Craning its neck for all to see
28 Jul 2026For nearly half a century, a steam crane stood over the Yarra, a hulking reminder of the river’s working life.
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Latest articles by Ashley Smith
A pioneering experiment at the Menzies Hotel
24 Jun 2026Taken around the 1870s, this image shows the Menzies Hotel at the corner of William and Bourke streets.
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Reminders of wartime looms over Princes Bridge
27 May 2026In the early 1940s in Melbourne, as war ravages overseas, life in the city carries on as normal at the corner of Princes Bridge and Flinders St.
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An escapee arrested at the Coffee Tavern
29 Apr 2026Opened in October 1882 on Bourke St between Swanston and Russell streets, the 90-foot-tall Melbourne Coffee Tavern featured 161 bedrooms and was also home to a sewing machine business owned by Hugo Wertheim.
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The Melbourne Home
12 Feb 2026In the late 19th century, a number of female immigrants fresh off the ship from England would arrive at Victoria with no planned accommodation or nearby connections that could help them settle.
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Setting the stone for a new hall, and a royal visit
19 Feb 2025On November 29, 1867, the burgeoning City of Melbourne experienced one of its biggest crowds in its history.
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The doctor is out right now
22 Jan 2025Photographed circa 1910, this mansion with distinguished Corinthian columns was found at 182 Collins St (now 41 Collins St, Collins Place Plaza) and, from 1872 until 1910, it was the home and surgery of notable doctor and politician-about-town, Louis Lawrence Smith.
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“The Old Tin Shed”: hated by many, missed by few
23 Oct 2024Taken in the early 1960s, this image displays a humble wood and galvanised iron shed on the corner of Little Bourke and Elizabeth streets.
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Who’s Tailor sat at Elizabeth St? “My Tailor”
16 Jul 2024Taken in 1954 by photographer Ben Haigh, this image highlights the western side of Elizabeth St between the Bourke Street Mall and Little Bourke St opposite the GPO.
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Smoke on the Yarra
29 Mar 2023The hazardous working conditions of labourers at the docks and wharves in Melbourne made their lives perilous. One of the dangers they faced was the risk of fires, which could easily ignite if flammable materials came into contact with stray sparks or flames.
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Berthing at Little Dock … maybe for a cuppa?
30 Nov 2022Before the Spencer Street Bridge was built, this was the view from the corner of Spencer and Flinders streets.
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Berthing at Little Dock … maybe for some tea
31 Aug 2022Before there was a bridge, this scene is what met vehicles at the corner of Spencer and Flinders streets.
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