February 2026

This is the inside of the kiosk at the end of Kerferd Road facing the Albert Park beach – didn’t realise it had nice brickwork arches etc behind all the glass. I always thought it didn’t look like much from outside and was an unattractive spot for a cafe. And in fact it’s been a hairdresser since 2010. It’s been empty since maybe 2022, went out for tender in 24, but no takers. As part of the process Council commissioned a Conservation Management Plan, so now I can tell you most of the history.

It started as a little octagonal pavilion with a small verandah just in front and to the west, built c1905 by South Melbourne Council as the Municipal Refreshment Rooms, with toilets out the back. The area got more popular, I guess promenading down the pier, and the rooms were soon made much bigger by extending towards the beach, with a verandah on three sides.

By the 50s it was more of a sweet shop/milk bar, and probably round then lost the verandah – which was rebuilt, but longer, probably in 1974 when it became a restaurant, De Marcos. Then the verandah was enclosed with glass walls in 1991, and in the 2000s it was called Belucci’s, with outdoor seating too.

The report doesn’t mention it but the Regency style leadlight over the doorways looks 20s/30s to me, and it just says the roof tiles are non-original- they could be 30s or even 50s, and the originals would have been Edwardian red terracotta.

So, anyone want to rent a much altered ex-toilet-tea room-restaurant-hairdressers facing a lot of traffic ? Most pics from the report, including the plans which are / were put up inside, which they photographed on the spot, rather than search council records it seems.

• Uncategorized