In March 1969 Prahran Citizens’ Advisory Service was started by the Cairnmillar Association – a group from Cairnmillar Church, a Presbyterian Church in Cromwell Rd., South Yarra, led by the minister Francis McNab. Their aim was to complete projects to help the community.  We opened at Vine St., Windsor, in 2 rooms behind a chemist shop. The co-ordinator was Eileen Anderson.    She was succeeded by Marjorie Cox who had served 50 years in this role by the time she died early in 2019.

At the end of 1969 or early 1970 an arsonist set fire to the  rooms – fortunately the Information files were not destroyed.

1970 – the Bureau spent the year upstairs at Prahran Mission, next to the cafeteria. Hardly any clients, only those who came looking for someone at the Mission.

1971 – Moved to 187 Greville St – one front room, no water, no toilet. We collected the key from the Police Station which was where our premises were later to be – the Old Court House.  Fully staffed by volunteers, the bureau was open the 5 weekdays, Mon. evening and Sat. morning.

Sept. 1971 – Cairnmillar Association stopped funding.

1972 – Council agreed to fund – grant paid rent, phone and small amount of stationery.  No heating.  The Association of C.A.B.’s started in 1972 and we changed our name from Citizens’ Advisory Service to Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

Late in 1975 we received notice to vacate premises.  It was very, very difficult to find new accommodation.

1976 – we re-opened 4 weeks late. Council gave us permission to rent 2 rooms next to Leggatt’s Ballroom in Greville St.,  Previously a dentist’s rooms, the building was condemned and the landlord was the Marijuana Society who also occupied the building.  After several years the Marijuana Society left in the night, as the head man was wanted by the police. They used to print their newssheet “The Weed” and have bundles delivered and waiting outside on the footpath.

When the Marijuana Society left we had to take over the rent for the whole building. There was a broken down toilet at the back, but we preferred to use the public ones in the park. To meet the rent payments we let rooms to Pumpkin Theatre for storing costumes. We also let a room upstairs for an art studio.

During this time the Prahran Free Legal Service, which had started in 1972 in St. John St., Windsor, lost those premises, and asked if they could use our rooms. We charged them $5 week.

In 1981 we received “notice to quit” as the building and a large area behind was to become Leggatt’s Tennis Centre. Our building was to be restored and become the administration centre.

In July 1981 we moved across the road to a shop front at 109 Greville St. The Council promised us that when the Old Court House building was renovated we could move in there. We asked the Office of Corrections (then called the Attendance Centre) to send some people to help us move offices on a Saturday morning. When it started to rain the Community Service offenders stopped working as they weren’t allowed to work in the rain, so they waited inside, and volunteers walked up and down Greville St., moving our belongings. The Corrections people went off for lunch and didn’t return!

The Council gave us extra money towards the rent and we let 2 rooms upstairs to a succession of people. We had 2 good-sized rooms there, a tiny kitchen and an outside toilet – right down at the back of the property.  We covered the floor with sea-grass matting and made white curtains for the front. It was the best accommodation we had had but safety had begun to be a worry, and no-one felt very safe at 109 Greville St.  We had originally had only one person on duty at a time, but when we got busier – in the condemned building – we started over-lapping in the middle of the day. We continued this at 109 Greville St. We were there for 14 months.

The Legal Service moved across Greville St. with us, but during this time they announced that they could not keep going independently, but would continue a service if we organised it. We agreed to do this and have continued with this arrangement ever since. They became the Legal Service section of Prahran C.A.B.

Sept. 1982 the Court House renovations were completed and we moved in to the front section which had been divided into 2 small interview rooms and a reception area.

Behind us was the Council Social Worker and her Community Services Department.

Council employees helped us move our office furniture and records, and the Town Clerk, David Jesson, came down and made a welcoming speech when we moved in.

Funding relied on Prahran Court House and a big old fashioned annual fete held at the Town Hall ( which kept volunteers busy sewing, cooking and potting plants etc) for funds for small food parcels and food vouchers  Sadly government shut down the Court House – one of our current volunteers actually attended a demonstration against this decision!!!

In Greville St demands were different,  a lot of rooming house clients and many heroin addicts. Aged care didn’t particularly like our clients as there was often a bit of aggression, so we were then moved to the Chapel Street space.

Prahran was becoming more gentrified … rooming houses were sold either for renovation or apartments.

In 2004 the Council moved us to new accommodation – in the front of Prahran Town Hall, right on Chapel St.

Later again the office moved to the mezzanine floor above Prahran Market where we remain to this day..

Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 presented a challenge but our volunteers rose to the occasion and we were able to provide telephone support and assistance.

In 2021 we changed our name from Prahran Citizens’ Advice Bureau to Stonnington Community Assist, to better reflect the area that we support.