The new home: Australia // Catalan Melbourne

Catalan Melbourne

Parer´s hotels list

Walking through Melbourne you can discover many Catalan places. Shall we go for a walk?


From the arrival of Peter Gras-y-Fort and through the connection of Esteban Parer, many Spaniards arrived in Victoria. They settled around Melbourne and integrated into the Australian society. Most of them worked in the hotel business, tomato markets, the fishing industry or cork importing. They got involved in sports events, politics and the public sphere. Little by little, their presence in Melbourne was significant, a footprint that is still visible nowadays.


Do you want to go for a walk along the streets of Melbourne and see what we find? Do you recognise any of these places? Melbourne has changed lots during the last century... Is there still any Catalan imprint in these places?

Take a camera and find out! Show us the Catalan Melbourne nowadays! Send your photos to info@catalanfootprintinaustralia.net. Show us the Catalan Melbourne now and then! 



1

Rubira’s Cafe

305-307 Bourke Street, Melbourne



2

Albion Hotel


292 Bourke Street, Melbourne



3

Royal Mail Hotel


Corner of Swanston Street and Bourke Street, Melbourne



4

Duke de la Victoria

212 Bourke Street, Melbourne



5

Parer’s Crystal Cafe and Hotel


200 Bourke Street, Melbourne

It was a common for Catalans arriving in Melbourne between 1860s-1920s to work in one of the Parer Family’s many hotels or restaurants



6

John Bull Tavern


Little Collins Street, Melbourne



7

London Tavern Hotel


99 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne



8

Exchange Hotel


255 Little Collins Street, Melbourne



9

Hosies Hotel & Café

1 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne



10

Casal Catala de Victoria


247-251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Established in 1986, the Casal Catala has been based at Ross House in Central Melbourne since 1988.



11

Keilor Market Gardens


Mercedes Street, Barcelona Street and Girona Street

Catalan families (Borrell, Senserrick, Vert and Quertero) ran market gardens in Keilor from the 1920s.



12

Canals Seafood

703 Nicholson Street, North Carlton

Michael Canals moved his fish shopf rom Johnson Street to this site in Calton in 1931. His grandsons still operate the business.



13

Restaurant at the Royal Exhibition Building

9 Nicholson Street, Carlton



14

Barcelona Terrace

31 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Built by the Parer Family in 1881



15

Former site of the Mercy Hospital for Women

Clarendon Street, East Melbourne

Dr Inez Parer (1896-1982), daughter of John Parer, helped establish the Mercy Hospital for Women.



16

Morell Bridge

Crosses the Yarra River at Anderson Street

Sir Stephen Morell, Lord Mayor of Melbourne 1926-1928



17

St Kilda Pier Pavilion

Jacka Boulevarde, St Kilda

Original pavilion built by Frances Parer (1860-1925) in 1904. The original pavilion was destroyed by fire in 2003 and rebuilt/restored in 2006.



18

Gras y Fort Family Home

142 Mont Albert Road, Canterbury



19

Parer Family Estate

Around Clota Avenue, Box Hill

This land was owned by the Parer Family and used as market gardens. The land was subdivided and sold for housing in 1923.