F.A.Qs.
What is the Stonnington History Centre, and what resources does it hold?
The Centre is part of Stonnington Library and Information Service and holds a substantial collection of essentially paper-based and digital records relating to the history of the municipality of Stonnington and its predecessors, Prahran and Malvern. The Prahran and Malvern historical societies have both played critical roles in the preservation of much of this material, which includes books, photographs, ephemera, documents, building plans, maps, subdivision plans, newspapers and general local history information. Full details are on our local history catalogue.
When can I visit the Stonnington History Centre?
The Centre is open by appointment Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4.45 pm.
Phone 8290 1360 or email history@stonnington.vic.gov.au to make an appointment.
How can find out when my house was built?
First check the Local History Catalogue to see if this research happens to have already been done for your house. If not, check the general guidelines available.
You may need to check the rate books. The rate books for the former City of Prahran are on microfilm at Toorak/South Yarra Library; Malvern rate books are on microfiche at Malvern Library. Notes are available at both locations on how to use the rate books.
What sort of information will the rate books provide?
Rate books will show you for each year the name and occupation of the owner and of the 'head' of the household living there, a rudimentary description of the building (e.g. "Brick 5 rooms"), and the amount of rates paid. Sometimes the dimensions of the land are shown, and perhaps also the name of the house.
I don't like to read microfilm - can someone do the research for me?
Yes, but we are obliged to charge $36 per hour for the time taken. Checking rate books takes time as they are not fully indexed. It can take two hours or more to carefully trace house details and write up the results.
Did my house have a name?
If your house was built before about 1920, the best source to check is the Sands & McDougall postal directories, which are available on microfiche at most major public libraries. In general, rate books are less likely to show house names.
Do you have a photo of my house?
Possibly. Check the Local History Catalogue (select Advanced Search option) by address and by name. You could also look for a photo of your street which may happen to include your house. Enter your street name in the 'name' field, the word 'photos' in the 'format' field, and the word 'streetscapes' in the 'subjects' field. Not all photographs have been catalogued - especially the more recent ones. If your search is unsucessful, contact the Stonnington History Centre to see if they hold uncatalogued material relevant to your search.
Do you have the building plans for my house, as submitted to Council?
Building plans for the former City of Malvern for the years 1917-1975 are held by the Centre. Enquiries should be directed to Council's Building Department (phone 8290 3218). Fees will apply for the search and copying of building plans.
Unfortunately, building plans for the former City of Prahran have not been retained.
Have the names of some streets been changed?
Yes - there are numerous cases of street name changes listed on our web page.
How can I find out where and when my ancestors lived in Melbourne?
The best starting point for this is the series of Sands & McDougall postal directories, published from 1862-1974, and widely available at public libraries on microfiche. The back section of the directories list people alphabetically, showing address. Although not as accurate as rate books, the latter cannot initially be used to locate people, as they are set out by address rather than by surname. Once the address is determined, however, rate books can be used as a more reliable source to trace the movements of your ancestors.
I've just moved into the area. What is the best way to start to learn about the history of my suburb?
There are many books now available on the history of Prahran, Malvern and Stonnington. An excellent introduction to the main themes in Stonnington's past is provided by Stonnington Thematic Environmental History (2006). This is also available as an interactive cd.
A series of more than six dozen heritage markers have been placed around the city to highlight some of the important themes, places and people that shaped our city. These have been reproduced in a booklet called A place in history, available at local libraries. A map showing the locations of the markers is available on request.
Forthcoming events such as history walks are advertised on the websites of the two local historical societies: the Malvern Historical Society and the Prahran Historical Society.
How can I find out about the Aboriginal history of the area?
A substantial indigenous history of Stonnington is available for download from our website.
What do the names Prahran, Malvern and Stonnington mean?
The origins of the names of the three municipalities is explained elsewhere on this site.
I think my grandfather was a local Councillor. How can I check this?
The three links here will take you to complete lists of councillors for Prahran, Malvern and Stonnington respectively.
What local newspapers are available?
An extensive list of local newspapers may be found on our website. Most papers have been microfilmed, and are available for reading at Toorak/South Yarra Library.
What local electoral rolls do you have?
Unfortunately, relatively few municipal electoral rolls have survived, and these are listed on the Local History Catalogue (select Advanced Search option) by searching for 'electoral rolls' in the 'subjects' field.
Are there any local historical societies in Stonnington?
There are two historical societies in the City of Stonnington: Malvern Historical Society and Prahran Historical & Arts Society .
The Prahran Mechanics' Institute is an independent library based at 140 High Street, Windsor (adjacent to Swinburne University). It specialises in Victorian local history publications.