St Kilda, Administrative district in Port Phillip, Australia
St Kilda is a seaside suburb south of Melbourne that stretches along the bay and brings together apartment blocks and terraced houses from different eras. The streets run from the waterfront inland and connect busy commercial strips with quieter residential roads under old trees.
The area was named after a schooner that anchored offshore in 1842 and grew into a popular seaside resort for the expanding city of Melbourne from the 1850s onward. In the following decades a theme park with a roller coaster and a pier were built, turning the suburb into a destination for day trips.
The area has a strong Jewish community with synagogues, kosher bakeries and restaurants that keep this tradition visible today. On weekends locals and visitors gather at the beach, in the cafés along Acland Street or at the Sunday market on the esplanade.
Trams run regularly from central Melbourne to the beachfront and stop at several points along the main roads. On summer weekends it can get busier near the waterfront, so visiting in the morning or during the week is a good idea.
At the end of the pier lives a small colony of little penguins that can sometimes be seen coming out of the water at sunset. These penguins are the only permanent colony on the Australian mainland and regularly draw onlookers.
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