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Where Italianate mansions, leafy boulevards, and Melbourne's most established address set a standard that few suburbs can match.
Toorak sits approximately 5 kilometres south-east of Melbourne's CBD within the City of Stonnington, occupying a premier position on the south bank of the Yarra River. Toorak is recognised as Australia's most prestigious residential suburb, with a residential character defined by an unparalleled concentration of mansion-scale heritage homes, leafy boulevards including St Georges Road and Lansell Road, and a property market that operates at a scale no other Melbourne suburb matches.
The residential housing stock in Toorak is anchored by a remarkable concentration of Italianate mansions built from the 1850s through the late 1800s, the period that gave Toorak its identity and that continues to define its streetscape today. The Italianate style emerged in Victoria during Toorak's earliest development, and the City of Stonnington retains a disproportionate number of Melbourne's finest examples, including state-listed properties on the Victorian Heritage Register such as Toorak House at 21 St Georges Road, built in 1851 and used as Victoria's first Government House, Greenwich House at 75 to 77 Irving Road built in 1869, and Mandeville Hall. Alongside the Italianate mansions, Toorak's housing stock includes Edwardian estates, inter-war Tudor Revival residences, mid-century modernist homes, and a smaller number of contemporary architect-designed builds that fill out the streetscape.
Heritage Overlay controls apply across an estimated 60 to 70 percent of Toorak under the Stonnington Planning Scheme, making it one of the most heritage-protected residential suburbs in Victoria. Amendment C320ston is currently expanding heritage controls in the suburb, introducing 17 new individually significant places and 9 new heritage precincts. For Toorak homeowners, understanding the specific heritage grading and controls that apply to their property before committing to any renovation, extension, or structural work is the essential first step.
Toorak's residential character is shaped by long-term ownership. Properties are held for generations, and the homes that define the suburb's identity have, in many cases, remained with the same families for over a century. The scale of residential investment in Toorak continues to expand, with documented renovation projects in 2026 ranging from boutique heritage restorations to major mansion extensions valued in the tens of millions of dollars.
Toorak operates at its own pace. The suburb's daily life is anchored by Toorak Village, a mock-Tudor shopping precinct on Toorak Road that has remained the centre of the community for decades and supports over 300 businesses. The Village combines high-end boutiques, fine dining, gourmet food retailers including Coles Local and Woolworths Toorak, professional services, beauty and wellness providers, and the kind of independent cafes and restaurants that residents return to consistently rather than visit occasionally. The annual Toorak Village Sculpture Exhibition is one of the suburb's defining cultural events.
The Beatty Avenue precinct near Toorak Station offers a quieter, more refined social environment with European-style cafes, wine bars, and the daily rhythm of residents who have lived in the suburb for decades. Hawksburn Village, immediately west of Toorak, complements the local retail offering with additional boutiques and restaurants.
Toorak's schools are among the most academically regarded in Australia. St Catherine's School, Loreto Mandeville Hall, St Kevin's College, and Geelong Grammar's Toorak Campus all sit within or immediately adjacent to the suburb, with Toorak Primary School serving the public primary cohort. In the 2025 academic results, these institutions consistently ranked among the highest in Victoria for VCE performance and ATAR results. Families purchase in Toorak with school catchments and proximity in mind, and the property market reflects the depth and durability of that demand.
Como Park and the adjacent Como House and Garden anchor the suburb's green space and historical identity. Como House, one of Melbourne's earliest mansions and now operated by the National Trust, sits on the Toorak boundary and reflects the architectural standard that defined the suburb from the beginning. The Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club, the Hawksburn Tennis Club, and proximity to the Yarra River trail complete the daily picture for residents who expect green space, sporting facilities, and connection to one of Melbourne's most established communities.
Toorak is served by Toorak and Heyington railway stations on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, with the Metro Tunnel project, fully integrated in late 2025, significantly increasing capacity across the broader south-eastern rail corridor. The high-frequency route 58 tram connects Toorak Village directly to Melbourne's CBD.
One licensed builder managing your project from the first site visit to final handover.Zac Porter, BPC DB-U 100-151, personally manages every renovation, extension, kitchen, and bathroom project Lilac Constructions delivers in Toorak. You deal with one person throughout the entire build. Every trade, every inspection, and every decision goes through one point of accountability from the first conversation through to the day you get your home back.
A skilled team behind every project.The Lilac Constructions team includes in-house carpenters and a trusted network of trades who have worked together consistently across renovations and extensions throughout Melbourne. Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, tiling, plastering, painting, and waterproofing are all delivered by the same trusted team on every project. That consistency is how we maintain quality and accountability from demolition day through to final handover.
Built around what Toorak homes actually require.Toorak is Australia's most prestigious residential suburb, with housing that spans mid-19th century Italianate mansions through to contemporary estates. The City of Stonnington protects extensive heritage streetscapes across Toorak through the Stonnington Planning Scheme, and additional planning controls including Significant Landscape Overlays and the Stonnington Significant Tree Register protect the suburb's mature gardens and trees on large allotments. Amendment C320ston, the current Toorak, Kooyong and Armadale Heritage Review, is adding heritage overlays to additional individually significant places and precincts across the suburb. Renovating in Toorak means navigating multiple layers of planning controls, working with construction conditions that range from heritage masonry to contemporary concrete, and delivering a finish that matches the value of the property. Every Lilac Constructions Toorak project starts with an honest assessment of your specific home, its planning controls, and what the build will actually involve before any scope or price conversation begins.
Communication that matches the investment.A renovation on a Toorak property is a significant financial decision. You will always know where your project stands, what is coming next, and who is responsible for every part of the work. Fixed-price contracts mean the number agreed at the start is the number you pay at handover. No variations introduced mid-build, no silence between milestones, no surprises.
Heritage Overlay Coverage in Toorak: Toorak sits within the City of Stonnington and operates under one of the most extensive heritage overlay schedules in Victoria. An estimated 60 to 70 percent of properties in Toorak fall under Heritage Overlay controls managed by City of Stonnington. The protection afforded by a Heritage Overlay applies to built structures and the associated land, with the minimum level of protection meaning that any work to the building or site requires a planning permit, ensuring a higher level of scrutiny regardless of any specific control measures cited.
Amendment C320ston Active Heritage Expansion: Amendment C320ston is currently progressing through the Stonnington Planning Scheme amendment process and implements the findings of the Toorak, Kooyong and Armadale Heritage Review prepared by Extent Heritage. The amendment proposes to apply Heritage Overlay controls to 17 new individually significant places, 9 new heritage precincts, and an extension to one existing heritage precinct in Toorak, Armadale, and Kooyong, alongside updates to controls, extent, and gradings for 51 existing individual places and 11 existing precincts. Interim Heritage Overlay controls applying in Toorak, Armadale, Kooyong, and Malvern were extended by the Victorian Government Gazette in July 2025 until 30 January 2026 while permanent controls are finalised. For Toorak homeowners, this means heritage controls applying to your property may have changed within the past twelve months. Verifying your property's current planning status before committing to any scope or cost is essential.
What Requires a Planning Permit in Toorak: Under the Stonnington Planning Scheme, if your property is within a Heritage Overlay you need a planning permit to demolish or remove a building including fences, walls, and outbuildings, alter the exterior of a building such as replacing or constructing new windows and doors, install services including heating and cooling systems and chimneys, install a solar energy system visible from a street, construct a new building such as a shed or garage, construct a pergola or verandah, build a deck visible from a street, install a swimming pool visible from a street, construct a vehicle crossover and driveway, or display a sign.
Heritage Grading in Stonnington: Every property within a Heritage Overlay in Stonnington carries a grading that determines how Council assesses your planning application. Significant properties, graded A1, A2, or B, are of national, state, or high local significance, either individually or as part of a heritage precinct. Contributory properties, graded C, exemplify particular architectural periods or styles in largely intact heritage precincts. Non-contributory properties contain no built form contributing to the character of a heritage precinct but can still affect surrounding heritage places through how they are developed. Your property's grading determines the approval pathway and what changes are permissible.
Victorian Heritage Register Properties in Toorak: A small number of Toorak properties are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and carry state-level heritage significance, including Toorak House at 21 St Georges Road (built 1851, used as Victoria's first Government House), Greenwich House at 75 to 77 Irving Road (built 1869), and Mandeville Hall. For state-listed properties, additional approval from Heritage Victoria is required in addition to City of Stonnington planning approval. The approval process and documentation requirements are more involved than for locally listed properties.
Internal Works: Unless specified in the Heritage Overlay schedule for your specific property, internal alterations including bathroom renovations, kitchen renovations, and internal reconfigurations generally do not require a planning permit. These works proceed under a building permit only.
VicSmart (Faster 10-Day Processing): Non-contributory graded properties in Toorak may qualify for VicSmart, a streamlined planning permit process where eligible applications are assessed by City of Stonnington within 10 days rather than the standard assessment period. VicSmart covers specific straightforward applications including some external alterations, front fences, outbuildings, and solar panels. Your property's grading determines eligibility, and not all works qualify for VicSmart even on non-contributory buildings.
Planning Permit vs Building Permit: These are two separate legal requirements under Victorian law. The planning permit deals with land use and design under the Stonnington Planning Scheme. The building permit deals with construction safety and compliance under the Building Act 1993. For extensions and structural works in Toorak, both are typically required, and the planning permit must be obtained before the building permit can be issued.
How to Check Your Property: Verify your Toorak property's heritage overlay status, grading, and current planning controls through VicPlan at vicplan.vic.gov.au, or through the Victorian Heritage Database at vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au for state-listed properties. City of Stonnington's planning team is located at 311 Glenferrie Road, Malvern, and can be contacted directly for property-specific advice.
A home renovation in Toorak is rarely about making the house bigger. The homes are already substantial. It is almost always about making a beautiful period or contemporary home function the way a modern family lives, updating systems that have not kept pace with the property, and delivering finishes that match what the home and the market expect. Reconfiguring internal layouts, restoring period detail where it has been lost over the years, upgrading services throughout, and improving the connection between living spaces and Toorak's typically generous gardens are the renovations that consistently deliver lasting value. Heritage overlay, Significant Landscape Overlay, and Significant Tree Register controls under the Stonnington Planning Scheme all need to be properly understood before any design work begins. Lilac Constructions manages permits and construction under one fixed-price contract.
A kitchen renovation in a Toorak home is rarely a layout-in-place replacement. The brief in this suburb almost always involves opening the kitchen to living, dining, and outdoor entertaining, integrating high-end appliances and bespoke joinery, and delivering a finished result that reflects the standard of the rest of the home. On heritage homes this means working carefully within the existing structure, often dealing with original masonry walls, and managing services and ventilation that were never designed for a modern kitchen. Every Lilac Constructions kitchen renovation in Toorak is delivered under a fixed price with Zac Porter managing the build personally from the first site visit to final inspection.
Bathroom renovations in Toorak's period homes typically involve replacing existing wet areas that were updated in earlier decades to standards that no longer reflect what the home commands. Adding additional bathrooms and ensuites to support modern family life in larger Toorak homes is also a common brief. Working in heritage homes requires careful assessment of plumbing, structural conditions, and any internal heritage controls before scope is agreed. Every Lilac Constructions bathroom renovation in Toorak is delivered under a fixed-price contract with waterproofing certified to Australian Standard AS 3740 and full compliance documentation provided at handover.
Toorak's generous blocks and the suburb's architectural character mean extensions, where appropriate, can be substantial. A rear extension that opens living areas to the garden, a side return that widens an original floor plan, or a carefully designed second storey on a property where the existing structure supports it are all viable depending on the property and its planning controls. For properties under a heritage overlay within the Stonnington Planning Scheme, the design must respect the original character of the home, and where Significant Landscape Overlays or protected trees apply, the extension footprint and construction approach are shaped by what the planning controls allow. Lilac Constructions manages planning permits, building permits, and the full construction of every Toorak extension under one fixed-price contract with Zac Porter accountable throughout.
