Description

After World War I, Melbourne faced a housing shortage—and flats were seen as a solution to the problem. By the mid-1930s almost as many flats as houses were being built across the city, and many of these were in St Kilda. By 1947, St Kilda contained 5,500 flats, a quarter of all flats in Melbourne.

What's On

Come tour the area surrounding the St Kilda Botanical Gardens—a microcosm of flat development from the early 1900s to the 1960s.

This tour will examine why St Kilda became such a popular location for flats, and how they changed the architectural and social character of the suburb and have become an integral part of the distinctive identity of St Kilda today. A specific focus will be the important influence of European migrants on flat development in Melbourne.

In Collaboration With:

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  David Helms

  David Helms is a cultural heritage planner with over 25 years’ experience in the identification, assessment, protection and management of heritage places. He is a heritage advisor to several metropolitan and rural municipalities including the City of Port Phillip and manages his own heritage consultancy practice. Since 2022, he has been the Alternate Urban & Regional Planning Member of the Heritage Council of Victoria.