History
About Stonnington - A City is Formed
On 22 June 1994, the City of Malvern and the City of Prahran were amalgamated to form the City of Stonnington with the boundaries of the municipality being the Yarra River, Gardiners Creek, Warrigal Road, Dandenong Road, Queens Way and Punt Road. The first election for the City of Stonnington was held on 16 March 1996 followed by the first meeting of the Council on 19 March 1996 at the Stonnington City Centre.The name Stonnington was taken from the mansion Stonington (Glenferrie Road, Malvern) erected in 1890 as a private residence for John Wagner, a partner in Cobb & Co. During the period that the mansion was the Vice-Regal residence for seven Governors of Victoria, the spelling of the name was changed to Stonnington. The residence has now reverted to the original spelling.
The City of Stonnington logo features two interlocking celebratory ribbons representing the coming together of the two former Cities of Malvern and Prahran. The intricate circular border represents the community and the blue, burgundy and fawn colours reflect the established historical nature of the area.
Prahran is derived from the Aboriginal name for the area. According to George Langhorne, a missionary to local Aborigines in 1837, Pur-ra-ran is a compound of two words meaning 'land partially surrounded by water'. Surveyor General Robert Hoddle adopted the name Prahran for official use.On 17 May 1854, the Prahran Road District was proclaimed with the boundaries of the municipality being Yarra River, Kooyong Road, Dandenong Road, Wellington Street and Punt Road. On 24 April 1855 Prahran was declared a Municipality. The first elections for the Prahran Road Board were held on 22 February 1856 followed by the first meeting on 25 February 1856 at the Prahran Mechanics Institute. The Municipality became a Borough on 1 October 1863, a Town on 13 May 1870 and a City on 27 May 1879. The final meeting of Prahran Council was held on 20 June 1994 at the Prahran Town Hall.
The City of Prahran coat-of-arms includes the Royal Coat-of-Arms surmounted by a crown and bearing a scroll with the motto 'Spectemur Agendo' meaning 'Let us be seen by our deeds.'
Malvern was originally named Gardiner after John Gardiner, one of the first overlanders from the Murrumbidgee River to Port Phillip in 1835. The first recorded use of the name Malvern was in January 1854 when barrister Charles B.G. Skinner named his new hotel on the corner of Malvern Road and Glenferrie Road the Malvern Hill after the district in England where his forebears had lived.On 6 October 1856, the Gardiner Road District was proclaimed with the boundaries of the municipality being Gardiners Creek, Warrigal Road, Dandenong Road and Kooyong Road. The first elections and meeting of the Gardiner Road Board were held on 8 November 1856 at the Wattle Tree Hotel. The Municipality became a Shire on 26 May 1871, was renamed Malvern on 15 February 1878, became a Borough on 22 February 1901, a Town on 24 April 1901 and a City on 30 May 1911. The final meeting of Malvern Council was held on 8 May 1994 at the Malvern Town Hall.
The City of Malvern coat-of-arms includes the Royal Coat-of-Arms surmounted atop two shields, one with a hand-plough and the other with a shear sheaf. Between the two shields is a hanging figure of a sheep.