La Trobe Street (also Latrobe Street) is a major
street
A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...
and thoroughfare in the
city centre of Melbourne,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. It runs roughly east–west and forms the northern boundary of Melbourne's
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
. The street was laid out as an extension of the original
Hoddle Grid
Hoddle Grid is the contemporary name given to the approximately grid of streets that form the Melbourne central business district, Australia. Bounded by Flinders Street, Spring Street, La Trobe Street, and Spencer Street, it lies at an an ...
in 1839 and was named after
Charles La Trobe
Charles la Trobe, CB (20 March 18014 December 1875), commonly Latrobe, was appointed in 1839 superintendent of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales and, after the establishment in 1851 of the colony of Victoria (now a state of Australi ...
. La Trobe Street extends from
Victoria Street in the east to
Harbour Esplanade
Harbour Esplanade is a waterfront street and thoroughfare in Docklands, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly north-south from Navigation Drive in the south to Docklands Drive in the north. The road also forms the ...
in the west.
Location
La Trobe Street is home to a number of precincts and public and private spaces. The
Carlton Gardens
The Carlton Gardens is a World Heritage Site located on the northeastern edge of the Central Business District in the suburb of Carlton, in Melbourne, Australia. A popular picnic and barbecue area, the heritage-listed Carlton Gardens are home t ...
lie at the eastern end of the street, and the western end terminates at
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on South China Sea were instrumental i ...
in the
Docklands. Before Docklands was developed, La Trobe street terminated just beyond its intersection with Spencer Street. In 2000 the La Trobe Street Bridge opened to connect the street through to docklands, and tram lines were also extended accordingly.
The
Flagstaff Gardens
Flagstaff Gardens is the oldest park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, first established in 1862. Today it is one of the most visited and widely used parks in the city by residents, nearby office workers and tourists. The gardens are notable fo ...
are located at the corner of La Trobe and King Streets.
Notable buildings
Numerous notable buildings and structures on La Trobe Street are listed on the
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 2017. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister. H ...
and/or classified by the
National Trust of Australia
The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...
. These include:
Victorian Heritage Register
*
Argus Building
The Argus Building on the corner of La Trobe and Elizabeth streets in Melbourne, Australia, is notable as the former premises of '' The Argus'' newspaper for 30 years (1926–1956). It is classified by the National Trust and is listed on the ...
(NMIT)*
* Cast Iron Public Urinal (adjacent to
Melbourne Magistrates' Court
The Melbourne Magistrates' Court is the largest venue at which the Magistrates' Court of Victoria sits. It is a court in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia that deals with, and dispenses of, a range of criminal and civil matters, including crimin ...
)*
*
Francis Ormond Building
Francis may refer to:
People
*Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome
*Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Francis (surname)
Places
*Rural Mu ...
(RMIT)*
*
Flagstaff Gardens
Flagstaff Gardens is the oldest park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, first established in 1862. Today it is one of the most visited and widely used parks in the city by residents, nearby office workers and tourists. The gardens are notable fo ...
*
*
Foresters' Hall*
*
Royal Society of Victoria
The Royal Society of Victoria (RSV) is the oldest scientific society in the state of Victoria in Australia.
Foundation
In 1854 two organisations formed with similar aims and membership, these being ''The Philosophical Society of Victoria'' (fou ...
*
*
St David's Welsh Church*
*
William Angliss College*
*
Royal Mint (Former)*
*
State Library of Victoria
State Library Victoria (SLV) is the state library of Victoria, Australia. Located in Melbourne, it was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, making it Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in the ...
*
*Also classified by the National Trust
National Trust
*
Burton Livery and Bait Stables
*
E W Tilley Building
*
Statue of Francis Ormond (artist
Percival Ball
Percival Ball (17 February 1845 – 4 April 1900) was an English sculptor active in Australia.
Ball was born in Westminster, London, the son of Edward Henry Ball, carver, and his wife Louisa, née Percival. He later studied at the Royal Academy ...
)
Other notable buildings
*
Marvel Stadium
Docklands Stadium, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Melbourne Docklands, Docklands area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in O ...
*
Melbourne Central Shopping Centre
Melbourne Central is a large shopping centre, office, and public transport hub in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The complex includes the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, which was refurbished in 2005 by architects Ashton Ragga ...
*
Family Court
Family courts were originally created to be a Court of Equity convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, including custody of children, and could disregard certain legal requirements as long as the petitioner/plaintif ...
complex
*
RMIT University
RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public research university in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city ...
complex
*
Aurora Melbourne Central
Aurora Melbourne Central is a high residential skyscraper in Melbourne, Australia. It is Melbourne's third-tallest building and the fifth tallest building in Australia.
Developed by Malaysian–based UEM Sunrise and designed by Elenberg Fr ...
In recent years there has been controversy over the number of proposed demolitions for unlisted heritage buildings, including:
* 488 La Trobe Street, a Victorian-era workshop built in 1882 (set to be demolished to for a new apartment tower)
* 48 La Trobe Street, a coach factory built in 1862 and added to in 1887 (demolished for a small shopping plaza and laneway access)
Transport
Two underground railway stations lie beneath La Trobe Street, with
Flagstaff station toward the west and
Melbourne Central nearer the centre. Two of
Melbourne's tram routes travel along La Trobe Street. These are the
route 30 and the
City Circle tram.
See also
References
{{coord, -37.8114, 144.9577, dim:1000_region:AU, display=title
Streets in Melbourne City Centre