| South Yarra Melbourne, Victoria |
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 Chapel Street in South Yarra |
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| Population: | 17,992 (2006)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Established: | 1850s | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 3141 | ||||||||||||
| Area: | 5 km² (1.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Property Value: | AUD $1,720,000 [2] | ||||||||||||
| Location: | 4 km (2 mi) from Melbourne CBD | ||||||||||||
| LGA: | City of Stonnington | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Prahran | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Higgins, Melbourne Ports | ||||||||||||
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South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, South Yarra had a population of 17,992.
The area east of Punt Road is in the Local Government Area of the City of Stonnington and the area to the west is in the City of Melbourne.
The main shopping region of South Yarra runs along Toorak Road and Chapel Street. Trade along these two arteries are focused on trendy shopping, restaurants, nightclubs and cafe culture. The area of South Yarra centred along Commercial Road is one of Melbourne's gay villages.
South Yarra is also home to some of Melbourne's most prestigious residential addresses. Residential land price records (per square metre) have been set by properties in Domain Road, Walsh Street and Fairlie Court.
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History
South Yarra was originally inhabited by the Wurundjeri tribe of the Kulin aboriginal nation.
The area was settled by European settlers in the 1830s around the time of the establishment of Melbourne. During the 1840s it became popular with wealthy citizens of Melbourne as a suburban retreat from the town. Several large houses were built and, together with neighbouring Toorak, it maintained its upper-class reputation into the post-Second World War period. South Yarra Post Office was open briefly in 1854, then reopened on 21 June 1858.[3]
During the 1920s and 1930s many of the large gardens of the older mansions were subdivided and blocks of flats became a feature of the area.[4] From the 1930s the area around Park Street, where large numbers of flats had been built, became a popular neighbourhood for middle-class homosexuals; at that time an illegal subculture in the state of Victoria.
The building of apartment buildings, particularly around South Yarra railway station continued into the 1960s and 1970s and today South Yarra is one of the most densely populated suburbs in Melbourne.
On October 12, 1988, police officers Steven Tynan and Damian Eyre were murdered in Walsh Street, South Yarra .
On July 8 2002 the Salt nightclub in Daly Street was the site of a dispute which resulted in the murder of three men. On September 19 2005 seven men were found guilty of murder in the Supreme Court of Victoria. The nightclub was particularly notorious for criminal activity and was finally shut down.
Local Landmarks
South Yarra has several local attractions. Perhaps the best known is Chapel Street. The South Yarra section of the famous street is the most fashionable and upmarket end. A major landmark is the The Jam Factory, old factories converted into upmarket shopping centre and cinemas. The Como Centre is a large shopping centre on the corner of Toorak and Chapel Streets which combines with an office building, South Yarra's tallest, which houses the headquarters for ATV-10 and Global Television's TV production facilities.[5]. Among the TV programs produced here is Deal or No Deal.
The Prahran Market, located in South Yarra, is one of Melbourne's most popular and historic fresh produce markets.
Toorak Road runs off Chapel Street and although not known as well as Toorak Village, is a popular strip that contains a wide range of shops.
There are also several heritage registered buildings in South Yarra including the Melbourne High School (1928), the former railway station building (1874) and post office (1893).
 Jam Factory shopping centre, Chapel Street |
 Prahran Market 1891 heritage facade |
 Chapel Street, part of the South Yarra section looking south towards Prahran |
 Parts of Commercial Road feature 1930s mock-tudor facades |
 The Como Centre |
Places of Worship
Melbourne Synagogue, which was built in 1929 to the design of Nahum Barnet feature a giant order portico and a great copper dome. Christ Church is an historic Anglican church located on the corner of Toorak and Punt Roads. It's tall spire is a landmark. There are several smaller churches secluded in the back streets of South Yarra.
 Melbourne Synagogue |
Residential architecture
Several large mansions exist in South Yarra. Heritage registered houses include Como House (1847) [6] one of Melbourne's earliest mansions on its large estate managed by the National Trust, Richmond House (1859), Barwon (1881) and Airlie. Many others have been lovingly restored or operate as guest houses. Wavendon in Walsh Street as well as Raveloe and Homerton House in Domain Road are also notable. Domain Road was the chosen sight for several significant mansions. Fairbairn and the next door property, Poolman House,on the Punt Road corner, are among the largest mansions in South Yarra. Poolman House (1865) was owned by the Poolman family from 1921, who donated it to the Church of England in 1956. The property, complete with ballroom, swimming pool and tennis court, was bought from the Church and restored in 1988 by international interior designer Mr John Coote as a family home. Poolman House was bought by Mr and Mrs John Matthies in 2000 who currently reside there. Snainton in Clowes Street, South Yarra, is a notable example of Federation architecture.
The area also has some notable clusters of terrace house. Park Street features rows of Melbourne's best preserved, richly decorated and highly sought after Victorian terrace houses, some as high as three and four storeys. Domain Road, Toorak Road West (overlooking Fawkner Park) as well as Darling and Caroline Street are also known for their double storey terraces.
A notable area is Alexandra Parade along the Yarra, and in particular the small court known as Lawson Grove. This area was subject to renewal in the 1920s and 1930s as a kind of medium density village enclave development. As a result, a large number of large apartment buildings were built in a similar Californian influenced art deco style overlooking the river and the area even has its own convenience store in Lawson Grove.
 Park street terraces |
 Homerton House. A Federation freestyle mansion in Domain Street |
 Edwardian style terraces in Park Street. |
 A row of three storey terrace houses in Park Street. Notable for downstairs basement levels and faceted bay windows. |
 House. Anderson Street. |
 Goodrest. Cnr Leopold and Domain Roads |
 Surrey terrace on Surrey Road in Hawksburn. The "royal white" painted terraces are more common the closer you get to Toorak. |
 Art deco apartments typical of the 1930s Lawson Grove complex |
Public space
South Yarra's parks and gardens include part of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Fawkner Park (large park bordered by offices on St Kilda Road, private residences off Punt Road, Commercial Road and Toorak Road featuring recreational facilities and grand avenues of trees) and smaller gardens such as the former Greville Botanic Gardens, Como Gardens and the public housing open space.
 Royal Botanic Gardens. |
 Fawkner Park |
Transport
South Yarra has two railway stations: 1) South Yarra railway station, on the Pakenham, Cranbourne, Frankston and Sandringham lines. It is the junction for the Sandringham line. 2) Hawksburn station, on the Pakenham line, serves the eastern part of the suburb.
Tram routes 8, 72, 78 and 79 also run through South Yarra.
Major bus routes run along Commercial Road and Punt Road.
Education
Melbourne High School is located in South Yarra, and the 1930s gothic main building is a local landmark. Melbourne Girls Grammar School is also located in South Yarra opposite the Royal Botanical Gardens.
 Melbourne High School building on Forrest Hill, South Yarra. |
 Melbourne Grammar School (Founded in 1858) in Domain Rd. South Yarra |
Liveability
A 2005 report called Liveable Melbourne that was commissioned by The Age and conducted by Tract Consultants and ACIL Tasman, ranked Melbourne suburbs and assigned them scores on fourteen characteristics such as crime, CBD proximity, and traffic congestion. The report found that of all Melbourne suburbs, South Yarra was the most liveable due to good proximity to the CBD, schools, cafes, and restaurants; access to trains, trams, and buses; and abundance of open spaces and trees.[7] On the downside, the same study also found that South Yarra had a very high crime rate.[8]
Localities in South Yarra
Hawksburn is a locality in the eastern part of South Yarra bordering Toorak. It is probably best known for its railway station and nearby "Hawksburn Village", a small strip shopping centre on Malvern Road. Many of South Yarra's finest old homes and terraces are situated close to Cromwell Crescent and railway station in the Hawksburn area. The Hawksburn area is a fashionable address, as it is associated with neighbouring Toorak and therefore is home to many Toorak aspirants. Hawksburn Post Office opened in 1890.[3]
The "Domain Precinct" is another notable and prestigious area. Bordered by Anderson St, Domain Rd, Walsh St and Alexandra Ave, the Domain Precinct has recorded some of Victoria's highest land values on a square meter basis. Driven by proximity to the Botanical Gardens, Melbourne's elite private schools and boutique shopping, this area is graced with both large mansions and high-end apartments. Exclusive streets include Walsh St, Fairlie Ct and St Leonards Ct.
Sport
The suburb has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Southern Football League.[9]
Notable citizens
- Claire Adams, Hollywood silent film actress had her townhouse in Domain Road during 40s, 50s & 60s
- Dennis Allen - reported to be a major drug dealer in the South Yarra area during the 1980s.
- Joseph Anderson (Commandant) - soldier, penal administrator and politician who was a resident of South Yarra in the 1850s.
- Graham Berry - colonial politician, and 11th Premier of Victoria was a general storekeeper in South Yarra in the 1850s.
- Sir Robert Blackwood - the first Chancellor of Monash University was born in South Yarra in 1906.
- Thomas Brentnall - accountant and musician lived at Newnham, Caroline Street, in South Yarra from 1880.
- Mabel Brookes - community worker and activist, who was president of the Queen Victoria Hospital from 1923-1970, lived in South Yarra with her tennis playing husband Norman Brookes.
- Norman Brookes - Australian tennis champion who died in South Yarra in 1968.
- Joseph Brown - artist and art collector lived in one of Melbourne's greatest mansions in Caroline Street, South Yarra.
- Rupert Bunny - Australian painter who lived much of his life in France but returned and settled in South Yarra in the 1930s.
- Len Darling - Australian cricketer who was born in South Yarra in 1909.
- Alfred Deakin - second Prime Minister of Australia lived at "Llanarth", in Walsh Street, South Yarra from 1887.
- James Alan George Housden - Vicar of Christ Church, South Yarra from 1946 to 1947.
- Major General Herbert Lloyd - Australian soldier was born in South Yarra in 1883.
- Sir Keith Murdoch - resided in Walsh Street South Yarra for many years.
- Vernon Ransford - Australian Test cricketer was born in South Yarra in 1885.
- Lieutenant General Sir Stanley Savige - Australian Army soldier who played a key role in the establishment of Legacy Australia, lived in South Yarra from 1907.
- Gerard Kennedy Tucker - founder of the Brotherhood of St Laurence was born in South Yarra in 1885.
See also
- City of Prahran - the former local government area of which South Yarra was a part.
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "South Yarra (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC21625&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
- ^ [1] accessed 4 December 2009
- ^ a b Premier Postal History, Post Office List, https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country=, retrieved 2008-04-11
- ^ "Local Hero:History of South Yarra". http://localhero.biz/article/permatitle/history_of_south_yarra,_victoria/.
- ^ [Global Television]Global Television Homepage
- ^ Como House
- ^ Suburban Dreaming, The Age, 20 August 2005.
- ^ Crime – Law and a New Order, The Age, 23 August 2005.
- ^ Full Point Footy, Southern Football League, http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/southern_football_league.htm, retrieved 2008-10-21
External links
- South Yarra, Victoria is at coordinates 37°50′24″S 144°59′20″E / 37.840°S 144.989°ECoordinates: 37°50′24″S 144°59′20″E / 37.840°S 144.989°E
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