Sunday 26 October 2025
Harbour Room, Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, St Kilda
The St Kilda Historical Society and Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron welcomed members and guests for an afternoon exploring the history, significance and enduring appeal of St Kilda Pier, while enjoying panoramic views from the newly refurbished Harbour Room.
The event featured two presentations examining different aspects of the pier's history and character.
Promenading
Writer and journalist Oscar Schwartz shared reflections from his 2025 essay on St Kilda Pier, describing it as "a pier that was built mostly for leisure". His presentation explored the pier's 160-year history and its connection to the changing fortunes, identity and culture of St Kilda, while also touching on the origins of The Paris End newsletter.
Penguins
Representing Earthcare St Kilda, Tia Scott spoke about the Little Penguin colony that nests within the rocks of the St Kilda breakwater. Her presentation highlighted more than three decades of conservation work undertaken by Earthcare through research, education and community engagement. Members also learned about the history of the colony, whose presence was first recorded in 1976, following the construction of the rock breakwater that inadvertently created an ideal habitat for the penguins.
Together, the presentations offered both cultural and environmental perspectives on one of St Kilda's most beloved landmarks, illustrating the many ways the pier continues to connect people with the history, character and natural environment of the foreshore.
Speakers
Oscar Schwartz is a Melbourne-based journalist and writer whose reporting and criticism have appeared in publications including The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, The Atlantic and the Sydney Review of Books. In 2023, he co-founded The Paris End, a weekly newsletter covering Melbourne's culture and society, with Sally Olds and Cameron Hurst. Described by The New York Times as an "enchanting hyperlocal paper for the digital age", the newsletter has attracted thousands of readers and is recognised for its long-form cultural reporting on contemporary life in Melbourne.
Tia Scott is the Assistant Research Coordinator at Earthcare St Kilda, where she leads the planning and delivery of research programs focused on protecting the Little Penguin colony at the St Kilda Breakwater. She holds a Bachelor of Wildlife and Conservation Biology and completed an Honours degree examining microplastics in Little Penguins. Through her work, she contributes to the long-term conservation and monitoring of one of St Kilda's most distinctive wildlife populations.
The Paris End anthology was released on 1 November 2025 following the event.
