Toorak
Toorak is an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area. Toorak recorded a population of 12,817 at the 2021 census.
The name Toorak has become synonymous with wealth and privilege, the suburb long having the reputation of being Melbourne's most elite, and ranking among the most prestigious in Australia. It has the highest average property values in Melbourne, and is one of the most expensive suburbs in Australia. It is the nation's fourth highest earning postcode.
Located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River, Toorak is bordered by South Yarra, at Williams Road on the west, Malvern, at Glenferrie Road on the east, Prahran and Armadale, at Malvern Road to the south and the suburbs of Richmond, Burnley and Hawthorn on the north side of the river. The suburb's main street is considered to be Toorak Road, on which the commercial area of Toorak Village is located.
History
Toponymy
Toorak was named after Toorak House, an Italianate residence built in 1849 by merchant James Jackson. The name of the house may have originated from the Woiwurrung language of the indigenous inhabitants, with words of similar pronunciation meaning "black crow" or "reedy swamp".Toorak House
From 1854 Toorak House served as the residence of the first Governor of Victoria, Captain Sir Charles Hotham KCB RN and his successors, until the completion of the present Government House in the Kings Domain.Toorak Post Office opened around June 1858.
1880s land boom
During the land boom of the 1880s, many large and elaborate mansions were erected in Toorak, often in the Italianate style. Following East Melbourne and then St Kilda, Toorak, along with Brighton, became the new favored location for the wealthy.1890s depression
The suburb was hit particularly hard by the 1890s economic depression and many wealthy landowners declared bankruptcy and were forced to sell. Nonetheless, the suburb remained and is still Melbourne's home of "old money". During the Interwar period, many houses were built in the Tudor revival style; many houses were also designed by society Architect Marcus Martin in the Moderne style over a Georgian building form.Post-war era
In the period of post-World War II prosperity, rising standards of living and land values caused Toorak to become highly sought after by a new generation of the wealthy, thought by some to be social climbers and nouveau riche. For some of these people, the focus was simply to have the postcode of Toorak, which was SE 2 and now 3142. As a result, many of the larger mansions were demolished and large holdings were subdivided to make way for flats, townhouses and apartments.In the 1980s, larger houses in Neo-Georgian and Neo-Classical styles began to appear.
Contemporary Toorak
While large mansions have survived in neighbouring Hawthorn, Kew and Armadale, only a few of the original 19th-century mansions in Toorak remain, due in part to the high land value. Two of the most notable are Illawarra House, which was acquired by the National Trust; and Coonac, the most expensive house in Melbourne. In Toorak, some of the old property names live on as street names or the names of blocks of flats, carved out of or built on their sites; Dunraven Avenue, Millicent Avenue, Iona Avenue, Woorigoleen Road, Myoora Road, and Scotsburn Grove are examples.Demographics
In the 2016 census, there were 12,909 people in Toorak.- 63.9% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were China 3.6%, England 3.1%, New Zealand 2.2%, India 1.8% and Malaysia 1.2%.
- 73.7% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 4.5%, Cantonese 1.8%, Italian 1.4%, Greek 1.3% and French 0.9%.
- The most common responses for religion were no religion 30.9%, Catholic 17.6% and Anglican 14.9%,
- Of the employed people in Toorak, 4.0% worked in legal services. Other major industries of employment included hospitals 3.7%, real estate services 3.1%, general practice medical services 2.9% and clothing retailing 2.7%.
- The proportion of Toorak residents with a Bachelor's degree or higher is 46.7%.
- The median age is 47.
Housing
Single-family detached homes are also prevalent. Some of these homes are in the form of traditional mansions or newer large residences on significant-sized estates, owned by Melbourne's wealthy and social elite. The architectural style of the mansions is predominantly Italianate and colonial.
There are also extant stands of semi-detached housing, including terraces, which were traditionally fashionable with the middle class and later gentrified.
Heritage listings
Likewise to the surrounding suburbs, Toorak has had a long and storied social and architectural history, resulting in a number of heritage places, including :State significance:
- Brett House, Buddle Drive, is a postwar Modernist residence constructed in 1955 to the designs of Robin Boyd. A unique postwar interpretation of Georgian architecture.
- Caringal Flats, Tahara Road, is a postwar Modernist flats building constructed in 1951 to the designs of John William Rivett. An early demonstration of postwar Modernist architecture, the building features two buildings, one curved with three-storeys and twelve flats, and the other is a six storey tower with twelve flats, for a total of twenty-four flats.
- Cranlana, Clendon Road, is a residence owned by businessman and philanthropist Sidney Myer, best known for founding Myer. Myer purchased Cranlana in 1921, who remodelled the residence between 1929-30 to the designs of H W and F P Tompkins, and features a large gardens and strong axial landscape designs.
- Illawarra, Illawarra Court, is a Victorian mansion, grandiose in scale and flamboyant in decoration, constructed in 1889-91 for land speculator Charles Henry James, in the Italianate style.
- Roy Grounds House, Hill Street, is a postwar Modernist residence constructed in 1953 to the designs of Roy Grounds, as a personal residence. The residence won the Victorian Architecture Medal in 1954, and features a central courtyard with circular glass walls. In addition, four flats are located behind the residence, and features mixture of a single studio and three larger, double-storey two bedroom units, all with courtyard gardens.
- Toorak House, St. Georges Road, is an early Victorian mansion constructed in 1849 for Melbourne merchant James Jackson by Samuel Jackson, in the Victorian Italianate style. During its history, Toorak House served as Melbourne's first Government House between 1854 and 1876, before the current Government House was finished in 1876. Today, Toorak House is owned by the Church of Sweden abroad.
- Trawalla, Lascelles Avenue, is a two-storey Victorian mansion constructed in 1867-68 for Melbourne merchants George Stevenson, in the Victorian Italianate style. The mansion was enlarged to 50 rooms for retired pastoralist John Simpson of Trawalla, near Beaufort in 1885. The estate was subdivided in the 1930s, which formed the current allotment seen today.
- Carmel, Mathoura Road, is a two-storey Victorian villa constructed in 1888-89 to the designs of Arthur Edward Clarke, in the Medieval Free style, for politician John Rogers, who served as the Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Electoral district of South Yarra between 1894 and 1897.
- Carnegie House, Grant Avenue, is a two-storey Interwar Georgian Revival residence constructed in 1936 to the designs of Yuncken, Freeman & Griffiths.
- Gelbart House, Heyington Place, is a single-storey postwar Modernist constructed in 1971-72 to the designs of Holgar & Holgar.
- Heyington Gardens, Theodore Court, is a postwar Modernist flats building constructed in 1962 to the designs of Ernest Fooks.
- Kinkell, Lansell Road, is a two-storey Federation bungalow constructed in 1916 to the designs of Christopher Cowper.
- Telgai House, Struan Street, is a two-storey residence constructed in 1923 to the designs of Robert Hamilton, with a later addition constructed in 1932. Bell served as a Councillor for the City of Prahran, and later served as the Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the state Electoral district of Toorak from 1945 until his death in 1948.
Politics
At state level, it falls within the electorate of Malvern since the 2006 Victorian State Election. At local council level, Toorak falls within the City of Stonnington.
Toorak has historically voted for conservative political parties. The Liberal Party retained the seat of Malvern in the 2022 state election, with a 2% swing towards O'Brien.