Donkey Wheel House

When the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company established its headquarters on Bourke Street in 1891, its cable tramway system was one of the biggest in the world. The office building was designed in a gothic revival style indicative of Melbourne's boom years. Its arched windows, pitched slate roof and red brick with render detailing are not dissimilar to William Pitt's Rialto building on Collins Street. Decorative tile work in the entrance and foyer, along with leadlight windows and wooden staircases, showcase the interior detail.

The building is an historic relic of Melbourne's thriving tram system, which began in 1869. Then the Melbourne Omnibus Company, horse-drawn carriages took passengers from the city to Collingwood. Services to Richmond, Carlton, Brunswick, North Melbourne and eventually the suburbs of the city s southeast soon followed.

In 1877 the company changed its name to the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company and, with the building of tracks for the cable trams, began operating from Spencer Street to Richmond in 1885. Today, the former MOTC building is home to the Donkey Wheel philanthropic trust, which seeks to effect social change in its support of worthy commercial initiatives. Hopefully its accomplishments will prove as prosperous to the city as those of the building's original tenant.

Location: 669 - 677 Bourke Street, Melbourne