As a result of a grant from the Office of Suburban Development Living Local program, Experience South Melbourne  has restored some of Clarendon Street’s historic verandahs.

The successful project has ensured that these verandahs will continue to celebrate South Melbourne’s architectural history, plus provide shelter for businesses and shoppers for another 40 years.

In addition to the Office of Suburban Development, Experience South Mebourne would also like to acknowledge the City of Port Phillip for their support in delivering the project.

The History

South Melbourne, between the south bank of the Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay, originated at the area known as Emerald Hill, 2 km south of the Melbourne CBD.

On 26 May, 1855, Emerald Hill was proclaimed a separate borough and many of the buildings along Clarendon Street were erected, between 1855 – 1880. Emerald Hill town changed to South Melbourne on 25 September, 1883.

Tram lines along Clarendon Street and Park Street were opened in 1890, along with the connection made to the city seven years before with a steam ferry between Clarendon and Spencer Street.

The Verandahs

The historic Emerald Hill verandahs were erected along Clarendon Street, Park Street, Bank Street & Dorcas Street, South Melbourne, in the 1880s.  They provided shelter for businesses and shoppers alike, providing cover for the community to shop.

Over time and modernisation, sadly many of the verandahs were lost due to dis-repair or being removed to make way for more modern structures.

In 1979 Allan Willingham and Peter Staught produced a ‘Reinstatement of Street Verandahs and Historic Structures Report’ for the Ministry of Housing.  In 1980 Peter Lovell and Trevor Huggard were engaged to prepare documentation for the restoration of all commercial building facades and the reinstatement of street verandahs in Park Street, Clarendon Street and Bank Street.  These works were conducted in 1983.

The Project

Whilst the verandahs are considered an asset, when they are in dis-repair, they dampen community spirit and detract from the visual representation of our activity centre.  A significant number of verandahs had not been attended to in over 40 years, since the works commissioned by the Ministry of Housing in 1983.

The Clarendon & Coventry Streets Business Association, applied for a grant from the Office of Suburban Development Living Local program, representimg the local businesses in our activity centre and advocated on behalf of these businesses to restore these verandahs. We were successful in our grant application and together with the additional support from the City of Port Phillip we were able to deliver the restoration programme.

The verandahs are iconic to South Melbourne and are recognisable across wider Melbourne and we are proud of their connection to history. The verandahs provide the community with many benefits in relation to community spirit, cover for shopping, historic connection, tourism and more.

The image on the right hand side depicts the condition before restoration. The images below are post restoration. It was a great opportunity to have these verandahs restored.