Item MM 110536 Digital Photograph - View of House Footings, Reinforced with Steel, House Building Site, Greensborough, circa 1958

Description of Content

A view of footings for a house, a long trench dug in the ground. A man is standing over the trench in the background. This photograph shows a view of the footings for the building site of Brian and Vera Watson's house in Greensborough, circa 1958. Brian remembers: 'These days you build a house like this on a slab, but in those days you had to dig trenches and build footings, pouring the concrete in over-lapping steps. These were reinforced with steel.' This is part of a series of 18 images contributed by Brian and Vera Watson, showing the construction of their house in about 1958 - 1959 in Greensborough. Brian and Vera worked on the site with friends and family on the weekends, during their engagement. There was a shortage of materials such as bricks, and of labour. Brian was lucky to have a friend who was a builder, Albie Birrell, who gave him advice and help. Vera and Brian would bring a camera and take photographs at each significant stage.