Parking and heritage remain front of mind in Parkville

On the coldest day of the year so far, around 15 residents of Parkville made their way to a workshop, in Carlton, organised by officers of the City of Melbourne and their traffic consultants.

We discussed the thorny issue of car parking, as part of a review of parking in Parkville. They would have left with a comprehensive understanding of the issues, and with a number of suggestions for them to address. If you could not attend, you can still make a written submissions at any time via this link: participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/parkville-parking-review

The Planning Panel hearing for “Amendment C444melb” Parkville Heritage Review commenced on May 11. The timetable allowed for eight days of presentations to the panel. The panel report will be considered, in due course, by the City of Melbourne.

This process is the next iteration in the history of protecting and conserving South Parkville. This process stretches back to the mid-1960s, with the formation of the Parkville Association on July 14, 1967.

Just under 60 years of history forms the basis of an article published in Urban History (2026) titled, Monuments to precincts: the National Trust, the Parkville Association and the invention of local heritage in Parkville, Melbourne, 1950s–2020s, authored by James Lesh.

This open-source article was circulated to members of the Parkville Association, but deserves a much wider audience, scan QR code for more.

Part of this history included the publication, in 1974, of South Parkville, by Hilary Lewis, with its detailed history of virtually every portion developed in South Parkville from 1875 to 1972.

I am happy to be corrected, but I consider this detailed history is not matched by any other suburb in Melbourne, nor across Victoria. It was revised and reissued by the Parkville Association as a second edition in 1996. It is an invaluable resource, particularly for any new residents to Parkville.

On May 26, a meeting was held of the Royal Park stakeholders. An update of the timetable for the release of the Royal Park Master Plan was received. Also, there was a discussion on the physical impacts of unregulated parking which took place during the Sikh Games, as well as a program of remediation which was subsequently required.

Number 35-39 Royal Parade, which was the subject of a VCAT hearing in 2023, has now been sold. VCAT issued a conditional approval for the development of the site. Therefore, it will be of considerable interest to Parkville residents, and the Parkville Association which opposed the development, to see what emerges from this sale.

It is almost a year since the tram stops along Royal Parade were upgraded. Unfortunately, you can still see cars, lorries, and in one case a police van, drive past a stopped tram with its bell dinging furiously, and its lights flashing. On some trips I have taken, traffic does halt at every stop, and at other times the tram driver refuses to open the doors for pedestrians as the traffic makes no effort to stop.

Just a reminder that joining the Parkville Association will be free until June 30, 2027, on a “try before you buy” basis. Several residents have taken advantage of this offer. Membership forms are available.

If, however, you also want to take a subscription or donate, to support the Parkville Association, this would of course be most welcome. •