October 2025

The beautiful Royal Arcade, which looks much like it’s ever done, elegant shopfronts, marble floors, glass roof on decorative cast iron trusses, lights on curly brass fittings – but actually it’s changed a bit from the 1870 original, designed by Charles Webb. Back then it had a slate floor and flat timber shopfronts, and a fountain down the end, very restrained and elegant, and a nice place to shop away from the dust and noise of Bourke Street.

The bow window shopfronts were added in 1890-94, then changed again with fully glazed fronts maybe in the 1930s when the floor became chequerboard marble. By the 60s, when a lot of delightful photos are taken, various shopfronts had been altered a bit more, and also all sorts of signage.

It was completely redone in 2004, recreating the 1890s shopfronts, and making the signs consistent, and repainting in appropriate colours – it looks great ! And of course down the end are the figures of Gog & Magog, added in 1892, flanking a clock by Gaunt’s, and a bell for Magog to strike the hour, and Father Time down the other end. But where are all the people ? Pic 3 is mine from 2019, it used to be packed. Is this the post covid city emptiness I’ve been reading about ?

Possible source, the Gallerie Vivienne, Paris, 1823

Royal Arcade, Bourke Street. It really is rather splendid, and I quite like the #brightyellow, it’s a bit Regency, though the building is actually mid Victorian. Architect #CharlesWebb won a competition with a rather restrained design, but topped by the Royal Coat of Arms (of course).

It was nice ‘stone’ colours before, but dirty, going yellow when it was all restored c2002, chosen by @lovellchen, though doubt it’s the 1870 scheme, maybe 1930s ? The verandah, having been replaced with a cantilever one by the 1930s, was rebuilt c1990, similar but different, fewer posts, bigger arch, and missing some fiddly bits.

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