Joachim Family - Chapel Street, Prahran, Melbourne, Australia

Joachim Family: Chapel Street, Prahran, Melbourne, Australia

Abraham Joachim arrived in Australia in 1861 on board the ship ‘Sandringham’ from London. Reyna Ottolangui arrived in Melbourne on the 18th November 1863 on board the ship ‘Fearnaught’ from London.
After Abraham Joachim married Reyna Ottolangui in 1868 they moved into a 2-story house at 75 Chapel Street, Windsor, two doors from the railway line. It was to be their family home for the duration of their lives and the birthplace of all their seven children. Abraham ran his business a ‘Pawn Brokers shop’ from the lower part of the dwelling while the family resided upstairs. There was a small back yard opening onto a right-of-way (Hanover Street).
From the 1870’s onwards as Prahran developed, Chapel Street was gradually transformed into a central business area. Chapel Street was now a constant hive of activity with people going about their daily business.
The well known ‘General Store’ eventually became obsolete, and more specialised shops – grocers, butchers, confectionary shops, bakeries, wine & spirit merchants, haberdashery, milliners, tailors and boot & shoe stores now proliferated to meet the needs of the districts increased population. The Prahran Market operated on the east side of Chapel Street until 1881 when it moved to Commercial Road.

Hotels were popular and at Windsor end of Chapel Street were the Prince Albert and the Albion. In the early days these were out of bounds to woman without male escorts.
Wine Café’s or bars offered light refreshments, summer drinks and wine for ladies, who, tired after shopping did not want to enter a hotel without their men folk. There was a Wine Bar near Paterson's Cake Shop in Chapel Street and one down the South Yarra end of Chapel Street.

For the most part, people were honest law abiding citizens, unfortunately Abraham did have a few incidents in the early 1870’s.

In March 1872, Abraham Joachim (Pawnbroker) was charged with illegally receiving articles from Phillip McLean's drunken wife, without her husband’s permission. Emily Dix was remanded to Williamstown on a charge of lunacy.
In April that same year, Abraham was robbed of a small number of items by a burglar entering his shop through the dwelling at the rear.

In May 1873 carpenters who were working on the shop next to Abraham Joachim’s in Chapel Street had their tools stolen, the young louts later went next door and pawned these to Abraham who was unaware of the incident until notified by the police!

In 1872 the Department of Education was introduced bringing free, compulsory and secular instruction. In 1875 the first State primary school, at Hawksburn, was opened. We have yet to discover where Abraham & Reyna Joachim’s children were educated, however we do know that they were all able to read & write, so we can speculate that they did attend school.

The Joachim children had a close family upbringing and later when they married and had children of their own, the family celebrated birthdays and special occasions with their wider family and cousins.

Abraham passed away on the 4th October 1897. Reyna continued to live over the shop but now sold China and Crockery downstairs. Reyna’s brothers were also China dealers. Jacob (John) Ottolangui – Bourke Street, Melbourne, David Ottolangui – Dunedin, New Zealand and Israel (Alfred) Ottolangui – Hokitika, New Zealand. Rayna imported much of her stock but also had a kiln out the back of the shop where she made pots. Reyna died on the 26th July 1911.

In 1896, Abraham and Reyna Joachim’s eldest son Joseph established an upholstery and furniture business at No 112 Chapel Street, where he sold new and old furniture, he also repaired furniture in a small room behind the shop. By 1910 he had moved the business to 169 High street, East and from 1920-1930 he operated the business from 10A Chapel Street.

In 1925 Joseph Joachim's sons Ernest and David Joachim opened a large Manchester and clothing warehouse in Flinders Lane. Six years later Ernest and Leslie (also son of Joseph) established the ‘Leslie Knitting Mills’ in Cato Street near Commercial Road. Their sister Ada and her husband Haim/Harry Yabletschnik/Apple ran the retail outlet in Chapel Street.
In 1949 Ernest and Leslie changed their name from Joachim to James. Ernest’s son Ron James carried on the business from his uncle Leslie until 1975.

The youngest daughter of Abraham and Reyna Joachim, Sarah (Sadie) Joachim married Joseph Cowen in 1908 at the Old Empire Hall. Their children Stella and Harold, were born at 57 Chapel Street where Joseph Cowen first practised as an Optometrist in 1910. The post-war boom of the 1920’s sent rents up and in 1923 the business moved to 103 Chapel Street . In 1928 Joseph set up a new premises at 217 Chapel street, in the Empress theatre building and in the 1930’s, he was joined by his son Harold Cowen. In 1971 Harold moved the business to 85A Chapel Street near Union Street.

Another family Optometrist business is that of Frank Morris who operated at the Windsor end of Chapel Street and is now in its 3rd generation of Morris practitioners. Abraham and Rayna Joachim’s son George’s daughter Rayna Joachim married Frank Morris’s son Geoffrey Morris in 1943.