Prahran: The history, shopping hot spots and famous faces of postcode 3181
It’s got two of Melbourne’s busiest shopping and cafe strips, the city’s oldest market and has had two old theatres burn down. Take a look at the history and landmarks of Prahran.
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It is widely regarded as a bustling hotspot just outside of the CBD, but Prahran’s history has a throwback to some slightly more peaceful roots.
Historians believe the suburb’s name evolved from the indigenous word ‘purran’, meaning “almost surrounded by water”, and reflected its location near the Yarra River and Albert Park Lake.
It was originally a collection of blocks designed for farming, but land buyers instead focused on housing construction and other residential needs.
Today, it has an eclectic mix of vintage terrace houses and flash multistorey apartment buildings.
Prahran has a number of longstanding landmarks including its market on Commercial Rd, which is Melbourne’s oldest and has been open for more than 150 years.
The historic Prahran Town Hall is another well known heritage building and home to the suburb’s library, with a major redevelopment planned in the coming years.
Two of Melbourne’s most popular shopping and cafe strips – Chapel St and Greville St – fall within the suburb.
‘Chaps’ is also known for its party spots including infamous club Revolver, while Greville St has many boutiques and was once a hub for Melbourne’s hippie community.
Prahran had a population of just under 13,000 at the 2016 census and is experiencing an ongoing increase in high-density living, despite the suburb only stretching 2.1sq km.
But there are a number of large parks packed in for residents to enjoy including Grattan Gardens, Orrong Romanis Park and Victoria Gardens, while Princes Gardens, opposite the Horace Petty housing estate, boasts a basketball court and a skate park.
The contentious $70 million Prahran Square is the most recent addition, built on the site of a former carpark in Cato St.
It opened in late 2019 and ended up costing Stonnington Council almost $30 million more than originally planned.
The Chapel Off Chapel theatre has long been a hub for arts and local entertainment, and some of the world’s biggest bands played there for the Live At The Chapel television series in the late 1990s and 2000s.
But while Chapel is still standing, other old Prahran theatres haven’t been so lucky, with the Lyric Theatre burning down in the 1940s and The Empress suffering the same fate in 1971.
Among Prahran’s notable residents are television presenters Daryl Somers and Rebecca Maddern, former AC/DC bass player Mark Evans and comedian Sammy J.
Athletics legend Raelene Boyle once had a job as a gardener with the old Prahran Council, while AFL commentator Brian Taylor coached Prahran’s VFA team in the 1990s before his broadcasting career began.
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