Welcome
Welcome to the East Melbourne Historical Society.
East Melbourne is a tiny suburb adjoining the city of Melbourne bounded by Treasury and Fitzroy Gardens to the west, Victoria Parade to the north, Hoddle Street to the east and Yarra Park to the south, home of the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground. East Melbourne was included in Robert Hoddle's original 1837 plan for the city but the first private house was not built until 1853. The suburb today reflects a history of Victoria with its beautiful gardens, grand houses of the gold rush era and workmen's cottages. Cast iron lacework adorns the houses, bluestone cobbled lanes lead to old coach houses and brick dunnies. Artists, scientists, politicians, judges, educators, priests, explorers, entrepreneurs, courtesans, philanthropists and social activists lived here and many a tale is told of characters wild and exotic.
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Recent articles
James Sinclair and his Cottage
In the centre of the Fitzroy Gardens is a cottage almost invisible behind its overgrown garden but it is an interesting little house and worth a more careful look. It was designed in 1866 by Francis Maloney White as the gardener’s cottage. Its first occupant was James Sinclair and hence it is now known as Sinclair’s Cottage.
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- 455 reads
More than a Kindergarten
An interesting side-light on the changing demographic of Melbourne in the years after the second world war was the decision to relocate the existing City Free Kindergarten in Exhibition Street (on the corner of Little Lonsdale Street) to Powlett Reserve in East Melbourne.
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Jolimont and Repatriation
By 1917 it was apparent that repatriation services for returning service men and women were inadequate. Soldiers were arriving back in the country in large numbers, most of them damaged by illness or injury. Many of them would not be able to return to their pre-war occupations.
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- 920 reads
The Curious Mr Stanford: from East Melbourne to California
Thomas Welton Stanford arrived in Melbourne in 1860 to make money. He achieved this by quickly securing the sole licence to import Singer sewing machines. But it is not for his business success that he is primarily known.
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Pros and (Mod) Cons
In aid of the Red Cross and War Comforts Funds Melbourne City Council has transformed the Treasury Gardens into a Garden City with an extensive lighting scheme. It will be open on Monday at 1 p.m. for one month, with daily sessions from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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- 1779 reads
Forthcoming activities
Eastern Hill in East Melbourne – people, politics, profits and prophets
Our speaker will be Roger Smith, a local resident who is keenly interested in the City of Melbourne’s urban, transport and population planning issues and in how these are intertwined with protected heritage, support for environmentally sustainable development, the maintenance of just social practices and educating for sustainability.
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- 119 reads
Recent acquisitions
The Pavilion, Fitzroy Gardens
Souvenir postcard of the new kiosk in the Fitzroy Gardens built in 1964. It replacecd the old kiosk, built in 1907, which was considered dark and old-fashioned. It has now been remodelled to become the high-end Yiaga Restaurant.
- 245 reads
Victorian History Journal December 2025
Articles on aspects of Victoria's history
This issue focuses on Understanding Victoria. Themes discussed include the 50th Anniversary of the Victorian Heritage Register; colonisation; immigration.
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St Hilda's sold
An article reporting the sale of St Hilda's, 1 Clarendon Street, East Melbourne to Elizabeth Ring, ex-wife of Stephen Ring, a major shareholder in Swisse Vitamins before its sale. Price believed to be in excess of $22 million.
- 964 reads
St Hilda's for sale
An article reporting that the Police Association intends selling its building at 1 Clarendon Street, East Melbourne.
- 848 reads
Marlion House sold
Article reporting that the Krongold family has sold its offices at Marlion House, 33-41 Agnes Street, East Melbourne (Jolimont). The price is given at around $25 million. Originally the building was a warehouse belonging to Griffiths Bros, tea merchants, and was later used by the Herald and Weekly Times, it was converted to offices in 1988.
- 810 reads