About Balaclava, VIC

Balaclava is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. Balaclava recorded a population of 5,392 at the 2021 census.Balaclava is located in the south-east of the city, in the St Kilda East area and is bounded by Inkerman Street to the north, Chapel Street to the west, Hotham Street to the east and Oak Grove and Los Angeles Court to the south. In terms of its cadastral division, Balaclava is in the parish of Prahran, within the County of Bourke The suburb was named after the Battle of Balaclava that took place on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War. Well known television celebrity Graham Kennedy spent part of his childhood in the Balaclava area. After his death, the local council placed a commemorative plaque on the house in which he lived. Balaclava is home to much of Melbourne's Orthodox Jewish Community, consisting of both Hasidic and non-Hasidic (Misnagdim or Yeshivish) Jews. Within its confines are a number of kosher restaurants and shops that cater to the local and broader Melbourne Haredi communities. == Streets == Many streets in Balaclava and its vicinity are named after Crimean War battles; e.g., the Battle of Balaclava (Balaclava Road), the Battle of Inkerman (Inkerman Road), the Siege of Sevastopol (Sebastopol Street), the Battle of the Alma River (Alma Road), the Battle of the Great Redan (Redan Street) and the Battle of Malakoff (Malakoff Street). One street, Crimea Street, is named after the war itself. Other streets in the district are named after people connected with the Crimean War; e.g., Lord Raglan (Raglan Street), Lord Cardigan (Cardigan Street), Florence Nightingale (Nightingale Street), François Certain Canrobert (Canrobert Street) and Lord Lucan (Lucan Street).