David Street to Greeves Street.' T h e Legislature voted ,£50,000 in aid of the purchase, and authorised the levying of a special rate upon Prtzroy Ward, yvhich in the aggregate should not exceed a like sum. T h e powers of this Act were administered by a committee composed of the Alderman, and the three Councillors representing the Ward ; and they so arranged that the whole expenditure was made out of the Parliamentary grant, and no rate was levied on the Ward. " O n the 21st August, 1854, the committee approved of a plan of the streets to be opened, and amongst them Latrobe Square. This was officially signed by the Mayor and T o w n Clerk (30th August 1854.) O n the same day the T o w n Clerk reported to the committee that Latrobe Square had been enclosed and yvas used as a brickfield ; and instructions yvere given to yvarn parties that the ground yvas then a portion of a public street; and that unless they desisted, proceedings should be taken against them under the Towns Police Act. " O n the 27th September, 1854, a letter was read from Looker and Vaughan, brick-makers requesting to be allowed to dig clay on a portion of land in Latrobe Square, recently purchased by them from Mr. David Young. T h e request was not complied yvith,
