Welcome to the City of Port Phillip

From art to green spaces to a breath of fresh air along St Kilda esplanade, you’ll find something for everyone in the City of Port Phillip over The Open House Melbourne Weekend!

Start Friday off at the Victorian Pride Centre, Australia’s first purpose-built hub for LGBTIQ+ communities. An architectural homage to both St Kilda and the people who make it, you can take a guided or self-guided tour through the gallery, rooftop and shared spaces. It’s open Saturday too. Afterwards, head down Fitzroy St to catch a gig in Victoria’s first live music precinct in St Kilda. If you pass the Espy, don’t miss the striking mural of Paul Kelly on the side.

On Saturday, join for a relaxed panel discussion at Armstrong Studios. Hear producers, engineers and hitmakers share the stories behind some of Australia’s most iconic acts from the last 50 years, such as John Franham, Little River Band and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Make your way over to the Australian Tapestry Workshop. Find out more about this heritage-listed building, and see how weavers create and collaborate to make beautiful works of textile art. Kids can also join a workshop and try their hand at basic weaving.

 

 

Nearby, the award-winning Piccolo House will be open to explore. This unique site combines original Victorian terraces with an off-form concrete structure and remarkable interiors. Afterwards, stop by Clarendon Street for a range of cafes and restaurants, or find more options for gifts, goodies and more at South Melbourne Market.

Less than 100 metres away you’ll find the Ferrars & York building and HV.Hotel by Hip V. Hype. Designed for the sustainably-minded, design-conscious traveller, the two-bedroom boutique apartment accommodation includes unique sustainability features.

Hop on a tram down to St Kilda and grab a view of the city and the bay at Edgewater Towers. Take a self-guided tour of the lobby to see the building’s original mid-century modern features, and speak to some of the residents before heading to the roof.

If you didn’t get the chance to explore the music scene yet, now’s your chance. You can also check out more of the St Kilda Foreshore. Grab a takeaway coffee and stroll along the new pier, call into one of the beachfront bars or take a break at Catani Gardens.

On Sunday, learn more about the gateways to Melbourne’s underground on the Portholes to the Underground walking tour. Join a Port Phillip Guided walks team member to find out more about the city’s underground infrastructure via these mysterious iron covers.

Explore Gasworks Art Park, originally built as a gas plant in 1872 and now home to theatres, workshops and galleries. Afterwards, head to Port Melbourne’s Bay Street for cafes, bars and specialty shops.

Take the chance to see inside some of the flats at Marli Place, currently considered Melbourne’s fourth-oldest surviving terrace. Continue to non-profit gallery Linden New Art, before popping in to Monarch Cakes, which has been in business since 1934. Tip: the Polish cheesecake is always very popular!

Don’t miss the first public opportunity to see inside the Port Phillip EcoCentre inside St. Kilda Botanical Gardens.

There’s plenty to see and do in the City of Port Phillip over The Open House Melbourne Weekend. If you’re after more, stay in the loop at the Port Phillip What’s On page.

Port Phillip Program

Old factory building, Crofts Stores, painted in Green with a new facade on the ground floor painted an orange red with Armstrongs and a flower like logo. Black and white photo of an Edwardian cottage with the number 100 painted on the front, owner Bill Armstrong stands in the doorway. He has short dark hair, glasses, short sleeved white shirt and a tie. Publicity of photo of Jane Gazzo, she is leaning against a grey wall. Whas long dark hair pulled off her face and hanging over her shoulders, a high forehead, khol lined eyes, red lipstick and large silver hoop earrings wearing a black fitted long sleeved top with the shoulders cut out of it. JMC Logo in a dark teal blue on white background.
Talk/Presentation
Armstrong Studios: Melbourne's Abbey Road

Saturday 26 July

Image 1 A photograph of a six storey building with a concrete white facade and cut out windows with light shining through. On the left hand side the heritage listed building can be seen
Open Access, Building Tour, Talk/Presentation
Australian & New Zealand College of Anaesthetists: Styles and Stories

Saturday 26 July, Sunday 27 July

1. Weaver speaking to a group of people in front of a colourful tapestry. 2. Weavers working on a tapestry loom in a studio. 3. A weaving activity with wooden loom and coloured fabrics and yarn. 4. A tapestry in progress on the loom. 5. The outside of the ATW building, a grand 1800's sandstone building.
Open Access, Building Tour, Exhibition, Talk/Presentation
Australian Tapestry Workshop

Saturday 26 July

(1) The building's white northern elevation in sunlight. (2) Along Marine Parade showing the close proximity to the sandy beach and the Melbourne City skyline in the distance. (3) The ground floor lobby with brightly coloured terrazzo tile and visitors and residents. (4) The rooftop signage of Edgewater Towers and view out to the bay with a child seated in the foreground.
Open Access, Self Guided Tour
Edgewater Towers

Saturday 26 July

Open Access, Exhibition, Self Guided Tour
Gasworks Arts Park

Saturday 26 July, Sunday 27 July

Internal and external images of an old sandstone church, and one of its beautiful stained glass windows.
Open Access
Holy Trinity Balaclava and Elwood

Saturday 26 July, Sunday 27 July

(1) Modern apartment building with green and white geometric facade panels. Trees in foreground and a green tram passing by at dusk with pink sky. (2) Dining area with round wooden table and Indigenous Australian dot paintings on walls. Coat rack with hanging basket and a blurred figure moving through the space. (3) Minimalist living room with grey sofa, glass coffee table, and vibrant orange-purple Indigenous artwork. Large sliding door leads to balcony with natural light. (4) View through sliding door to terrace with bistro set and citrus on table. South Melbourne Market and rooftops visible in distance with indoor plants framing doorway. (5) Rooftop garden terrace with native grasses and yellow flowers in dark planters. Modern city skyline with high-rises in background under partly cloudy sky.
Building Tour
HV.Hotel at Ferrars & York

Saturday 26 July

Street view of a strip of terrace houses and shops in the 1880s, sepia toned photograph, horses tied to verandah posts and wrought iron lacework. Close up contemporary colour photograph of drain pipes, brick work and a rear entrance to a terrace house. An old faded sepia tone photograph of a woman and children in 19c clothing standing in front of a corner shop and dwelling, the shop items are on display against the outside wall of the shop. Sepia photograph street view looking down Bridport Street in the 1900s terrace homes and shops, the street is sparsley populated, horse and cart on the right and left, people in 19c clothing crossing the road in the centre.
Walking Tour
Jane's Walks: Behind the Façades walking tour

Saturday 26 July

1. The rear entrance to the Jewish Museum of Australia showing a building with a reflective window and a Schule in the window reflection: 2. The front of the Jewish Museum of Australia showing the Mirka Mora banner and front door: 3. The front of the Jewish Museum of Australia showing the Helmut Newton banner and the front door to the building.
Open Access, Building Tour, Site Tour, Talk/Presentation
Jewish Museum of Australia

Friday 25 July, Sunday 27 July

(1) The whole front facade of Marli Place viewed from the street. (2) Detail view of the front of Marli Place viewed from the street with wisteria growing over the railings
Building Tour
Marli Place

Sunday 27 July

Old Freemasons Hall circa 1970 from Dorcas Street with vintage Talbot car in foreground.
Open Access, Exhibition, Self Guided Tour
Melbourne Camera Club

Saturday 26 July, Sunday 27 July

Image 1: Expressed concrete structure with jewel like glass infills viewed over heritage context Image 2: Elevated garden terrace sanctuary Image 3: Off form concrete soffits offset again veneer panelling create interior depth Image 4: Autumnal glazing reflections Image 5: Expression of entry though a colourful void in the facade Image 6: Charles Street painted in light
Open Access
Piccolo House

Saturday 26 July

(1) Artist impression of redeveloped Port Phillip EcoCentre, showing tree in courtyard (2) View from above of Cross Laminated Timber being installed
Building Tour
Port Phillip EcoCentre

Sunday 27 July

A photo of a cast iron house at 399 Coventry Street, South Melbourne. The house is double fronted, with a front door in the middle and two windows either side with white curtains which are pulled back from a centre opening. The cast iron sheets which cover the front of the house are vertical, except where they are horizontal under the windows. The cast iron sheets are painted a dull red. The front door is open and shows a straight passageway from the front of the house to the open back door. The house has a white picket fence and gate which is open and shows steep brick steps up to the veranda.
Open Access, Building Tour, Self Guided Tour
Portable Iron Houses

Saturday 26 July, Sunday 27 July

1. Image of the interior of the brown Atrium stairs and white emu egg fe. 2. Image of the exterior of the Victorian Pride Centre, the 3. Drone shot of the exterior of the building. A road, the concrete building and a rainbow painted road is visible. 4. Interior image with polished concrete floors, a planter box and some booth seating.
Open Access, Building Tour
Victorian Pride Centre

Friday 25 July, Saturday 26 July

4 x close up shots of iron embossed covers embedded in the pavement, bearing the name of the company responsible for them, MMBW or their purpose, Hydrant. 1 x old black and white photograph taken in 1890, of the triple story Shamrock Hotel, a red brick building which can still be seen in Bank Street to the right a s wooden building in single story wooden building in a poor state, bears the signage 'Frank Cullen, Plumber Contractor. There are three men in suits standing on the pavement and a small car.
Walking Tour
Portholes to the Underworld walking tour

Sunday 27 July