William Street is a major street in the

Melbourne central business district The Melbourne central business district (colloquially known as "the City" or "the CBD", and gazetted simply as Melbourne) is the city centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As of the 2021 census, the CBD had a population of 54,941, and is ...

Victoria, Australia Victoria, commonly abbreviated as Vic, is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state (after Tasmania), with a land area of ; the second-most-populated state (after New South Wales), with a population of over 7 million; ...

. It runs roughly north–south from Flinders Street to Victoria Street, and was laid out in 1837 as part of the original Hoddle Grid. The street is located in-between King Street and Queen Street. Notable landmarks on William Street include the

Queen Victoria Market The Queen Victoria Market (also known colloquially as the Vic Market or Queen Vic) is a major landmark and public marketplace in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Covering over , it is the largest open air ...

, the Flagstaff Gardens, Immigration Museum,

Supreme Court of Victoria The Supreme Court of Victoria is the highest court in the Australian state of Victoria. Founded in 1852, it is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited and inherent jurisdiction within the state. The Supreme Court compri ...

, AMP Square, Australian Club, Swann House and 140 William Street.

History

2007 shooting incident

On 18 June 2007, a shooting incident occurred on the corner of Flinders Lane and William Street when an unknown man shot and killed a pedestrian and wounded two others. Christopher Hudson later pleaded guilty to the shootings.

2017 car attack

On 20 January 2017, a car was driven into pedestrians in the central business district of Melbourne, killing 5 and injuring over 20. The driver was stopped when police shot him in the arm and subsequently pulled him from his vehicle on William Street (at the corner of Bourke Street).

Notable buildings

Several buildings and structures on William 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. ...

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: * 140 William Street * Australian Club Building * Court of Appeal * Goldsborough Mort Building * Hume House *

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titans, Titan. He is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking theft of fire, fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technol ...

Mural in Monash House * Queensland Building * Royal Melbourne Mint (former) * Royal Standard Hotel * Scottish House * Shell Corner (former) *

* Western House

Law Courts precinct

William Street's junction with Lonsdale Street forms the legal precinct of Melbourne.for LegalPrecinct.pdf Modern Future for Victoria's Historic Legal Precinct – Victorian Bar
/ref> This junction is the location of the

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 crimina ...

and County Court. The Federal Court building, housing the High Court and other Federal courts, is located one block further north on the corner of William Street and

La Trobe Street La Trobe Street (also Latrobe Street) is a major street and thoroughfare in the Melbourne central business district, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly east–west and forms the northern boundary of the central business district. The street ...

. The Law Institute of Victoria is located one block south of Lonsdale Street at the corner of

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 ...

Transport

Flagstaff railway station is situated on William Street. Besides that, William Street is also served by a tram route. Tram route 58 runs along William Street between Peel Street and Flinders Lane.

References

{{Coord, -37.813, 144.957, dim:1000_region:AU, display=title Streets in Melbourne City Centre