The Melbourne central business district's numerous lanes mostly date to the Victorian era and as a result of the original Hoddle Grid, they evolved as service laneways for horses and carts. In some parts of the city, notably Little Lonsdale area, they were associated with the city's gold rush era slums. Among the most notable are Centre Place and Degraves Lane. Melbourne's numerous shopping arcades reached a peak of popularity in the late Victorian era and the interwar years. Among the most notable include Block Place and Royal Arcade. Some notable demolished arcades include Coles Book arcade and Queens Walk arcade.
Sometimes hard to find and more often than stumbled upon purely by accident, many of Melbourne's back streets and alleys have become distinctive destinations in their own right that are well worth searching out and savouring. Well away from mainstream fashion, here you will find a plethora of boutiques selling an eclectic mix of local and international labels, one-offs, pre-loved and off-the-wall designs in clothing, vintage pieces, handbags, accessories and jewellery. More often that not, the experience of discovering and exploring one of these laneways ends up in a coffee, and sometimes with live entertainment thrown in.
Since the 1990s, Melbourne's lanes, particularly the pedestrianised ones, have gentrified and their heritage value officially recognised as well as attracting interest from Australia and around the world. Some of the lanes, in particular have become particularly notable for their acclaimed urban art. The city has several festivals which celebrate the laneways, they are major tourist attractions and frequently feature in tourism promotions, film and television.
AC/DC Lane
Formerly called Corporation Lane (because it led to the Council's works depot), AC/DC Lane was renamed on 1st October 2004 as a tribute to Australian rock band AC/DC. 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. The lane contains a rock 'n' roll nightclub called the Cherry Bar. 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 and actually set off from Corporation Lane.
The legendary AC/DC video clip, shot in Swanston Street between Bourke Street and Flinders Street on the back of a truck - a blue ABC-owned flat-bed - was hatched by the late AC/DC singer Bon Scott and ABC-TV's Countdown host Molly Meldrum. It was supposed to refer to the Moomba parade and was shot on three cameras. The budget, according to Drane, was $380. Three pipers from the Rats of Tobruk pipe band were hired for the song's characteristic bagpipe solo.
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 AC/DC Lane. However several other examples exist, including Menzies Lane, East Melbourne. 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)".
Bank Place
Bank Place s a short, narrow laneway, running south from Little Collins Street 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 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 laneway, running north from Flinders Lane 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. Bligh Place was probably named for merchants Bligh & Harbottle, who operated from a warehouse in Flinders Lane in the nineteenth century.
Block Arcade
Block Arcade is a heritage shopping arcade that forms a short, narrow laneway, connecting Collins Street to Little Collins Street in the central business district 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. 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. 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 facade 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" because it was considered Melbourne's premier shopping block. Once the works were complete, local shopkeepers successfully petitioned to have it changed to its present name. It is a significant Victorian era arcade and is on the Victorian Heritage Register. Along with Melbourne's other main arcade, the Royal Arcade, and Melbourne's lanes, it is a tourist icon of the city.
Block Place
Block Place is a short, narrow partially covered laneway, running south from Little Collins Street between Swanston Street 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 through to Collins Street and Elizabeth Street.
Block Place, once known as Carpenters Lane, diverges southwards from Little Collins Street parallel to Elizabeth Street. Carpenters Lane was privately owned in the 1890s, but the City Property Company gained permission to roof over the lane and thus create an under-cover access route between The Block and Royal Arcade. In 1895, the lane's entrance was marked by the Colonial Bank Hotel, directly opposite the Colonial Bank and Royal Arcade on Little Collins Street. It led shoppers directly to the Athenaeum Club on Collins Street by bisecting the two halves of The Block, from which it soon acquired its present, more prestigious name.
Caledonian Lane
Caledonian Lane is a short, quiet and narrow (4 metre wide) open laneway, running north from Little Bourke Street between Little Bourke Street and Lonsdale Street. Caledonian Lane is most notable as the former home to the St Jerome's Laneway Festival. 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 and Colonial First State applied for exemption from the City of Melbourne Heritage Overlay 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 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.
Caledonian Lane forms a vista toward both Loudon Place to the south and Drewery Lane to the north, both are almost directly opposite. It was named for the Caledonian Hotel, which had been built by Presbyterian minister J.P. Clow in 1839.
Cathedral Arcade
Cathedral Arcade is a heritage shopping arcade forming a short, narrow laneway, connecting Swanston Street to Flinders Lane. 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 and leadlights, 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.
Causeway Lane
Causeway Lane (also known as The Causeway) is a short, quiet and narrow open laneway, running between Bourke Street Mall and Little Collins Street between Elizabeth Street and Swanston Street. 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.
It was previously known as Craigs Lane, which in 1895 was the location of the Mechanic's Hotel. Previous occupants in Craigs Lane included a carpenter and cabinetmaker. 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.
Centre Place
Centre Place is a busy laneway and arcade that runs between Flinders Lane 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 and graffiti, particularly stencil graffiti, known as "City Lights". This precinct has been used in tourist promotion campaigns for the city.
Originally called Cummings Alley, Centre Place wound around warehouses in the 1890s, and the west-leading portion was lined with urinals. By 1915, Cummings Alley had been joined to Collins Street via Centreway, and was renamed Centre Court.
Centrepoint Mall
Centrepoint Mall was built on the site of the Bull and Mouth Hotel after it was demolished in 1933. It is an indoor retail arcade connecting Little Collins Street to the Bourke Street Mall between Elizabeth and Swanston streets, on the same block as Royal Arcade and The Walk. The Centrepoint Mall contains a food court and is predominantly used for retail.
The two of the city's largest 'superstores' are located here - Rebel Sport Superstore and Priceline.
Degraves Lane
Degraves Street is a short, narrow laneway, running north from Flinders Street to Flinders Lane. It was named after Charles and William Degraves, pioneer merchants who settled in Melbourne from Hobart, Tasmania 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 toward the shopping areas of The Block on Collins Street and Bourke Street Mall, loosely connecting with Centre Place, 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.[16] 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. People use Degraves Street as a quick stop for a coffee before going to catch their train at Flinders Street Station.
Exploration Lane
Exploration Lane is located between Russell and Exhibition streets, extending north from Little Lonsdale to La Trobe streets. It is located directly opposite Jones Lane on the north side of Little Lonsdale Street, and connects with Evans Lane on the east side. Exploration Lane was named for the nearby Exploration Hotel on Little Lonsdale Street, which was probably named after the ill-fated Burke and Wills Expedition of 1860-61. The lane was predominantly used for residential and commercial purposes, and was also the location of the Leitrim Hotel in 1895, along with a retail shop and newspaper stand.
Sometimes hard to find and more often than stumbled upon purely by accident, many of Melbourne's back streets and alleys have become distinctive destinations in their own right that are well worth searching out and savouring. Well away from mainstream fashion, here you will find a plethora of boutiques selling an eclectic mix of local and international labels, one-offs, pre-loved and off-the-wall designs in clothing, vintage pieces, handbags, accessories and jewellery. More often that not, the experience of discovering and exploring one of these laneways ends up in a coffee, and sometimes with live entertainment thrown in.
Since the 1990s, Melbourne's lanes, particularly the pedestrianised ones, have gentrified and their heritage value officially recognised as well as attracting interest from Australia and around the world. Some of the lanes, in particular have become particularly notable for their acclaimed urban art. The city has several festivals which celebrate the laneways, they are major tourist attractions and frequently feature in tourism promotions, film and television.
Formerly called Corporation Lane (because it led to the Council's works depot), AC/DC Lane was renamed on 1st October 2004 as a tribute to Australian rock band AC/DC. 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. The lane contains a rock 'n' roll nightclub called the Cherry Bar. 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 and actually set off from Corporation Lane.
The legendary AC/DC video clip, shot in Swanston Street between Bourke Street and Flinders Street on the back of a truck - a blue ABC-owned flat-bed - was hatched by the late AC/DC singer Bon Scott and ABC-TV's Countdown host Molly Meldrum. It was supposed to refer to the Moomba parade and was shot on three cameras. The budget, according to Drane, was $380. Three pipers from the Rats of Tobruk pipe band were hired for the song's characteristic bagpipe solo.
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 AC/DC Lane. However several other examples exist, including Menzies Lane, East Melbourne. 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)".
Bank Place s a short, narrow laneway, running south from Little Collins Street 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 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 is a short, quiet and narrow open laneway, running north from Flinders Lane 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. Bligh Place was probably named for merchants Bligh & Harbottle, who operated from a warehouse in Flinders Lane in the nineteenth century.
Block Arcade is a heritage shopping arcade that forms a short, narrow laneway, connecting Collins Street to Little Collins Street in the central business district 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. 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. 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 facade 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" because it was considered Melbourne's premier shopping block. Once the works were complete, local shopkeepers successfully petitioned to have it changed to its present name. It is a significant Victorian era arcade and is on the Victorian Heritage Register. Along with Melbourne's other main arcade, the Royal Arcade, and Melbourne's lanes, it is a tourist icon of the city.
Block Place is a short, narrow partially covered laneway, running south from Little Collins Street between Swanston Street 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 through to Collins Street and Elizabeth Street.
Block Place, once known as Carpenters Lane, diverges southwards from Little Collins Street parallel to Elizabeth Street. Carpenters Lane was privately owned in the 1890s, but the City Property Company gained permission to roof over the lane and thus create an under-cover access route between The Block and Royal Arcade. In 1895, the lane's entrance was marked by the Colonial Bank Hotel, directly opposite the Colonial Bank and Royal Arcade on Little Collins Street. It led shoppers directly to the Athenaeum Club on Collins Street by bisecting the two halves of The Block, from which it soon acquired its present, more prestigious name.
Caledonian Lane is a short, quiet and narrow (4 metre wide) open laneway, running north from Little Bourke Street between Little Bourke Street and Lonsdale Street. Caledonian Lane is most notable as the former home to the St Jerome's Laneway Festival. 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 and Colonial First State applied for exemption from the City of Melbourne Heritage Overlay 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 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.
Caledonian Lane forms a vista toward both Loudon Place to the south and Drewery Lane to the north, both are almost directly opposite. It was named for the Caledonian Hotel, which had been built by Presbyterian minister J.P. Clow in 1839.
Cathedral Arcade is a heritage shopping arcade forming a short, narrow laneway, connecting Swanston Street to Flinders Lane. 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 and leadlights, 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.
Causeway Lane (also known as The Causeway) is a short, quiet and narrow open laneway, running between Bourke Street Mall and Little Collins Street between Elizabeth Street and Swanston Street. 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.
It was previously known as Craigs Lane, which in 1895 was the location of the Mechanic's Hotel. Previous occupants in Craigs Lane included a carpenter and cabinetmaker. 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.
Centre Place is a busy laneway and arcade that runs between Flinders Lane 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 and graffiti, particularly stencil graffiti, known as "City Lights". This precinct has been used in tourist promotion campaigns for the city.
Originally called Cummings Alley, Centre Place wound around warehouses in the 1890s, and the west-leading portion was lined with urinals. By 1915, Cummings Alley had been joined to Collins Street via Centreway, and was renamed Centre Court.
Centrepoint Mall was built on the site of the Bull and Mouth Hotel after it was demolished in 1933. It is an indoor retail arcade connecting Little Collins Street to the Bourke Street Mall between Elizabeth and Swanston streets, on the same block as Royal Arcade and The Walk. The Centrepoint Mall contains a food court and is predominantly used for retail.
The two of the city's largest 'superstores' are located here - Rebel Sport Superstore and Priceline.
Degraves Street is a short, narrow laneway, running north from Flinders Street to Flinders Lane. It was named after Charles and William Degraves, pioneer merchants who settled in Melbourne from Hobart, Tasmania 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 toward the shopping areas of The Block on Collins Street and Bourke Street Mall, loosely connecting with Centre Place, 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.[16] 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. People use Degraves Street as a quick stop for a coffee before going to catch their train at Flinders Street Station.
Exploration Lane is located between Russell and Exhibition streets, extending north from Little Lonsdale to La Trobe streets. It is located directly opposite Jones Lane on the north side of Little Lonsdale Street, and connects with Evans Lane on the east side. Exploration Lane was named for the nearby Exploration Hotel on Little Lonsdale Street, which was probably named after the ill-fated Burke and Wills Expedition of 1860-61. The lane was predominantly used for residential and commercial purposes, and was also the location of the Leitrim Hotel in 1895, along with a retail shop and newspaper stand.
