Melbourne, most liveable

Melbourne in 1838 by Clarence Woodhouse. Painted from a model at the 1888 Centennial Exhibition.

By most standards Melbourne is a relatively young city. Less than 200 years have passed since Melbourne was settled by Europeans. The original location was chosen by John Batman, whose famous quote “this will be the place for a village” became associated with the founding of Melbourne. Batman signed a treaty with the local Wurundjeri tribe but it was a group lead by John Pasco Fawkner who settled on the banks of the Yarra while Batman was back in Launceston organising backers and provisions.

Within 2 years Robert Hoddle was appointed to survey the Port Philip District (as the area was then known) and laid out the grid system of Melbourne. Land clearance and allotments moved at a steady pace for the next decade and a half with enough people moving into the area to create the self governing colony of Victoria in 1851. That same year gold was discovered to the north of the State and the boom for Melbourne took off.

City of Melbourne 1855 by Goodman Teale

The discovery of gold in 1854 brought an influx of people, ships and trade to Melbourne. Rail was installed, warehouse facilities grew to cope with demand, and the population exploded. In 1851 the population of the colony of Victoria was counted as 75,000. By 1861 it had reached 500,000. While it is doubtful that Hoddle expected Melbourne to increase at such a rapid rate, his planning of the city with its wide streets and access laneways ensured that the increased traffic did not cripple the city.

The boomtown of Melbourne ensured that it had become the second most populous city within the British Empire, exceeded only by London. Newly affluent Melbourne sought to reflect its status in its Public Buildings. Post Office, Churches, a Parliament building, a Library, University and Hospital were all established. In 1880 Melbourne hosted the Great Exhibition promoting itself as a place of business and in 1888 played host to the centenary of the colony of Australia.

MELBOURNE 1882. Illustrated Australian News, Apr. 1882 ([Melbourne] : Sands & McDougall printers

Public buildings, grand designs of government, and moral aspiration all had their place in shaping the facade of Melbourne. Looked at in a certain light all the right things were being done: the promotion of education, the construction of impressive public works and the positive outlook for the future all shone through.

But Melbourne had a dark side. The smaller alleyways that Robert Hoddle had intended as access roads to the main thoroughfares become home to boarding houses, brothels and cheap public taverns. The north tip of the city grid was colloquially known as “Little Lon” and was infamous as an area for prostitution, drugs and crime. Prostitution was widespread within the city. So much so that in 1867 the visiting Duke of Edinburgh was introduced to one of the city’s more reputable brothels. In 1891 the Parliamentary Mace disappeared and was rumoured to have found its way to one of the Little Lon brothels. The mace has never been recovered. This dark “underbelly” of Melbourne turned up in popular literature of the time. Fergus Hume’s bestselling Mystery of a Hansom Cab described conditions in Little Bourke Street, while C.J. Dennis’s The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke referred to life in Little Lon.

Melbourne Opium Den 1896 The Illustrated Australian News by E.T. Luke

It is a testament to the early city residents and governors that many of the grand public buildings still survive to this day. Though buildings like the GPO or the Mail Exchange have become home to commercial enterprises and others like the Queen Victoria Hospital have almost vanished entirely, the construction of many of the buildings inspired by the *best of European architecture* has ensured their continued survival and use to this day. Significant buildings like Parliament House, the Supreme Court, and the Melbourne Town Hall are in continuous use, while others such as the Old Melbourne Gaol, The Treasury Building and the Melbourne Mint continue as preserved buildings with tourism appeal.