Original post 8 March 2018:
That fabbo #mansard roofed shop next to #BalaclavaStation, don’t know the exact history but whoever built it wanted their shop to stand out – and come to think of it the rail line was raised in the 1880s, so this roof was always seen from this angle. It might have been a billiard hall from the beginning, but it was clearly one by the 1920s as in the early photos (from the PRO via Pinterest), and some oft followed remember it as one into the 90s. One said his dad worked (and lived) there in the 60s.
Update March 2026: The latest St Kilda Historical Society newsletter says it became a billiard hall in c1905, and the shop was a succession of real estate agents up to WWII.
Storey of Melbourne 