The original Town Hall was built in 1861 to the design of local architects Crouch and Wilson in the Italianate style of Victorian architecture popular in Melbourne at the time, including Italian Renaissance inspired interior spaces. The building was extended in 1888 to include a City Hall in a similar style.
The clock tower was designed by Charles D'Ebro and built in 1890 above the municipal offices and council chambers for the former City of Prahran. In the 1960s, the decorative tower was truncated.