Local history publications

Discover more about your local area through the local history brochures in the Explore Stonnington series, available for download below. You can also find them at the Stonnington History Centre and Stonnington libraries.

• Central Park eBrochure
• Chadstone eBrochure
• Chapel Street North eBrochure
• Como eBrochure
• Hedgeley Dene eBrochure
• Malvern Gardens eBrochure
• Malvern Valley Golf Course eBrochure
• Northbrook eBrochure
• Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust eBrochure
• Prahran Market eBrochure
• Prahran Mechanics Institute eBrochure
• Prahran Town Hall eBrochure
• Princes Gardens eBrochure
• Stonington mansion eBrochure
• Stonnington City Centre eBrochure
• Toorak House eBrochure
• Toorak Village eBrochure
• Victoria Gardens eBrochure 

'Stonnington Thematic Environmental History' is a history of the local area from Indigenous times to the present day. The book and interactive CD are available for purchase and may also be viewed at Stonnington libraries. The eBook is available in sections below to download free of charge.

• Introduction and chapters 1 and 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapters 4 to 9 
• Chapters 10, 11, index and appendices 
• Addendum

• 'History of Malvern: from its first settlement to a city' John Butler Cooper's pioneering history of Malvern, published 1935. 
• 'Private and public memory: a history of the City of Malvern' by Lynne Strahan, published in 1989.
• 'The History of Malvern: A supplement 1988-1994' by Alleyn Best.
• 'A commemoration by the City of Stonnington of the 150th Anniversary of the first Meeting of the Gardiner Road Board (later Malvern Council)' a small booklet produced for a special event held at Malvern Town Hall in November 2006. 
• 'Melbourne's Most Fashionable Suburb: A history of Toorak, east of Kooyong Road, 1840-1998' by Di Foster (unpublished thesis, Monash University, 1999). A full copy may be viewed at the Stonnington History Centre or Monash University, or you can download individual chapters (text only) below:

• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Bibliography
• Appendix A

The following Prahran municipal history titles can be viewed on our catalogue:

• 'History of Prahran, from its first settlement to a City' by John Butler Cooper, published in 1912, revised in 1924. The first edition (1912) is available for viewing on an eReader.
• 'The History of Prahran Volume II, 1925-1990' by Sally Wilde (published 1993), a thorough history of Prahran from 1925. The supplement, (published 2000), is 'The History of Prahran: a supplement, 1990-1994'.
• 'A commemoration by the City of Stonnington of the 150th Anniversary of the first Meeting of the Prahran Council', a small booklet produced for a special event at Prahran Town Hall in February 2006.

• 'Walk into History 1': Six more great walks in Stonnington by Di Foster and Steve Stefanopoulos.
• 'Walk into History 2': Six more great walks in Stonnington by Di Foster and Steve Stefanopoulos.
• 'Walk into History 3': Six more great walks in Stonnington by Steve Stefanopoulos.
• 'Walk into History 4': Six more great walks in Stonnington by Di Foster and Steve Stefanopoulos.

'A place in history' is a guide to the heritage markers in the City of Stonnington, and includes a map showing the location of the markers up to 2003 (more markers have since been installed).

'Back When' is a children's book by Jane Nigro, featuring historical photos from the Stonnington History Centre.

Copies may be available from Stonnington libraries, the Stonnington History Centre or the PMI Victorian History Library.

• 'Amazing History, Amazing Stonnington' by Jane Nigro (children’s puzzle book).
• 'Back When' by Jane Nigro (children’s picture book).
• 'Chapel Street, Part I: 1834-1918' by Betty Malone.
• 'Chapel Street, Part II: 1919-1984' by Betty Malone.
• 'Greetings from Malvern' by Di Foster and Jane Nigro. All 38 photographs in this book can be viewed online on Flickr.
• 'The Literature of Malvern Victoria: A Bibliography' by Ian McLaren.
• 'Select your Partners' by Phil Leggett (a history of Leggett's ballroom).

The following publications may be available for purchase from Stonnington libraries and select bookshops, with some also available from the PMI Victorian History Library. Copies are also available for loan from Stonnington libraries.

• 'Discovering Prahran Areas 2-8' by Betty Malone. Area 1 is out of print. Area 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 ($5 each).
• 'The History of Prahran, 1836-1924' by J.B. Cooper ($10).
• 'The History of Prahran Volume II, 1925-1990' (includes supplement) by Sally Wilde ($10).
• 'Prahran and the Dismal Swamp: Uncovering the natural settlement and disease ecologies of a suburb' by Natasha Szuhan ($5).
• 'The Pride of Prahran: A history of the Prahran Library 1860-2010' by Stella M. Barber ($10).
• 'Private and Public Memory: A history of the City of Malvern' by Lynne Strahan, and The History of Malvern: A supplement 1988-1994 by Alleyn Best ($10).
• 'Stonnington Thematic Environmental History' by David Helms and the City of Stonnington (book, $20, CD $10).
• 'Suburbs at War: The Cities of Malvern and Prahran during the Great War' by Helen Doyle (2015). This richly illustrated history was commissioned by the City of Stonnington to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War. ($29.95).
• 'Walk into History 1-4': Six more great walks in Stonnington by Di Foster and Steve Stefanopoulos ($5).

• 'Across the slate: Prahran's schools, 1850s-1985' by Jane Chatham
• 'Bonds of care: Elizabeth Fry Retreat and its founders' by Betty Malone
• 'Church, community and change: religion in Prahran 1836-1984' by Jill McDougall
• 'Discovering Prahran Area 1' by Betty Malone
• 'Early Prahran, 1850-1863' by Betty Malone
• 'Pioneer and hardy survivor: the Prahran Mechanic's since 1854' by L. B. McCalman
• 'Policeman's paradise' by Peter Aldred, Charles Cox and Ralph Stavely
• 'Prahran's pubs, 1852 to 1988' by Betty Malone
• 'A record of Rose Street' by Marion Dadswell
• 'Talking stories: narratives by women' in Malvern by Lotte Waters
• 'Toorak as I knew it (1900-1930)' by James Paxton