14 April 2020 Photos Sept 2019 The Athenaeum Club in Collins Street was built in 1929 and designed by architect Cedric Ballantyne (busy with the Regent Theatre at the same time). I think his eclectic composition of Georgian/American Beaux Arts also referred to the Victorian architecture around it at the time, for instance the detail … Continue reading Athenaeum Club, Collins Street, 1929 →

Original post 13 April 2020 Repost 2020: Just mad - both the building, next to the Town Hall, and that it was demolished in 1968 - by the #MelbourneCityCouncil. It was built in 1888-89 as the HQ of the rapidly expanding #TemperanceAndGeneral Mutual Life Assurance, and the architect was #AlfredDunn. He really went to town … Continue reading Lost Melbourne- T&G Building, Swanston Street, 1889. →

Original post 11 April 2020 The #RaymondPriestly Building at #MelbourneUniversity was plonked I mean placed right in the middle of the campus in 1967-70, and designed by Douglas Alexandra and #RayBerg in association with the Uni’s architect #RaeFeatherstone for the University administration. It’s got a base, middle and top, and a pattern of sunshade/balconies, and … Continue reading Raymond Priestly building, Melb Uni, 1970 →

Original post 10 April 2020 In 2011 I worked on the Lost! app for the @nationaltrustvic, 100 places in the #MelbCBD dem since the 50s - it’s now inactive, but I’ve got sooo many photos, here’s a few of the smaller lesser known ones; Regency style house, 1850s, William Street Nth West cnr Little Lon, … Continue reading Lost Melbourne, CBD →

Original post 6 April 2020 Photo 11 March This curious tower thing at #MelbourneUniversity is a remnant of an even more curious c1875 octagonal #greenhouse, which was the centrepoint of the #systemgarden, laid out in 1856; a system garden is essentially a botanical sampler. It was originally about 7.5 hectares, only 2 are left now, … Continue reading System Garden, Melbourne University →

8 April 2020 Anywhere else and the elaborate #VictorianShop on the right would be a stand out, but next to the other big things at the corner of #FitzroyStreetStKilda and Grey Street, and with a huge sign on top, it gets overlooked. The style is very #highvictorian, so prob 1888-1891, other than that I don’t … Continue reading High Victorian on Fitzroy Street →

Original post 5 April 2020 Photos 20 September 2019 Another case of did you know ? that the lobby of the #HotelWindsor isn’t exactly what it seems - it’s an early 1980s version of what was there in the 1880s. The lobby was originally quite small, even grand hotels of the 1880s didn’t always have … Continue reading Windsor Hotel, recreation (not quite) →

Original post 6 April 2020 In the late 1970s-80s, after the idea of putting the Museum of Victoria here or building a world trade centre was rejected, all the buildings of the #QueenVictoriaMarket were restored, including rebuilding the verandahs on these 1887 shops on Victoria Street in 1988. Lovely. Note the original #victorianshopfronts were all … Continue reading Queen Vic Market verandah restoration, 1988 →

Original post 11 October 2019 Great Victorian corner shop in #ClarendonStreetSouthMelbourne, probably 1880s, possibly earlier, complete with #pairedpilasters and cute #castironbalconettes.

Original post 11 October 2019, updated 2024 Did you know there was once a tram to Port Melbourne? Well a cable tram anyway. Here’s a pic of a one on Beach Street, near Station Pier. The line opened in 1890 and ran from here, round up Bay Street then City Road, over the new Queensbridge, … Continue reading Vanished tram line →