Hotels near Saint Kilda, Australia

A little about Saint Kilda...

St Kilda is a inner city suburb of the Victorian capital of Melbourne, Australia.

It is located on Port Phillip Bay about 7 km south-east of the Melbourne's central business district. It has the largest population of any suburb in the City of Port Phillip.

The suburb has been a popular seaside resort for residents and visitors since its foundation. During the Edwardian and Victorian eras it was favoured by Melbourne's elite, and many palatial mansions were constructed. Subsequently the area became Melbourne's red-light district, with many of the large mansions converted into low-cost rooming houses. In recent years, St Kilda has begun to shake off a seamy reputation and is home to many of Melbourne's famous visitor attractions including Luna Park, the Esplanade Hotel, Acland Street and Fitzroy Street. It is the home of many theatres and St Kilda Beach and to many of the city of Melbourne's big events.

St Kilda is also home to many major annual events. The largest of these is the St Kilda Festival, which since 1981 has grown over recent years and now attracts over half a million young people to the area each year. St Kilda also hosts the gay Pride March, part of Melbourne's Midsumma Festival. St Kilda is also home to the many venues of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival. Each year, the Community Cup Festival celebrates grassroots Australian rules football, attracting up to 23,000 spectators and raising money for local charity the Sacred Heart Mission which helps the homeless, a similar annual celebrity cricket match known as Batting for the Battlers is played at the Peanut Farm opposite Luna Park and attracts a crowd of up to 2,000. Other local events include the St Kilda Film Festival and St Kilda Writers Festival.

Music: St Kilda has a vibrant local music scene that has produced many Australian live music acts. One of the more famous of these is legendary rock band Hunters & Collectors and its front-man Mark Seymour. Members of The Birthday Party lived here in the late 1970s, when they were known under their previous name of The Boys Next Door. As have Paul Kelly, Tex Perkins, Fred Negro, Rowland S. Howard and dozens of other independent musicians. For all things related to the seedier and funnier sides of St Kilda music scene see Fred Negro's 'Pub Strip'.

Landmarks: St Kilda has many distinctive local landmarks, most centred around the St Kilda Esplanade and foreshore area, several featuring domes of a Moorish architecture theme established at the turn of the century. Perhaps the best known is Luna Park an early 20th century amusement park with its famous "Moonface" entry and its historic scenic railway.


Little Penguin climbing to its nest on the St Kilda breakwaterThe St Kilda Pier is another local landmark and major tourist attraction. The pier is terminated by the St Kilda Pavilion, an eccentric Edwardian building in the mould of English pier pavilions which is considered of high cultural importance to Melburnians. It was recently reconstructed and listed on the Victorian Heritage Register after burning down. The pier has a long breakwater which shelters St Kilda Harbour and hosts a Little Penguin colony. The pier is also the starting point for a ferry which runs between St Kilda and Williamstown.

St Kilda Beach is a beach with gentle bay waves popular with swimmers and sunbathers during the summer months. It is often criticized by locals and visitors alike for its pollution, but significant recent efforts have been made by government organisations to keep it clean.

The St Kilda Sea Baths, also called South Pacific, a Moorish themed building was built in the late 1920s, and demolished in the 1990s. It was rebuilt in a Moorish style, continuing a history of sea baths in St Kilda dating back to the 1850s.

Acland Street is a shopping and restaurant precinct famous for its cake shops and cafes. It also features a number of public artworks.

St Kilda Town Hall is an impressive building by William Pitt. Directly opposite is the St Kilda Public Library, built between 1971-73 at 150 Carlisle Street, it is a notable brutalist design by architect Enrico Taglietti, uniquely designed to open like a book. Also includes Ashton Raggatt McDougall’s award winning extension (1994).