Chapel Street, Melbourne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chapel Street Victoria
A drone image looking south down Chapel Street Precinct at sunrise
General information
Type	Street
Length	4.2 km (2.6 mi)
Major junctions
North end	Church Street South Yarra, Melbourne
	Alexandra Avenue Toorak Road Commercial Road High Street Dandenong Road Inkerman Street
South end	Brighton Road St Kilda, Melbourne
Location(s)
LGA(s)	City of Stonnington City of Port Phillip
Suburb(s)	Prahran, Windsor

Chapel Street is a very famous street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs through several inner suburbs like South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, and St Kilda. This street is especially well-known for its amazing shopping areas. You can find many historic shop buildings there, including some old department stores.

Exploring Chapel Street: What's the Route?

Chapel Street is mostly straight and stretches for over 4.14 kilometers. It runs from the Yarra River in the north all the way to Brighton Road in the south. Along its path, it goes through suburbs like South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, and St Kilda.

Major Crossings and Transport

Some big streets that cross Chapel Street include Alexandra Avenue, Toorak Road, Commercial Road, High Street, and Dandenong Road. Getting around Chapel Street is easy! Tram route 78 travels along the entire street. Many other tram routes, like 3, 5, 6, 58, 64, and 72, also cross Chapel Street. You can also find train stations for the Sandringham line nearby, such as South Yarra, Prahran, and Windsor.

Chapel Street's Past: A Look at Its History

Chapel Street has a long and interesting history. The first house on the street was built around 1849. Back then, it was called Fitzroy Road.

How Chapel Street Got Its Name

The street got its name from the first church in Prahran. This church was called an Independent (or Congregational) Church. It was built between 1850 and 1852. People in the area often called it "The Chapel." The first minister, Rev William Moss, said that the chapel was the only place of worship for over two years. It eventually gave the busy street its name. The chapel closed in 1859 and was later used as a school before being taken down. Today, the old Baptist Church, built in the 1850s, is now a fun Irish pub called Bridie O'Reilly's.

Early Development and Growth

For a while, people had to use a ferry to cross the Yarra River because there wasn't a bridge linking Chapel Street to Church Street in Richmond until 1857. In the 1850s, the area had a lot of clay. This led to many brick-making businesses setting up shop along Chapel Street. The last brickworks closed in the 1980s.

In 1888, Melbourne's new cable tram service came to Chapel Street. This helped the area grow even more. Later, in the 1920s, the street got a wider bridge, and the trams became electric. This electric tram service is similar to the Route 7 we see today.

Chapel Street as a Shopping Hub

From its very beginning, Chapel Street was a busy place for trading and shopping. It had flour mills, butchers, bakers, and many other types of stores. By the early 1900s, large department stores started appearing in the Prahran part of the street. At this time, Chapel Street was almost as popular for shopping as Melbourne's city center!

In the 1970s, Pran Central opened as a big shopping mall. The 1980s saw more large developments like The Jam Factory and Como Centre. These new places helped make the South Yarra end of Chapel Street a popular spot for unique fashion stores.

Fun Places to See on Chapel Street

As you travel south along Chapel Street from the Yarra River, you'll find many interesting spots:

• The Como Centre: This is a large building with offices, shops, a cinema, and a hotel. It's also where Channel 10 Television has its main offices.
• The Jam Factory: This complex is full of shops, cinemas, and entertainment options.
• Prahran Market: Just off Elizabeth Street, this market has been selling fresh food for over 120 years! It's a great place to find delicious produce.
• Chasers: Built in 1880, this spot has been a popular place for live music and dancing for more than 40 years.
• Chapel Off Chapel: This is a cool theatre and art gallery venue located at the end of Carlton Street.
• Pran Central: At the corner of Commercial Road, this building used to be a historic landmark. Now it's a modern complex with shops, homes, and a food court offering foods from many different cultures.
• Prahran Square: This is a new public park created from an old car park. It's a great open space that helps bring new life to the Chapel Street area.
• Greville Street: This small, charming street is just off Chapel Street. It's known for its unique shops, artists, and a cool, relaxed vibe.
• Prahran Town Hall: This historic building, opened in 1861, is on the corner of Greville Street.
• Prahran Arcade: Built in 1890, this beautiful arcade was restored in 2023.
• The Prahran campus of Swinburne University: This university campus is located near High Street.
• Melbourne Bowling Club: This club, founded in 1864, is Australia's very first bowling club! It's just behind Chapel Street on Union Street.
• Artists Lane: Also known as Aerosol Alley, this bluestone alley runs next to Chapel Street. It's covered in amazing street art, with painted bins and colorful walls.
• The Astor Theatre: On the corner of Dandenong Road, this cinema is a beautiful example of 1930s art deco style. It can seat over 1,100 people.
• St Michael's Grammar School: This school uses many of the old buildings in the area.

Images for kids

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  Tram on Chapel Street

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  Pran Central Building, on the corner of Chapel Street and Commercial Road

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  JB Hi-Fi building on Chapel Street, Prahran

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  Sneakers hanging in Sneaker Lane in Windsor, Chapel Street

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  Prahran Arcade