The 2026 AFL Finals season is great time to reflect on a beautiful terrace which once housed a St Kilda captain.
Joe was born in St Kilda in November 1875, one of several sons of the Irish-born merchant James Hogan and his wife Mary Thompson. James Hogan initially tried his luck on the goldfields before establishing a successful wine & spirit business – Hogan & Mooney Co - in Elizabeth Street Melbourne.
The Hogan family moved to Waterloo Street St Kilda in 1870, living there until about 1882 before moving to ‘Findine’, one of three houses comprising the grand Hogan’s Terrace at 18-22 Fitzroy Street, so named as it was built for James Hogan in 1881-82. The terrace might have been designed by Dublin-trained architect John Flannagan - when Hogan had the terrace houses remodelled in 1908, he engaged architect Leonard Flannagan, son of the late John. (18 and 20 Fitzroy Street remain; number 22 was demolished in the 1970s).
Joe Hogan spent his formative years in the beautiful Findine. He was educated at Christian Brothers College St Kilda, and later the University of Melbourne where he gained Masters degrees in both Arts and Law, winning the Supreme Court Prize along the way.
Joe, a centre half forward, joined St Kilda Football team in 1895 when they were part of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) and he remained a part of the team until he retired from football in 1906, having played 125 matches for St Kilda in both the VFA and the Victorian Football League (VFL), despite his football career being frequently interrupted by the demands of his flourishing legal practice. He established the firm Hogan & Hogan with his brother James T Hogan in 1899. While his legal career was brilliant, his footy career not so much. When he was appointed captain in 1902, the club lost all 17 matches although the team did better the following year.
Joe Hogan died at Findine in 1943 aged 68. The three terraces, which occupied the entire Fitzroy-Park Lane-West Beach Rd-Park Street block, were sold in 1944.
Joe had fond memories of his time with St Kilda Football Club and treasured the team photo of the 1906 team for the rest of his days.