CONTENTS:
Chapter 1: p1-9. John Gardiner settles in 1836. John Hepburn. James Backhouse, the Quaker, arrives (1837) and meets George Langhorne. Langhorne christens the district 'Purraran' in 1837. The River Yarra: its native name 'Bay-ray-rung'. Chapter 2: p10-30. The first Crown Land sales. Some of the purchasers thereof. Lieut. Charles Forrest and his diary. Chapter 3: p31-41. Subdivisions of Crown sections. Some historical sales. Owners and purchasers. What names signify. A wonderful contrast. Chapter 4: p42-53. Prahran in the 1850s. First church and pastor. The Rev. William Moss: recollections. Judge Chapman: memories. Topographical details. Reminiscences of Mrs Young and Mrs Eddington. Chapter 5: p54-64. An historical meeting. Prahran-road district. Prahran municipality. Progressives and obstructionists. A stormy meeting. The battle of Prahran. Police troopers present. Chapter 6: p65-75. Peter Snodgrass summons Claud Farie, the Sheriff. The factions' bitterness grows. The Hon. Charles Pasley. John Goodman's opposition. The battle still rages. Chapter 7: p76-87. The battle of Prahran continued. Spirited newspaper controversy. Progressives victorious. First council elected at public meeting. Poll demanded and granted. The councillors in 1856. Chapter 8: p88-109. The men of Prahran. Some personal details and early memories. Early brickyards. First water supplies. Land sales and transfers. Place names and their history. Chapter 9: p110-132. Mechanics' institute. Agitation for and against town hall. Foundation stone laid 31st October 1860. The Prahran Library. Its genesis and development. Opening on Sunday. Free lending library. The children's library. Chapter 10: p133-155. The 5,000 pound subsidy. The council triumphant. South Park Reserve. A vigorous protest. Chairmanship of the bench. Prahran churches. Professional men and traders. Chapter 11: p156-178. The Fire Brigade. South Yarra Water Works Company. Councillors fined. Water wasters and watering streets. The Old Church Street Bridge. The new bridge. Chapter 12: p179-188. Suburban railway companies. First railway train from Melbourne via St Kilda arrives at Windsor. The loop line. Union Street crossing. Council pulls up rails. An equity suit ensues. Enoch Chambers and Foundry Lane. Chapter 13: p189-206. Evolution of a municipality. Prahran's first mayor. Prahran gazetted a town. A rating appeal. A municipal storm. Councillor Crews retires. Prahran Racing Club. Penny readings. First quadrille assembly. The Southern Rifles. First half holiday. Chapter 14: p207-219. Distress in Prahran. Council and charity. Present day benevolence. Prahran and South Yarra Ladies' Benevolent Society. Independent Church. Deaf and Dumb Institution. Leal House. Prahran Anglican Church. Christ Church, South Yarra, and other churches. Chapter 15: p220-238. Prahran postal service. Agitations for post office. Government indifference. Promises and evasions. Gas lighting. Early markets. Schools. Chapter 16: p239-258. First building regulations. Ratepayers and council. A suppressed advertisement. Proclamation of Prahran as a city. South Yarra separation movement. Division of the city into wards. The city markets. Chapter 17: p259-275. The main drain. Prahran streets. Thoughts on their origin. Crown lands purchasers and their methods. The dismal swamp, South Yarra. Remarkable land sales. Town planning proposals. Town Clerks of Prahran. Chapter 18: p276-286. Police Courts and Justices. A noted chairman. Chequered careers. Floods in Prahran. Fires. City Hall fire. Windsor railway accident. Chapter 19: p287-303. First park reserve. Donated as a site for the Prince Alfred Hospital. Council floats loan for recreation reserves. Ratepayers protest. A hard fight. Prahran reserves, parks and boulevards. Tree planting. Proposed municipal gas works. Chapter 20: p304-325. Prahran and Malvern Electric Tramway. South Yarra to Oakleigh Railway. Chapel Street Station. Prahran Destructor. Prahran Mechanics' Institute. Prahran Technical School. Prahran High School. Chapter 21: p326-346. The war years. Red Cross work. Recruiting campaign. Prahran men and women 'do their bit'. War widows' homes. Victory Square. Soldiers' Memorial Hall. Repatriation work. Roll of honor. Municipal legislation and communal health. Baby Health Centres. Chapter 22: p347-356. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visits Prahran. A right loyal welcome. Coronation of His Majesty King George V. Vice-regal visits. The City of Prahran. Its wealth and population. Its mayors. Councillors of the Municipality of Prahran p359.

ILLUSTRATIONS
Councillor F.J. Sargood xii. Waterloo Cottage p13. Lieutenant Charles Forrest p16. Chapel Street, looking north from the Town Hall p28. Town Hall and Court House about 1862 p32. Brick yard, Chapel Street north 1860 p32. Facsimile of John Pascoe Fawkner’s letter concerning a sale of Prahran land in July 1850 p36. Grocery store of Graham Berry, corner of Chapel Street and Gardiner’s Creek Road p44. Buildings of the past, shops in Gardiner’s Creek Road [Wilson, plumber; Romanis, cabinet makers and carpenters] p44. Gardiner’s Creek Road looking east and west, 1860s p48. Punt Road looking south about 1860 p52. St Matthew’s Old Church and Schoolroom, Chapel Street, on the site where Osment Buildings now stand p52. The first Deaf and Dumb Institute, Commercial Road p60. Orrong Road Refuse Tip p60. College Lawn, west Prahran, from the Town Hall Tower 1867 p64. The South Yarra Club Hotel p68. The Prahran Hotel p68. East Prahran, from the Town Hall Tower in 1867 p76. Chapel Street from the Town Hall Tower looking north 1867 p80. John Craven, first Town Clerk p84. Prahran Town Hall and Court House 1860s p92. James Mason p96. George Messervey p96. Chapel Street from the Town Hall Tower looking south 1867 p100. High Street looking east from Chapel Street 1890s p108. Prahran City, from east Prahran p112. John Branscombe Crews, first mayor p116. Prahran Public Library [interior] p124. Dandenong Road p128. Chapel Street, looking north from High Street 1912 [showing Colosseum and Town Hall] p132. Toorak Road, Toorak p140. Brookville Municipal Gardens, Toorak p144. Reverend William Moss p148. Chapel Street, looking south from Commercial Road about 1882 p156. The first Church Street Bridge p160. The start to dismantle the first Church Street Bridge p164. W.T. Chambers, Mayor of Prahran, laying commemoration stone for the new Church Street Bridge 2 May 1923 p172. Church Street Bridge p176. Engine built at Prahran by Enoch Chambers ‘First Victoria’ p180. The Windsor to St Kilda Railway Loop Bridge, spanning St Kilda Road, 1857 p188. Chapel Street buildings 1924 [Osment Buildings; Miller’s Feather Factory] p192. Dr Gerald H. Fetherston p196. Samuel Willis, Mayor who proclaimed Prahran a city p196. View of ‘Como’, Toorak, the Australian Park p212. Prahran Town Hall 1924 p220. Visit of General Birdwood to Victory Square p240. Prahran Reserve, China Asters in bloom p244. Captain ‘Jim’ Kelly p252. J.B. Crews p252. New Market Building’s foundation stone: W.T. Chambers; A.V. Renowden; John Romanis; J.J.W. Flintoft; A.A. Holdsworth p256. Orrong Park Tennis Courts opened by the Mayor, A.H. Woodfull, 22 July 1922 p260. Orrong Municipal Tennis Courts p268. City Hall fire, view of the ruins, north end p276. City Hall fire, view of ruins, south end p284. The Prahran Public Library at night [interior] p292. Chapel Street in 1918, Prahran Patriotic and Red Cross Society’s War Fete [showing the Big Store] p300. The Mayoress, Mrs W.T. Chambers, at the foundation stone ceremony of the Prahran Health Centre, 23 May 1923 p304. Voluntary workers building the War Widow’s Homes, Victory Square p308. Toorak Boy Scouts Building, opened by the Governor, the Earl of Stradbroke 24 June 1922 p316. Smoking outfit presented by the City of Prahran to the Prince of Wales 1920 p320. Address presented by the City of Prahran to the Prince of Wales p324. Prahran Soldier’s Memorial Hall, High Street, Prahran p332. Prahran Soldiers’ Roll of Honour in the Memorial Hall p336. Prahran Baby Health Centre p342. The Prince of Wales welcomed by the Mayor and Councillors at the Prahran Town Hall 31 May 1920 p350.

INDEX:
First Board of Advice p234. Site of the Prince Alfred Hospital p288. Alfred Street p93. Anglican churches p216. Dr M.L.A. Argyle p322. Armadale placename p268. Hon. B.C. Aspinall p223. Avoca Street p235. Ayres Arms Hotel p97. Baby Health Centre p341. James Backhouse p4. R.A. Balbirnie p36. First City Ball p215. Balmerino p35. First baptism p213. Edward Barker MD p22. Major S.A. Barker p219. Proposed Municipal Baths p251. Battle of Prahran p63. Graham Berry p213. Institute for the Blind p212. ‘Boss of the Woolshed’ p218. Miss M. Box p24. Mrs Box meets John Pascoe Fawkner p91. Bowling Club p200. Rev. J.D. Brennan p214. Brick making era p67. Brickmakers p94. Church Street Bridge: proposed p163; dangerous p166; conferences p168; new bridge p169. Rev. W.K. Brodribb p217. Rev. Dr Bromby p216. John ‘Como’ Brown p23. Building regulations 1872 p239. Bush Inn p37. Caroline Street p235. J.H.N. Cassell p102. Enoch Chambers p185. James Chambers p97. The Chapel p42. Chapel Street: alignment p263; cutting p104; proposals to widen p268; railway station proposed p312. Revans F. Justice Chapman reminiscences p44. Children’s Free Lending Library p130; story hour p131. Churches p209; pew rent defaulters p214; situation in 1857 p213. City Hall fire p231; foundation stone p284. J. Coates MD p145. T. Colclough p37. College Lawn p98; first house, residents p107. Commercial Road, first traders p101. Como Lake p40; park purchase p256. Coronation of His Majesty King George p349. Council chambers: proposed p113; first culvert p153; first councillors p82; council versus government 1856 p136; council and South Yarra Water Company dispute p96. Court House [courthouse] p276. ‘Cox Old’ p258. Prahran Creche p340. J.B. Crews p113, after defeat p196. Joseph Crook p28, first house in Chapel Street p100. Crown land sales p10. Pulteney Dana p21. Dandenong Road, Boulevard and Bridge p300. Darling Street p236. Peter Davis p32. School for Deaf Mutes p212. Lord Denham p350. Rubbish destructor p314. The Dismal Swamp p265. D.W. Donald and Donald Street p93. Main Drain and Malvern’s flood waters p261. Charles Gavan Duffy p224, sells Crown lands p142. Dust p162. Education p233. Elections, first unopposed councillors 1872 p239. Electric light [electricity] p230. Elsternwick, Parish Prahran, placename p103. Claud Farie p58. John Pascoe Fawkner p34. Fawkner Park p146. Rev. Walter Fellows p216. Dr R.H. Fetherston, MLA and the High School p321. Fire Brigade p156; City Hall p281; fighting, old and modern methods p283. F.G. [Frederick] Sargood, first Chairman p84, first council officials appointed p86. Sir Charles Fitzroy p38. Floods p280. Flood p28, flood 1912 p262. Football p199. William Frederick Ford p98. Lieutenant Charles Forrest p14, William St Leger Forrest p18, window, St George’s Chapel p15. Foundry Lane p186. Free Public Library, proposed p120. J.H. Furneaux p315. Walter M. Gamble p236. John Gardiner p1. Ricciotti Garibaldi p236. Gas, price of, challenged p229, Municipal works proposed p301. Gellibrand, aboriginal p21. Geological formations p139. John Glover, Mount Verdant p40. John Goodman p59. Grattan Street p25. Rev. J.S. Gregory p215. Green Street p109. Greenwood and Crook p98. Greville Street p25. Grocers’ weekly half holiday p205. Rev. W.N. Guiness p216. Hague, tinsmith, Anglican benefactor p213. Hardwick’s Corner p224. Joseph Harris p28. Cr William ‘Terrible Billy’ Harrison p278. Joseph Hawdon p3. Hawksburn and Hawksburn House p102, Hawksburn Hotel p212. Health: communal p338, Health Officer p339, Creche p340, Baby Health Centre p341, foundation stone p343, influenza epidemic p345. John Hepburn p2. Heyington House and Heyington Place, name p103. Prahran High School p321, 325. Highbury Barn p107. Hillingdon Place, origin of name p235. Hoddle Street p108. First weekly half holiday p205. Horse race in Chapel Street p246. Hurlestone Street p106. Independent Congregational Church p42, foundation stone laid p211. Ivy Cottage and Street p40. James Jackson p27. William Jennings, licence to chop and dig clay 1849 p99. Miss Enid Joske p130. James Kelly p158. Kirk’s Avoca p235. Kirk and Burchet’s tannery p29. John Hanlon Knipe p193. Ladies’ Benevolent Society p68. Lamp posts p228. Dealings in land p271. Subdivisional land sales p25, 31. George Langhorne p5. Bishop Henry A. Langley p215. Madame Latour names Hillingdon Place p235. Leal House p212. D.E. Lewis p351. Librarians p124. Library opened Sundays p126. W.B. Lumley, Mayor, High School advocacy p322. Donald Mackinnon p312. Macquarie Street, origin of name p234. Markets: 1864 p230, extensions p253, foundation stone 1891 p254, loan and opposition p255, price of produce p67, site, poll p233. Marriage, first in the Chapel p211. James Mason p26. Mayors, their duties and allowances p354. Mechanics’ Institute p110, 315. First medical practitioners p145. ‘Men of Prahran’ p90. George Messervey p234. Sir Archibald Michie p113. Rev Jas. Mirams p212. Rev. William Moss p42, death p212, Education correspondent p234, ordination p210. City motto p133. Municipal Council question p59, Free Library p124. Hon. James Munro p97. H.M. Murphy p89. J.R. Murphy p88. Murray Street p213. Cr E. Naylor, new roadway p269. Rev. P. Niall p217. Hon. J. Nimmo p219. Horticultural nurseries p231. David Ogilvy p33. Arthur O’Mullane MD p24. Orrong p154. Hon. Charles Pasley p69. Pasley Village p105. John and William Payne p18. Tom ‘Loch Ard’ Pearce p235. Penny readings p201. Bishop Perry lays St Matthew’s foundation stone 1877 p215. Police Court, Chairmen’s attendances p143. Politicians p355. Poor of Prahran 1857 p207. Postal service, Prahran p220, first postmen p146-7, pepper corn rental lease p224, repudiation and Commonwealth p225.

Prahran in 1856-57 p152, 1859 p87, court house p156, District Road Board p55, first Mayor p189, gazetted a town p190, Horticultural Society p201, main drain p259, Municipal District p58, place name p5, proclaimed a City p245, railway station p313.

Presentation Convent, Windsor p217. Prince Alfred Hospital site p288. Prince of Wales’ visit p347, address p348. Prince’s Gardens p351. First public houses [hotels] p149. Public parks p287. Punt Road p107. Quarry p314. Quoits p200. Race meetings p197. ‘Ragged schools’ p234. Railways p179, loop line p182, rating appeal p192. Ralston Street p153. Recreation reserves p289. Loan for Reserve p290. George A. Robinson p20. Rockley p53. Roman Catholics p217. John Romanis p112. William Romanis p111. William Murray Ross p212. Royal George Hotel p101. Salvation Army p219. Early sanitary arrangements p233. F.J. (Frederick) Sargood p84, address to p138. First schoolmasters p234. Separation movements, South Yarra and Windsor p118. John Arthur Skinner p17. Sky larks released at Mount Erica p150. Robert Murray Smith p191. Peter Snodgrass p65. Snow falls p279. Soldiers’ Honour Board p336, Prahran Roll of Honor p338.

South Yarra created Parish 1858 p216; land sale p39; Park Reserve p141; ratepayers oppose erection of Town Hall p116; separation movement p246; Water Supply Company p95.

Spectemur Agendo p134. Hon. Howard Spensley p279. St Albans p217. State schools p237. St Joseph’s Mission p217. St Matthew’s Church p215. Steamers ‘Gondola’ and ‘Victoria’ p147. Street names p29, street names and origins p267, streets gazetted 1857 p266. G.W. Taylor p107. Technical School: President, Cr W. McIlwrick p318; Principal, W.R. Dean p317. First telegram to Prahran p224. Windsor Telephone Exchange p224. Temperance crusade p219. Tennis courts p351. Tintern Avenue p37. Orrong Road Tip p314. Tivoli p53. Tolls p148, passing of p289. Toorak and place name’s meaning p103. Town Clerk p273. Town Hall Clock, when first lighted p229, foundation record p122, site tenders p114. Town Planning Commission p269. Trams in Chapel Street 1889 p311; Prahran to Richmond p311. Tramways opened p307; Prahran and Malvern p304. Transport to Melbourne, first cabs p147. Tree planting p298. Rev. H.F. Tucker p217. Valuations and revenues p353. Victory Square p335. Volunteers in court – Rea v. Farie p203; volunteer movement p202. War years p326; Patriotic and Red Cross Society p329; voluntary workers p331; war widows’ homes p333. Ward divisions movement p248. Water carts p159, famine p161, supply p95. Waterloo Cottage p19. George Watson p198. Municipal and industrial wealth p352. John Hedler [Helder] Wedge p8. William Westgarth p26. White’s forge p99. Samuel Willis p245. Windsor railway accident 1887 p286, township p101. W.B. Withers reminiscences p92. Cr A.H. Woodfull, advocates tram line to Richmond p311. Martha Wright, reminiscences of Punt Hill and Prahran p47. Yan Yean service p97, first water pipe p160. Yarra Yarra’s meaning p8. Yarra Street Wharf p96.