May 2026

Chapel Lodge rears up in Chapel Street St Kilda, downhill from Alma Road, and it’s an unusually large block of early postwar flats, built c1948-50. At 6 floors it’s one of the relatively few elevator apartment buildings up to that date (eg Stanhill, Queens Road also 1950, last pic). The architect was the prolific Bernard Evans, and here he went rather pre-war modern, all blocky massing and some portholes too, in plain red brick with steel framed windows.

It was built for and by Norman Adderley, a builder and St Kilda Councillor, who was actually possibly a bit of a crook ! In 1956 the police raided the building, and discovered that most of the flats were empty, except the penthouses, which had all 45 phone lines and 26 people running an SP bookie business. Adderley was considered a front man, but in the end only got a fine. Info from a 2022 review of the area.

It wasn’t strata titled until 1984, probably when it was painted yellow and got the Miami style palm trees and pool.

• Uncategorized