Comprises volume one of the Stonnington Heritage Study 2005. The City of Stonnington includes the suburbs of Prahran, Windsor, South Yarra, Toorak, Armadale and Malvern. Contents: Geomorphology, geology (map) p4. Waterways and swamps (map) p6. Flora and fauna p8. Aborigines p10. Vegetation (map) p11. Clearing of timber p14. Quarrying p17. Making roads and railways p18. Taming the waterways p18. Gardiners Creek p22. Remnant vegetation sites (map) p23. Environmental impacts p24. Aboriginal associations with settlements and towns p31. Land surveys prior to 1840 (map) p33. Pastoralism p34. Land speculation p37. First land sales 1840 (map) p38. Land sales 1849-50 (map) p39. Closer settlement p42. War service homes p44. Immigration p44. Land sales 1854-1880 (map) p48. Transport and communications p51. Punts and ferries p53. Bridges p54. Roads p58. Railways p65. Tramways p68. Government administration of resources for aboriginal people p77. Governing Australia p78. Creating a centre of Australia's political life p81. Developing local government authorities p85. Defending Australia p88. Farming and market gardens p92. Nurseries p95. Manufacturing industry p95. Brick and tile manufacturing p95. Food processing p97. Clothing p98. Retailing and hospitality p105. Toorak Village p108. High Street, Armadale p108. Prahran Market p109. Chapel Street p110. Glenferrie Road p112. Chadstone p113. Early hotels p114. Self made men and landed gentry p123. Mansions, mansion estates in the 19th century p124. Middle class suburbs and the suburban ideal p127. Suburban development in Malvern before World War One p128. After World War One p130. Gentrification p131. Grand houses - servants and extended families p131. Gardens p133. Creating Australia's most designed suburbs p134. Houses as a symbol of wealth, status and fashion p134. Experimentation and innovation in architecture p138. Architects and their houses p139. Working class housing p141. Post-war Housing Commission flats p141. Sharing houses p143. Apartments and apartment living p144. Architect designed apartments p146. Apartment development in the post-war era p146. Creating leafy suburbs p149. Public health p150. Victoria Gardens p151. Transforming swamps into parks p153. Transforming Gardiners Creek p153. Education p159. Early schools p160. Developing a system of state education p162. Developing the private school system p165. Catholic schools p166. State High Schools p168. Technical schools p170. Colleges and universities p170. Prahran Mechanics' Institute p170. Community and culture p176. Churches and religion p178. Charities p186. Try Society p186. Institutes for blind and deaf children p188. Prahran Mission p190. MECWA Community Care p190. Prahran Mechanics' Institute p191. Friendly societies and the temperance movement p191. Philanthropists and charity workers p194. Health and welfare p194. Hospitals p194. Maternal and infant welfare p195. Local history collections p196. Como and the National Trust p196. Preserving the natural environment p197. Gardiners Creek p197. Recreating the natural environment p198. Campaigning against high-rise development p198. Sport p199. Football, cricket p199. Bowls p200. Horse racing and hunt clubs p200. Athletics p203. Golf p203. Tennis p204. Music, dancing and cinemas p204. Malvern Municipal Band p204. Dancing - from ballrooms to nightclubs p205. Cinema p207. The arts p207. Why is Stonnington significant? p212. Aboriginal landscape pre 1835 (map) p216. Contact and change: establishing new communities 1835-1870 (map) p217. Boom and bust: creating Marvellous Melbourne 1870-1900 (map) p218. A new beginning: Federation and Garden suburbs 1900-1940 (map) p219. Creating a modern city: motor cars and multi-cultural Melbourne 1940 onwards (map) p220..