A week in Melbourne, Australia- 5/4- 5/10/2024
Day 3-City Tour continuation-5/6/2024
We are now at Collins Precinct and at the corner is the Old Post Office (We had breakfast under the arcade at Federal coffee this morning). It was built in 1859 and is a notable example of Victorian architecture.
Once upon a time, Melbourne’s General Post Office was the center of the city’s
postal service where thousands of letters were received and sorted. Located on
the intersection between Bourke and Elizabeth Street, the GPO building was
conveniently positioned in the city’s central business district and its
location continues to be used as a point of reference to measure distance from
the center of Melbourne. From the mid-19th Century right up until
1992, Melbournians visited the GPO to post letters, buy stationary, check
their PO boxes and pay bills, but these days the building is home to retailers
and restaurants.
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The owners of the 150-year-old building, property fund managers ISPT,
announced in mid 2014 that the retailer giant H&M had chosen the GPO for its
much-anticipated first Australian store.
Next to the GPO building stands a white building at Bourke Street Mall is part of the Myer Emporium, one of Melbourne’s most iconic department stores. Myer was founded by Sidney Myer, a Russian immigrant who arrived in Australia in 1899. He began with a small drapery store in Bendigo before moving to Melbourne. He then opened his store on Bourke Street. It grew rapidly, buying up neighboring buildings until it stretched all the way to Lonsdale Street, forming the Myer Emporium.
The Bourke Street façade you see today is from the early 20th century, with a simple yet elegant classical design, rows of windows, clean white stonework, and a restrained grandeur that reflected both function and prestige. It was Melbourne’s first great emporium-style store, where customers could shop for everything under one roof, clothes, furniture, cosmetics, toys, and more.
The Royal Arcade is one of Melbourne’s treasures and the moment you approach its exterior, you can see why it’s so famous. The building dates back to 1869, making it Melbourne’s oldest surviving shopping arcade. Its façade is done in a Renaissance Revival style, with a symmetrical design that feels elegant but also inviting.
The entrance on Bourke Street is crowned with a curved pediment and decorative flourishes that make the whole arcade feel grand before you even step inside.
Stepping inside the Royal Arcade really feels like entering a piece of living history. The central hallway stretches out in a long, graceful line, covered by a high, arched glass roof.
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The glass panels on the roof flood the space with natural light, so even on cloudy days the arcade feels bright and airy. The roof is supported by slim iron ribs, giving the whole passageway an elegant curve overhead.
The famous Gaunt’s Clock and the legendary figures of Gog and Magog. Gog and Magog are two large carved figures, painted in gold and green, standing on either side of the clock. They represent ancient mythical giants said to be guardians of London. In Melbourne’s arcade, they’ve been standing since 1892 as symbolic protectors of the city.
The clock between them was made by Gaunt & Co., a famous Melbourne clockmaker, also in 1892. Every hour, Gog and Magog strike the bells, their arms moving in unison, which has been a delight for visitors for more than a century.
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We are now walking through Block place, a small open-air walkway, shops and restaurants on both sides, lots of pre-war buildings, with a cozy atmosphere. At the end of Block Place, we will step straight into the Block Arcade, almost like passing from a cozy street market into a grand European galleria. The transition is striking, one moment you’re in a casual laneway with chatter and coffee aromas, and the next you’re surrounded by arched hallways, glass ceilings, and mosaic floors.
We are now inside the Block Arcade, one of Melbourne’s most beautiful and historic shopping arcades. The circular space with the glass roof and the ornate floor mosaic is known as the Rotunda of the Block Arcade. It’s the central highlight of the arcade, where the corridors meet.
The roof above is an elegant dome of glass and ironwork, letting in natural light and giving the space a sense of openness.
The floor beneath is covered in intricate ceramic mosaic tiles, hand-laid in the late 1800s. The patterns are inspired by Italian mosaics and give the arcade a very European elegance. The Block Arcade was completed in 1893, during Melbourne’s boom period after the gold rush. It was designed in the Victorian Mannerist style, modeled after Milan’s famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Walking past the arched shop fronts, with their tall glass displays framed by carved wood and iron, you get a sense of stepping back into the 19th century. The light from the glass ceiling reflects off the tiled mosaics, and with the buzz of cafes and the elegance of the boutiques, it feels more like a grand European galleria than a shopping arcade in Melbourne.
We are now leaving the Black arcade and we are heading to Degraves Street
Degraves Street is one of Melbourne’s most famous laneways, especially known for its lively café culture. The street was named after Charles and William Degraves, early Melbourne pioneers from Tasmania in the mid-1800s. Originally, it was a service lane connected to Flinders Street Station, with warehouses and workshops. Over time, it transformed into a hub of European-style café culture.
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By the late 20th century, Degraves became one of the first laneways where Melbourne’s now world-famous coffee scene really took off. Today, the street is always buzzing, narrow, cobblestoned, with tiny cafés, quirky shops, and tables spilling out under colorful awnings. It feels very Parisian or Italian, and locals love it as much as visitors.
Flinders Street Station is one of Melbourne’s most iconic landmarks. The station’s grand Edwardian Baroque style façade is instantly recognizable, with its green copper dome, arched windows, and yellow-brown walls that glow in the sunlight. On the corner, the tall clock tower rises above Swanston Street, a famous meeting point in the city. Just beneath it are the row of clocks above the main entrance, showing train departure times, a Melbourne tradition for over a century.
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When it opened in 1910, it was the busiest train station in the world. Even today, its long façade stretching along Flinders Street makes it feel imposing and grand. The dome and arches give it a sense of elegance, but it’s also a deeply familiar and practical place for locals. “I’ll meet you under the clocks” is a phrase every Melburnian knows.
Standing across from it, you really feel how the station anchors the city, a mix of history, daily life, and architectural beauty.
Flinders Street Station is still an active train station today, in fact, it’s the busiest suburban railway hub in Melbourne. It connects almost every train line in the city, making it the heart of the network. Every day, hundreds of thousands of commuters and travelers pass through its platforms. Despite being over a century old, the station has been modernized with electronic boards and updated facilities, but it still retains much of its historic charm. So while it’s a beautiful heritage building on the outside, it’s also very much alive and essential to Melbourne’s daily rhythm.
We crossed the street and we are now standing on the Princes Bridge which crosses the Yarra River. The Yarra River is Melbourne’s defining waterway, winding its way for more than 149 miles from the Yarra Ranges down to Port Phillip Bay. For thousands of years, it was central to the lives of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, who relied on it for food, water, and as a gathering place.
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View of the Yarra River from the bridge.
The bridge with the graceful white arch is the Evan Walker Bridge. It’s a pedestrian bridge built in 1992, named after Professor Evan Walker, an architect and former planning minister. The arch design makes it instantly recognizable, and it links Southbank (the entertainment and arts district) with Flinders Street.
On the right is the Arbory Afloat, a seasonal bar and restaurant set right on the river. It’s built like a giant decked pontoon, so people can sit, eat, and drink literally on top of the water. It’s become one of Melbourne’s most popular riverside hangouts, especially in the summer.
When European settlers arrived in the 1830s, the river was the reason Melbourne was founded here. Its banks quickly became lined with warehouses, factories, and docks, though in more recent decades much of the industrial use has given way to parklands, promenades, and cultural hubs.
Today, the Yarra is a symbol of the city itself. On one side you have historic Melbourne with Flinders Street Station and Federation Square, and on the other side, the modern Southbank precinct, filled with restaurants, galleries, and skyscrapers. It’s also a place of recreation, you’ll see rowers gliding along the water, people jogging on the riverside paths, and crowds gathering for festivals and fireworks.
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Cast Iron Street lamps on Princes Bridge was installed in 1926, a long time after the bridge was opened in 1888. The Melbourne coat of arms with the motto: :Vires Aquirit Eundo" translates as: We gather the Strength as we go".
From the bridge we could see the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the “MCG”), a large oval stadium that is one of the world’s most famous sports stadiums. It’s primarily built for cricket and Australian Rules Football. The shape is oval, which allows for both large crowds and expansive field dimensions. With a capacity of over 100,000 people, it’s one of the largest stadiums in Australia.
The iconic Arts Centre Melbourne spire sits on top of the Arts Centre Melbourne, which is the city’s main performing arts complex, located on St Kilda Road near the Yarra River. The lattice work steel design of the spire was inspired by the Eiffel Tower, reflecting a delicate, airy framework that points dramatically into the sky. The design was meant to evoke both a theater spotlight reaching upward and the sense of elegance tied to the performing arts. Sometimes nicknamed “Melbourne’s Eiffel Tower.”
I am now standing at the bank of the river and looking at the Princes Bridge. The bridge was completed in 1888, named after the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), and built of bluestone and iron. It has wide pedestrian walkways, which is why it’s such a great spot to stop and take in the city.
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Towering over the Southbank, The Eureka tower stands some 984 ft. above the city. It is one of Australia tallest building, and it takes the position as the third tallest building in the whole country. It has 88 floors, with 87 floors consisting of hotel suites, apartments, a swimming pool, retail spaces, health and fitness centers and public viewing area at the top. On the 88 floor, there is the Melbourne skydeck with the viewing platform and it is open to the public as a tourist attraction.
In America, when miners discovered gold they’d shout
‘Eureka!’ It originates from the Greek word ‘heurēka’ which translates to ‘I
have found it.’
We have now reached the end of our tour and Matthew is wrapping up his narrative of the city. Matthew is an incredible tour guide, he made is so fun and interactive that the whole group gave him a standing ovation when he was done with the tour.
We are now going back and from the Princes Bridge we can still see Matthew (green t-Shirt) talking to the remaining of the group.
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We are now retracing our steps and we are going to visit and spend more time at the places that Matthew pointed out during the tour.
NEXT... Retracing our steps