![Melbourne Union Lane Street Art](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Melbourne_Union_Lane_Street_Art.jpg)
The
Melbourne central business district
The Melbourne central business district (also known colloquially as simply "The City" or "The CBD") is the city centre and main urban area of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, centred on the Hoddle Grid, the oldest part of the city la ...
in Australia is home to numerous lanes and arcades. Often called "laneways", these narrow streets and pedestrian paths date mostly from the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
, and are a popular cultural attraction for their cafes, bars and
street art
Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art.
Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant graff ...
.
The city's oldest laneways are a byproduct of Melbourne's original urban plan, the 1837
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 ...
, and were designed as access routes to service properties fronting the CBD's major thoroughfares. By the 1850s
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...
, Melbourne had over one hundred lanes, some of which became associated with the city's criminal underbelly, notably those in the
Little Lon district
Little Lon was the popular name for a slum and red-light district in Melbourne, Australia.
The area was roughly bounded by Lonsdale Street, Spring Street, Stephen Street (later Exhibition Street) and La Trobe Street. Little Lonsdale Street itse ...
. Melbourne's shopping arcades, among the best known being the
Block Arcade and the
Royal Arcade Royal Arcade can refer to a number of structures:
* Royal Arcade, Boscombe
* Royal Arcade, Cardiff
* Royal Arcade, Charters Towers
* Royal Arcade, London
* Royal Arcade, Melbourne
The Royal Arcade is a historic shopping arcade in the centra ...
, reached a peak of opulence during the late Victorian era. Since the 1990s, many lanes in Melbourne have become pedestrianised and undergone
gentrification
Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...
. Recognised today for their
heritage
Heritage may refer to:
History and society
* A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today
** Cultural heritage is created by humans
** Natural heritage is not
* Heritage language
Biology
* Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...
value, they frequently feature in tourism promotions, and attract visitors from throughout Australia and the world. A number of laneways, such as Hosier Lane, are street art hotspots, and referred to as "laneway galleries".
St Jerome's Laneway Festival
The St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, commonly referred to as Laneway, began in Caledonian Lane, Melbourne, Australia, in 2005. Beginning as predominantly an indie music event, the festival grew in popularity and expanded to five Australian citie ...
, often referred to simply as Laneway, is a popular music festival that began in 2004 in Melbourne's laneways.
ACDC Lane
ACDC Lane is a short, narrow
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, running south from Flinders Lane between
Exhibition Street
Exhibition Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district, central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The street is named after the International Exhibition held at the Royal Exhibition Building in 1880, and was pre ...
and
Russell Street.
The street was formerly called
Corporation Lane, but was renamed on 1 October 2004 as a tribute to Australian rock band
AC/DC
AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...
. The Melbourne City Council's vote to rename the street was unanimous. The trademark lightning bolt or slash ("/") used to separate the AC and the DC in the band's name contravened the naming policy of the Office of the Registrar of Geographic Names, so the punctuation was omitted on the street sign.
Melbourne's
Lord Mayor John So
John Chun Sai So (; born 2 October 1946) is a Hong Kong Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by v ...
launched ACDC Lane with the words, "As the song says, there is a highway to hell, but this is a laneway to heaven. Let us rock."
Bagpipers then played "
It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
"It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the first track of the group's second album '' T.N.T.'', released only in Australia and New Zealand on 8 December 1975, and was writte ...
." One month after the renaming, a lightning bolt was erected above and below the street sign.
Corporation Lane was chosen for renaming in part because the band filmed the music video for "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" on Melbourne's
Swanston Street
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is one of the main streets of the Melbourne central business district and was laid out in 1837 as part of the original Hoddle Grid. The street vertically ...
. ACDC Lane is near Swanston Street.
Other factors given include: AC/DC's status as cultural ambassadors for Australia, the band's ties to Melbourne, and the lane's position in the city's bar district.
Amphlett Lane
Amphlett Lane is a lane off
Little Bourke Street
Little Bourke Street (abbreviated to Lt. Bourke St) in Melbourne's CBD runs roughly east–west within the Hoddle Grid. It is a one-way street heading in a westward direction. The street intersects with Spencer Street at its western end and ...
. It was renamed in honour of
Chrissy Amphlett
Christine Joy Amphlett (; 25 October 1959 – 21 April 2013) was an Australian singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the frontwoman of the rock band Divinyls. She was notable for her brash, overtly sexual persona and subversive hu ...
in 2014. Christina Joy Amphlett (/æmflət/; 25 October 1959 – 21 April 2013) was an Australian singer, songwriter and actress who was the frontwoman of the Australian rock band
Divinyls
Divinyls () were an Australian rock band that were formed in Sydney in 1980. The band primarily consisted of vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. Amphlett garnered widespread attention for performing on stage in a school unifo ...
. Amphlett died in 2013 of breast cancer and complications from multiple sclerosis.
The laneway is nestled behind the Princess Theatre on Spring Street and the rear of the Palace on Bourke, and is, said Cr Doyle, "emblematic, being at the back of two theatres where Chrissy so famously performed".
Bank Place
Bank Place is a short, narrow
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, running south from
Little Collins Street
Little Collins Street is a minor street in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The street runs parallel to and to the north of Collins Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main ...
between
Queen Street and
William Street.
Located in the heart of the financial sector, Bank Place (which incorporates several smaller lanes, such as Mitre Lane) is an oasis of heritage pre-war buildings dating from the 1860s through to the 1920s. Looking north, a vista is framed by Normanby Chambers.
The precinct is subject to heritage restrictions, and some of the significant buildings include:
* Mitre Tavern, historic pub established in 1868 and remodelled in the Queen Anne style between 1900 and 1910. Mitre Tavern was a popular 'bohemian' hangout for many of Australia's most prominent artists of the early twentieth century, alongside the neighbouring Savage Club.
Some significant buildings include 12–16 Bank Place was built 1884 – 85 for Australia's first baronet Sir William Clarke. His son, Sir Rupert Clarke's mistress Connie Waugh is said to have lived there. The
Melbourne Savage Club
Melbourne Savage Club is a private Australian gentlemen's club founded in 1894 and named after the poet, Richard Savage. Bohemian in spirit, the club was to bring together literary men, and those immediately connected or sympathising with li ...
purchased the building in 1923. The building is classified by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).
Stalbridge Chambers built in 1891 is on the corner of Little Collins. Charter House is another notable old building in the lane.
The lane also includes several ornate heritage lamp posts and bluestone alleys.
Bank Place is home to several popular bars and cafes which serve many of the nearby office workers. Many of the taller old buildings have been converted into loft style apartments.
Bligh Place
Bligh Place is a short, quiet and narrow open
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, running north from
Flinders Lane
Flinders Lane is a minor street and thoroughfare in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The laneway runs east–west from Spring Street to Spencer Street in-between Flinders and Collins Streets. Originally laid ou ...
between
Elizabeth Street and
Queen Street.
Located near
Victoria University and the financial centre of Melbourne, Bligh Place is a short lane which connects across Flinders Lane with University Place and University Arcade through to
Flinders Street. As such, it is popular with students and is currently flanked by some small noodle, sushi, cafes and wine bars.
The lane was developed in the 1990s following the location of Victoria University to the inner city campus and has a heritage building which was restored in the late 1990s on the eastern entrance and some converted warehouse lofts apartments. A vista is created by the Victoria University campus to the south on Flinders Street.
The lane is bitumen with a small strip
blue stone cobbled gutter, has suspended overhead lighting and is unused by vehicular traffic.
The Block Arcade
The Block Arcade is a heritage shopping
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
that forms a short, narrow
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, connecting
Collins Street to
Little Collins Street
Little Collins Street is a minor street in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The street runs parallel to and to the north of Collins Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main ...
in the
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 ...
of Melbourne. It is also connected to
Elizabeth Street in the west, thus, forming a L-shaped arcade and connecting to
Block Place through to the
Royal Arcade Royal Arcade can refer to a number of structures:
* Royal Arcade, Boscombe
* Royal Arcade, Cardiff
* Royal Arcade, Charters Towers
* Royal Arcade, London
* Royal Arcade, Melbourne
The Royal Arcade is a historic shopping arcade in the centra ...
.
Melbourne's Golden Mile heritage walk runs through the arcade.
The arcade which was erected between 1891 and 1893 was designed by architect David C. Askew whose brief was to produce something similar to the Galleria Vittoria in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
. The result was one of Melbourne's most richly decorated interior spaces, replete with mosaic tiled flooring, glass canopy, wrought iron and carved stone finishings. The exterior façade of the six-storey office has near identical facades on Collins and Elizabeth Streets and is one of Australia's best surviving examples of the Victorian Mannerist style.
The arcade was formerly known as "Carpenter's Lane"; however, the precinct was widely known as "The Block". Once the works were complete, local shopkeepers successfully petitioned to have it changed to its present name.
It is a significant
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
arcade and is 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 ...
. Along with Melbourne's other main arcade, the
Royal Arcade Royal Arcade can refer to a number of structures:
* Royal Arcade, Boscombe
* Royal Arcade, Cardiff
* Royal Arcade, Charters Towers
* Royal Arcade, London
* Royal Arcade, Melbourne
The Royal Arcade is a historic shopping arcade in the centra ...
, and Melbourne's lanes, it is a tourist icon of the city.
Block Place
Block Place is a short, narrow partially covered
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, running south from
Little Collins Street
Little Collins Street is a minor street in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The street runs parallel to and to the north of Collins Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main ...
between
Swanston Street
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is one of the main streets of the Melbourne central business district and was laid out in 1837 as part of the original Hoddle Grid. The street vertically ...
and
Elizabeth Street.
Block Place is a pedestrian only laneway that is trendy and popular with both Melbourne locals and tourists for its intimate alfresco cafes close to the shopping heart of Melbourne it is crowded with cafes and shops in a number of pre-war buildings. Cafe Segovia is one of a popular lunch destination and a popular record store is located in underground basements.
The lane joins with the heritage
Block Arcade, a 19th-century covered shopping arcade. Block Arcade and Block Place form a T-shape running from
Little Collins Street
Little Collins Street is a minor street in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The street runs parallel to and to the north of Collins Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main ...
through to
Collins Street and
Elizabeth Street.
Royal Arcade Royal Arcade can refer to a number of structures:
* Royal Arcade, Boscombe
* Royal Arcade, Cardiff
* Royal Arcade, Charters Towers
* Royal Arcade, London
* Royal Arcade, Melbourne
The Royal Arcade is a historic shopping arcade in the centra ...
is just across Little Collins and connects through to Bourke Street.
Caledonian Lane
![Caledonian lane melbourne](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Caledonian_lane_melbourne.png)
Caledonian Lane is a short, quiet and narrow (4-metre wide) open
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, running north from
Little Bourke Street
Little Bourke Street (abbreviated to Lt. Bourke St) in Melbourne's CBD runs roughly east–west within the Hoddle Grid. It is a one-way street heading in a westward direction. The street intersects with Spencer Street at its western end and ...
between Little Bourke Street and
Lonsdale Street
Lonsdale Street is a main street and thoroughfare in the city centre of Melbourne, Australia. It runs roughly east–west and was laid out in 1837 as one of Melbourne's original boundaries within the Hoddle Grid. The street extends from Sp ...
.
Caledonian Lane is most notable as the former home to the
St Jerome's Laneway Festival
The St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, commonly referred to as Laneway, began in Caledonian Lane, Melbourne, Australia, in 2005. Beginning as predominantly an indie music event, the festival grew in popularity and expanded to five Australian citie ...
. It is also notable due to controversial developments in 2009 involving the redevelopment of the Post Office precinct and Department Store precinct also involving the shutting down of both St Jerome's and the festival.
A consortium involving
Myer
Myer (stylised MYER, sometimes known as Myers) is an Australia, Australian mid-range to upscale department store chain. It trades in all Australian states and one of Australia's two self-governing territories. Myer retails a broad range of ...
and
Colonial First State
Colonial First State (CFS), is an Australian wealth management group that provides investment, superannuation and retirement products to individuals and corporate and superannuation fund investors.
History
The company was established in 1988 ...
applied for exemption from the
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. In 2018, the city has an area of and had a population of 169,961. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. The ci ...
Heritage Overlay
A Heritage Overlay or HO is one of a number of planning scheme overlays contained in the Victorian Planning Provisions, for use in planning schemes in Victoria, Australia. The heritage overlay schedule of each local government planning scheme ...
to widen the lane by 4 metres to improve access for delivery trucks and in the process demolish the art deco landmark Lonsdale House in 2009.
Permission was granted by both the City of Melbourne and the State planning minister
Justin Madden
Justin Mark Madden (born 31 May 1961) is a former Australian rules footballer and state politician. He played for the Essendon Football Club and the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). After his retirement in 1997 ...
MP on 24 July 2009 under controversial circumstances.
In response to the demolition for the sake of lane widening, a preservation group called Save Lonsdale House formed in late 2009 despite protests the building was demolished in 2010 and the lane was widened.
Until 2004, Caledonian Lane was home to a number of small independent store owners, however the buildings were sold under vacant possession in 2007.
The lane is bitumen with a small strip
blue stone cobbled gutter, has street lighting attached to Lonsdale House and is by both pedestrian and vehicular traffic, mainly delivery trucks. Caledonian Lane forms a vista toward both Loudon Place to the south and Drewery Lane to the north, both are almost directly opposite.
Cathedral Arcade
Cathedral Arcade is a heritage shopping
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
forming a short, narrow
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, connecting
Swanston Street
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is one of the main streets of the Melbourne central business district and was laid out in 1837 as part of the original Hoddle Grid. The street vertically ...
to
Flinders Lane
Flinders Lane is a minor street and thoroughfare in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The laneway runs east–west from Spring Street to Spencer Street in-between Flinders and Collins Streets. Originally laid ou ...
. It is a T-shaped arcade, however one of the laneways terminates inside of the building.
The arcade is notable as it retains all of its original features. The arcade is fully covered by
stained glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
and
leadlight
Leadlights, leaded lights or leaded windows are decorative windows made of small sections of glass supported in lead cames. The technique of creating windows using glass and lead came to be known as came glasswork. The term 'leadlight' could be ...
s, which forms a highly detailed arch leading to a central dome. The floors are decorated with ceramic tiles, and the shopfronts feature richly detailed wood panels.
The art deco arcade, which dates back to 1925 is part of the Nicholas Building designed by Harry Norris, is an early interwar palazzo skyscraper. The building itself, including the arcade is 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 ...
.
Causeway Lane
Causeway Lane (also known as ''The Causeway'') is a short, quiet and narrow open
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, running between
Bourke Street Mall
Bourke Street is one of the main streets in the Melbourne central business district and a core feature of the Hoddle Grid. It was traditionally the entertainment hub of inner-city Melbourne, and is now also a popular tourist destination and tr ...
and
Little Collins Street
Little Collins Street is a minor street in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The street runs parallel to and to the north of Collins Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main ...
between
Elizabeth Street and
Swanston Street
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is one of the main streets of the Melbourne central business district and was laid out in 1837 as part of the original Hoddle Grid. The street vertically ...
.
Located in the heart of the shopping precinct, the Causeway is currently flanked by some small boutique shops, indoor and outdoor cafes and sushi bars.
The lane is notable for the heritage listed former ''Union Bank'' a tall curved palazzo styled building constructed in the 1920s which has a mezzanine entrance at the corner of the lane. The building is now occupied by Laurent, an upmarket
French patisserie.
The lane is bitumen and lined by the plain sides of some heritage buildings. It is closed to all vehicular traffic.
A vista is created at either end by the
Myer Emporium
Myer (stylised MYER, sometimes known as Myers) is an Australian mid-range to upscale department store chain. It trades in all Australian states and one of Australia's two self-governing territories. Myer retails a broad range of products a ...
on Bourke Street Mall and at the other by the postmodern facade of the Novotel on Collins.
Centre Place
Centre Place is a busy laneway and arcade that runs between
Flinders Lane
Flinders Lane is a minor street and thoroughfare in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The laneway runs east–west from Spring Street to Spencer Street in-between Flinders and Collins Streets. Originally laid ou ...
and
Collins Street.
The laneway is home to several vibrant bars, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, sushi bars and shops, as well as some of Melbourne's best examples of
street art
Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art.
Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant graff ...
and
graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
, particularly
stencil graffiti
Stencil graffiti is a form of graffiti that makes use of stencils made out of paper, cardboard, or other media to create an image or text that is easily reproducible. The desired design is cut out of the selected medium and then the image is trans ...
, known as "City Lights". This precinct has been used in tourist promotion campaigns for the city.
Corporation Lane
Many minor laneways in Melbourne are given the 'default' name "Corporation Lane". Often these "unnamed" laneways do not appear in street directories. Progressively some of these have been renamed to something 'novel', often commemorative. The most famous example is ACDC Lane. However several other examples exist, including Menzies Lane,
East Melbourne
East Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. East Melbourne recorded a population of 4,896 at the 2021 ...
.
Because of the number of 'Corporation Lanes', they are identified by number. For example, the lane that became Menzies Lane was previously listed as "Corporation Lane (No. 1161)".
An article in ''
The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' revealed that: "Of the 1556 laneways in the City of Port Phillip, for example, most are numbered but few are named."
Croft Alley
![Croft Alley Melbourne](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Croft_Alley_Melbourne.jpg)
Croft Alley is a narrow laneway in
Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
, connecting Payne's Place and
Little Bourke Street
Little Bourke Street (abbreviated to Lt. Bourke St) in Melbourne's CBD runs roughly east–west within the Hoddle Grid. It is a one-way street heading in a westward direction. The street intersects with Spencer Street at its western end and ...
between Russell and Exhibition streets. In the 19th century, it also led to other laneways, but this section is now a dead end. Today it is primarily known for its bars and street art.
Dame Edna Place
Dame Edna Place (formerly Brown Alley) is a lane off Little Collins Street. It was renamed in honour of
Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna Everage, often known simply as Dame Edna, is a character created and performed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, known for her lilac-coloured ("wisteria hue") hair and cat eye glasses ("face furniture"); her favourite flower, t ...
in 2007 and officially opened by the
Lord Mayor John So
John Chun Sai So (; born 2 October 1946) is a Hong Kong Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by v ...
. Dame Edna Place is opposite Royal Arcade and The Causeway, between the major roads, Elizabeth Street and Swanston Street; it was, until its renaming, a service alley for adjoining buildings. Dame Edna was not at the renaming ceremony but was represented by ten look-alike Dames.
Degraves Street
Degraves Street is a short, narrow
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, running north from
Flinders Street to
Flinders Lane
Flinders Lane is a minor street and thoroughfare in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The laneway runs east–west from Spring Street to Spencer Street in-between Flinders and Collins Streets. Originally laid ou ...
.
It was named after Charles and William Degraves, pioneer merchants who settled in Melbourne from
Hobart, Tasmania
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-smalle ...
in 1849. William Degraves (1821–1883) was also a large-scale grazier and a member of Victoria's Legislative Council between 1860 and 1874.
The cobbled bluestone alley forms a busy alternative thoroughfare for commuters disembarking from
Flinders Street station
Flinders Street railway station is a train station located on the corner of Flinders Street, Melbourne, Flinders and Swanston Street, Swanston streets in the Melbourne city centre, central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria (Austral ...
toward the shopping areas of The Block on
Collins Street and
Bourke Street Mall
Bourke Street is one of the main streets in the Melbourne central business district and a core feature of the Hoddle Grid. It was traditionally the entertainment hub of inner-city Melbourne, and is now also a popular tourist destination and tr ...
, loosely connecting with
Centre Place
Centre Place Shopping Centre is a shopping mall in Hamilton, New Zealand. It is located in the suburb of Hamilton Central. Centre Place is one of the city's three major malls along with Te Awa at The Base and Westfield Chartwell.
A scheme fo ...
, a similar lane just across Flinders Lane. The Degraves underpass was built in the 1950s, one of the few public works at the time, to allow pedestrians to get from Flinders Street Station to Degraves street rather than have to walk across busy Flinders Street. Degraves underpass is also home to Platform Artists Group, and frequently presents new works. Vehicles have only restricted access.
The lane features bars, cafes, and restaurants and many of the taller old buildings have been converted into loft style apartments in the 1990s, adding further life to the street.
Redevelopment of the Mutual Store in 2006 has further enhanced the lane with additional shops.
A vista up Degraves laneway is created by "Majorca House", an ornate 1930s building dressed in
faience
Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip of a lead glaze, was a major ad ...
.
People use Degraves Street as a quick stop for a coffee before going to catch their train at
Flinders Street station
Flinders Street railway station is a train station located on the corner of Flinders Street, Melbourne, Flinders and Swanston Street, Swanston streets in the Melbourne city centre, central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria (Austral ...
.
Flinders Lane
![Flinders Lane](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Flinders_Lane.jpg)
Flinders Lane is a minor
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, ...
. The street runs parallel to and to the north of
Flinders Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main street. The street was the centre of Melbourne's
rag trade
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of yarn, cloth and clothing. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry.
Industry process
Cotton manufacturi ...
for the middle decades of the 20th century and is still home to small boutique designers.
Despite the loss of some significant turn of the century buildings, it is now known for its "
SoHo
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century.
The area was develop ...
" atmosphere. Today, the area is home to many boutique hotels, "loft style" apartment conversions, cafes and bars as well as connecting with a number of smaller lanes, including Degraves Street, ACDC Lane, Manchester Lane and ''Centreway'' which weave their way through the city.
For a block between
William Street and
Market Street Market Street may refer to:
*Market Street, Cambridge, England
*Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
* Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
*Market Street, Manchester, England
*Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
...
,
Melbourne tram route 58
Melbourne tram route 58 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network from West Coburg to Toorak. The 18.0 kilometre route is operated out of Essendon and Southbank depots with Z, B and E class trams.
History
Route 58 was introd ...
runs along Flinders Lane.
Hardware Lane
Hardware Lane runs roughly north–south between
Bourke Street
Bourke Street is one of the main streets in the Melbourne central business district and a core feature of the Hoddle Grid. It was traditionally the entertainment hub of inner-city Melbourne, and is now also a popular tourist destination and tr ...
and
Little Lonsdale Street
Little Lonsdale Street is located in the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. A part of the Hoddle Grid, it runs roughly east–west. North of Lonsdale Street and south of La Trobe Street, Little Lonsdale Street's eastern end intersect ...
.
Restaurants
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearanc ...
and
ski shops are located on the street, as well as
hairdresser
A hairdresser is a person whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques. A Hairdresser may also be refe ...
s. A
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
franchise is located at the southern end of the street, with other
fast food
Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredien ...
restaurants.
The lane is closed to traffic and at night live jazz entertains visitors to bars and cafés.
Named after Hardware House in the 1920s, Hardware Lane was built on land formerly occupied by Kirk's Horse Bazaar, a horse and livery trading centre built in 1840 by James Bowie Kir
The Stevensons Invest In The New Colony
Dynon's Building at 63–73 Hardware Lane is a set of four warehouses designed by
William Pitt, the designer of some of the finest
gothic revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
buildings in the city including
Princess Theatre.
Hosier Lane
![Shepard Fairey Hosier Melbourne](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Shepard_Fairey_Hosier_Melbourne.jpg)
Hosier Lane is a
bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:
* basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand
* dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge)
* felds ...
cobbled
Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings.
Setts, also called Belgian blocks, are often casually referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct fr ...
vehicular and pedestrian laneway on the southern edge of the central city grid. Hosier lane is a much celebrated landmark mainly due to its sophisticated
Urban art
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
.
Hosier Lane lies opposite the entrance to the
Atrium
Atrium may refer to:
Anatomy
* Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart
* Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods
* Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain
* Pulmona ...
at
Federation Square
Federation Square (colloquially Fed Square) is a venue for arts, culture and public events on the edge of the Melbourne central business district. It covers an area of at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston Streets built above busy ra ...
on
Flinders Street, a prominent position in the city.
The lane has been noted for the quality and the often political nature of its art. It features in the state-sponsored book ''The Melbourne Design Guide'' and in Tourism Victoria's ''Lose Yourself in Melbourne'' advertising campaign, leading to questions about the dichotomy of
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 ...
's approach to
graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
. The graffiti-covered walls and art-installations have become a popular backdrop for
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
and
wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
photography.
Hosier Lane is also known for its
upmarket cocktail lounge
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
s including the popular Misty and MoVida. An open air cooking session with MoVida's chef Frank Camorra on
Masterchef Australia season 2 showcased the lane as a major Melbourne attraction.
Howey Place
Howey Place, formerly known as "Cole's Walk" is a shopping
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
. The short, narrow covered
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, running south from
Little Collins Street
Little Collins Street is a minor street in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The street runs parallel to and to the north of Collins Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main ...
between
Swanston Street
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is one of the main streets of the Melbourne central business district and was laid out in 1837 as part of the original Hoddle Grid. The street vertically ...
and
Elizabeth Street.
Located in the heart of the shopping precinct, Howey Place is currently flanked with small designer fashion shops. It joins with the ''Sportsgirl Centre'', a shopping mall at 234 Collins Street which runs through to
Collins Street, as well forming an "L" shape toward the back of the
Capitol Arcade which connects it with Swanston Street.
Motor vehicles are restricted access.
Before 1896, Howey Place was just a drab lane. In 1896, Edward William Cole, the developer of the famous Cole's Book Arcade, covered the lane with a glass canopy and created glass showcases along the street to attract tenants which included a Cole's wholesale bookstore, a toy department store and printing shop.
In the 1920s, the streamline moderne ''Presgrave'' building was incorporated into the lane.
Howey House, a tall art-deco building and part of the Collins Street in the 1930s once connected the lane to Collins Street via an open laneway, however Howey House was demolished in the 1980s for the construction of the Sportsgirl Centre, a modern shopping mall.
Niagara Lane
Niagara Lane is a small lane running roughly north–south between
Bourke Street
Bourke Street is one of the main streets in the Melbourne central business district and a core feature of the Hoddle Grid. It was traditionally the entertainment hub of inner-city Melbourne, and is now also a popular tourist destination and tr ...
and
Little Bourke Street
Little Bourke Street (abbreviated to Lt. Bourke St) in Melbourne's CBD runs roughly east–west within the Hoddle Grid. It is a one-way street heading in a westward direction. The street intersects with Spencer Street at its western end and ...
. The lane is named after the Niagara buildings, early 20th century warehouses which feature their row of original
pulley
A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable or belt, or transfer of power between the shaft and cable or belt. In the case of a pulley supported by a frame or shell that ...
and hook stocking systems from
horse and cart
A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have m ...
days.
The lane is lined by pre-war buildings, is
cobbled
Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings.
Setts, also called Belgian blocks, are often casually referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct fr ...
in
bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:
* basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand
* dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge)
* felds ...
and is accessible to pedestrians and small vehicles. It has a southward vista dominated by the copper dome topped post modern tower 333 Collins Street and
Eureka Tower
Eureka Tower is a skyscraper located in the Southbank precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction began in August 2002 and the exterior was completed on 1 June 2006. The plaza was finished in June 2006 and the building was offici ...
.
On the western corner of Lonsdale Street is the Niagara Hotel. This facade of this 1870s hotel was modified and modernised in the 1920s.
McKillop Street
McKillop Street is a short, quiet and narrow open
lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
way, running between
Bourke Street
Bourke Street is one of the main streets in the Melbourne central business district and a core feature of the Hoddle Grid. It was traditionally the entertainment hub of inner-city Melbourne, and is now also a popular tourist destination and tr ...
and
Little Collins Street
Little Collins Street is a minor street in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The street runs parallel to and to the north of Collins Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main ...
between
Queen Street and
Elizabeth Street in the
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 ...
of Melbourne.
Located between the financial centre and shopping precinct, McKillop Street is currently flanked by some small boutique shops and outdoor dining cafes.
The lane is paved with red brick, has several trees and heritage style lampposts along it and restricted access to cars. There are some heritage buildings converted into apartments along the street.
Melbourne GPO
The Melbourne General Post Office or GPO, is a landmark building on the corner of
Elizabeth Street and
Bourke Street
Bourke Street is one of the main streets in the Melbourne central business district and a core feature of the Hoddle Grid. It was traditionally the entertainment hub of inner-city Melbourne, and is now also a popular tourist destination and tr ...
that was restored as a retail centre in 2004 and now forms a major
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
running from Bourke Street through to
Little Bourke Street
Little Bourke Street (abbreviated to Lt. Bourke St) in Melbourne's CBD runs roughly east–west within the Hoddle Grid. It is a one-way street heading in a westward direction. The street intersects with Spencer Street at its western end and ...
.
Royal Arcade
Royal Arcade is a heritage shopping
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
originally constructed in 1869, the arcade connects
Little Collins Street
Little Collins Street is a minor street in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The street runs parallel to and to the north of Collins Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main ...
to the
Bourke Street Mall
Bourke Street is one of the main streets in the Melbourne central business district and a core feature of the Hoddle Grid. It was traditionally the entertainment hub of inner-city Melbourne, and is now also a popular tourist destination and tr ...
, with a perpendicular passage running to
Elizabeth Street in the west. It also connects to the smaller Hub Arcade near the Little Collins Street end.
Originally designed by
Charles Webb, the arcade features a high glass roof and windowed stores. At the south end, the arcade features effigies of mythical figures
Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog (; he, גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג, ''Gōg ū-Māgōg'') appear in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran as individuals, tribes, or lands. In Ezekiel 38, Gog is an individual and Magog is his land; in Genesis 10, Magog is a man and epo ...
and a clock which chimes each hour. The arcade was restored between 2002 and 2004 which resulted in additional natural light and consistency of the shopfronts.
It is a significant
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
arcade, recorded 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 ...
. In addition, Melbourne's Golden Mile heritage walk runs through the arcade.
Along with Melbourne's other arcade, the
Block Arcade, and Melbourne's lanes, it is a tourist icon of the city. Royal Arcade is famous for its fashion stores as well as specialty stores such as
tarot card
The tarot (, first known as ''trionfi (cards), trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their ...
reading store.
Tattersalls Lane
One of the oldest laneways in Melbourne, Tattersalls Lane is located between Swanston and Russell streets, with the lane connecting Lonsdale Street to Little Bourke Street. The lane was named pre-1856 after the Tattersalls Hotel and Tattersalls Club located nearby. The lane is notable for its a mix of eateries, bars and ever-changing street art.
See also
*
Lanes and alleyways of Sydney
The lanes and alleyways of Sydney are a series of passageways found in Sydney CBD that have historically functioned by providing both off-street vehicular access to city buildings and secondary pedestrian routes through city blocks. They genera ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lanes And Arcades of Melbourne
Lanes
Landmarks in Melbourne