Bourke Street, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
Bourke Street is one of Melbourne's best known streets. Historically been regarded as Melbourne's "second street", with the main street being Collins Street
and "busier than Bourke Street" is a popular catchphrase. Bourke Street has traditionally been Melbourne's entertainment hub. In its heyday it was the location of many of Melbourne's theatres, cinemas as well as a major retail shopping precinct. Today the street remains an entertainment hub best known as the location of the Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne's main pedestrian mall and one of the city's main tourist destination
s.
Bourke Street is named for Sir Richard Bourke
, the Governor of New South Wales (and thus, of Melbourne as well) in 1837 during the drafting of the Hoddle Grid
.
Little Collins
and Little Bourke
streets.
There are two stretches of Bourke Street; the older CBD stretch and the newer Docklands
stretch. The older stretch intersects with Spring Street
(overlooked by Parliament House
) to the east and Spencer Street
to the west.
The newer stretch is bounded by the Southern Cross Station
(former Spencer Street Station) to the east and will intersect with the Collins Street
expansion to the west in the future.
and Frederick Romberg
however the ambitious multi-platform design which separated cars from pedestrians was never realised.
The plans were eventually scaled down, with pedestrians sharing space with a grade level tram line. The Melbourne mall remains the only such mall to allow vehicles.
The pedestrian mall was officially opened in 1983 Bourke Street Mall officially opened by Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Charles and Lady Diana.
The mall had received a major facelift in preparation for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
and elevated tram superstops were later installed.
-only strip between Swanston
and Elizabeth
streets.
.
Pellegrini's Espresso Bar is a Melbourne institution that has been serving coffee and hearty Italian fare to the public for over 50 years and is a popular place for tourists to visit.
Flower Drum
restaurant in Market Lane, off Bourke Street opened in 1975 and is one of the most highly acclaimed Chinese restaurants in Australia, receiving multiple awards. In 2003, The New York Times
Associate Editor R.W. Apple Jr.
remarked that it may well be the best Chinese restaurant in the world.
HuTong Dumpling Bar, also in Market Lane is currently one of the most popular restaurants in Melbourne, with people regularly queuing outside the restaurant before it opens hoping for a table.
Several laneways that run off Bourke Street are known for their restaurants, cafes and bars including Causeway Lane
, Market Lane, Crossley Street, Liverpool Street and Hardware Lane
.
The first Myer Windows display Christmas
of 1956, the year of the 1956 Summer Olympics
and has been an annual tradition since with the windows decorated in a different display each Christmas aimed at children and their parents.
headquarters by the Victoria Harbour in Docklands, Commonwealth Bank
Centre building, Bourke Place
, Marland House, National Bank House and AMP Square.
), and by 1913 had developed into Melbourne's principal cinema precinct. In 1908, Arthur Russell began screening films at St. George's Hall, which was rebuilt as Hoyt's De Luxe Theatre in 1914, marking the beginning of the Hoyts
cinema chain.
Bourke Street remained a centre for cinema-goers until quite recently. In 2005, the Hoyts
cinema moved to larger premises at the Melbourne Central
shopping centre. On 15 February 2006 the Village cinema closed down, leaving Village cinemas at nearby Crown Casino as the main Village branded city cinemas. The Chinatown Cinema, which inhabits the former Hoyts Midcity cinema, is the only cinema left in Bourke Street. Just off Bourke Street, the Greater Union
cinemas and the newly expanded Kino Dendy cinemas continue to be cinema drawcards.
and 96
travel the length of Bourke Street and directly through the mall.
Parliament railway station is located at the eastern end of Bourke Street near the corner of Spring Street
and is part of the underground city loop for the suburban rail network.
Southern Cross Station
is located at the western end of Bourke Street and is a major transport hub for train and bus services throughout Victoria including shuttle buses to Melbourne and Avalon airports. A pedestrian bridge at Southern Cross Station provides access from Bourke St to Etihad Stadium and Melbourne Docklands
.
An underground railway station for Bourke Street has been proposed as part of the Melbourne Metro
.
Collins Street, Melbourne
Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The...
and "busier than Bourke Street" is a popular catchphrase. Bourke Street has traditionally been Melbourne's entertainment hub. In its heyday it was the location of many of Melbourne's theatres, cinemas as well as a major retail shopping precinct. Today the street remains an entertainment hub best known as the location of the Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne's main pedestrian mall and one of the city's main tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
s.
Bourke Street is named for Sir Richard Bourke
Richard Bourke
General Sir Richard Bourke, KCB was Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, Australia between 1831 and 1837.-Early life and career:...
, the Governor of New South Wales (and thus, of Melbourne as well) in 1837 during the drafting of the Hoddle Grid
Hoddle Grid
The Hoddle Grid is the layout of the streets in the centre of the central business district of Melbourne. Named after its designer, Robert Hoddle, the Grid was laid out in 1837, and later extended...
.
Geography
Bourke Street runs roughly from east to west and it bisects the CBD (known as the Hoddle Grid) along its long axis. Bourke Street runs between the parallelParallel (geometry)
Parallelism is a term in geometry and in everyday life that refers to a property in Euclidean space of two or more lines or planes, or a combination of these. The assumed existence and properties of parallel lines are the basis of Euclid's parallel postulate. Two lines in a plane that do not...
Little Collins
Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Little Collins Street is a minor street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.The street runs parallel to and to the north of Collins Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main street....
and Little Bourke
Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Little Bourke Street in Melbourne's CBD runs roughly east–west within the Hoddle Grid. It is a one-way street heading in a westward direction...
streets.
There are two stretches of Bourke Street; the older CBD stretch and the newer Docklands
Melbourne Docklands
Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
stretch. The older stretch intersects with Spring Street
Spring Street, Melbourne
Spring Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly north-south, and is the easternmost street in the Hoddle Grid. The street travels from Flinders Street in the south, to La Trobe Street and the Carlton Gardens in the north...
(overlooked by Parliament House
Parliament House, Melbourne
Parliament House in Melbourne, located at Spring Street in East Melbourne at the edge of the Melbourne city centre, has been the seat of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia, since 1855 .- History :In 1851, even before the colony of Victoria acquired full parliamentary self-government, Governor...
) to the east and Spencer Street
Spencer Street, Melbourne
Spencer Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is named for John Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer, Chancellor of the Exchequer under Lord Melbourne, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom....
to the west.
The newer stretch is bounded by the Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
(former Spencer Street Station) to the east and will intersect with the Collins Street
Collins Street, Melbourne
Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The...
expansion to the west in the future.
History
Concepts for a Bourke Street Mall were drawn up as early as 1964 by Robin BoydRobin Boyd
Robin Gerard Penleigh Boyd CBE was an influential Australian architect, writer, teacher and social commentator...
and Frederick Romberg
Frederick Romberg
Frederick Romberg, , born on June 21, 1913 in Tsingtao, China, is a Swiss-trained architect who migrated to Australia in 1938....
however the ambitious multi-platform design which separated cars from pedestrians was never realised.
The plans were eventually scaled down, with pedestrians sharing space with a grade level tram line. The Melbourne mall remains the only such mall to allow vehicles.
The pedestrian mall was officially opened in 1983 Bourke Street Mall officially opened by Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Charles and Lady Diana.
The mall had received a major facelift in preparation for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
and elevated tram superstops were later installed.
Bourke Street Mall
The Bourke Street Mall is a pedestrian and tramTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
-only strip between Swanston
Swanston Street, Melbourne
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Australia. It is historically one of the main streets of central Melbourne, laid out in 1837 as part of the Hoddle Grid, the layout of major streets that makes up the central business district...
and Elizabeth
Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
Elizabeth Street is one of the main north-south streets in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia, part of the Hoddle Grid laid out in 1837.- Geography :...
streets.
Department stores
Bourke St Mall is home to two major luxury department stores.- MyerMyerMyer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
- Myer's nine-floor flagship store, housing 200+ brands - Calvin KleinCalvin KleinCalvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
, GivenchyGivenchyGivenchy is a French brand of clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics with Parfums Givenchy.The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy and is a member of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Pret-a-Porter...
, ChanelChanelChanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
, Dior, MulberryMulberry (company)Mulberry is a British fashion company known for its luxury leather goods.-Background:The company was founded in 1971 by Roger Saul and his mother Joan—in 1973 they opened a factory in Chilcompton, Somerset, England. Mulberry established itself as a British lifestyle brand, noted for its leather...
, DKNYDKNYDKNY is a label of fashion designer Donna Karan. It is also the name of a clothing store in New York City featuring Donna Karan's associated line.-History:...
, Nina RicciNina Ricci (brand)Nina Ricci is a fashion house founded by Maria "Nina" Ricci and her son Robert in Paris in 1932, and owned by the Spanish beauty and fashion group Puig since 1998. Nina Ricci designed gowns while Robert managed the business and finances. She worked with the fabrics directly on the mannequin to...
, Emporio Armani, Marc JacobsMarc JacobsMarc Jacobs is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for Marc Jacobs, as well as Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, with more than 200 retail stores in 60 countries. He has been the creative director of the French design house Louis Vuitton since 1997...
, Polo Ralph LaurenPolo Ralph LaurenRalph Lauren Corporation is a luxury clothing and goods company of the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren specializes in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as accessories, fragrances, home and housewares...
, Hugo BossHugo BossHugo Ferdinand Boss was the founder of clothing company Hugo Boss.-Early life:Boss was born in Metzingen, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship and one year of employment, he founded his own company in Metzingen in 1923.-Support of Nazism:Boss joined the Nazi Party in 1931, two years before...
, Guess, PandoraPandora JewelryPandora A/S is a global jewelry company founded in Denmark. It sells customizable charm bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces in more than 50 countries....
, Sass and BideSass and Bidesass & bide is one of Australia's most prominent international and contemporary street- and pop culture-inspired women’s fashion labels. The label is known best as being worn by Sex And The City lead actress, Sarah Jessica Parker and, in more recent times, Madonna and Beyonce.-History:The label was...
, Temperley LondonAlice TemperleyAlice Temperley MBE is a British fashion designer based in London. Her fashion label, Temperley London was launched in 2000.-Career:...
, MoschinoMoschinoMoschino is an Italian fashion design house and manufacturer of women's, men's and children's fashion.-History:The brand was originally created in 1983 by the late Franco Moschino...
, Emilio PucciEmilio PucciEmilio Pucci, Marquis of Barsento , was a Florentine Italian fashion designer and politician. He and his eponymous company are synonymous with geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of colours.-Early life:...
and more.
- David Jones LimitedDavid Jones LimitedDavid Jones Limited , colloquially known as DJs, is a high-end Australian department store chain.David Jones was founded in 1838 by David Jones, a Welsh immigrant, and is claimed to be the oldest continuously operating department store in the world still trading under its original name. It...
- David Jones' second-flagship store, which houses world-luxury brands - Armani Collezioni, BallyBally ShoeThe Bally Shoe company was founded as "Bally & Co" high fashion in 1851 by Carl Franz Bally and his brother Fritz in the basement of their family home in Schönenwerd in the Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland.-Business:...
, Paul SmithPaul Smith (fashion designer)Sir Paul Smith jr, RDI, is an English fashion designer, whose business and reputation is founded upon his menswear. He is both commercially successful and highly respected within the fashion industry....
, Dolce & GabbanaDolce & GabbanaDolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house. The company was started by the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy. By 2005 their turnover was €597 million....
, Miu MiuMiu MiuMiu Miu is a high fashion brand from the Prada fashion house, opened in 1993 and headed by Miuccia Prada. The name of the collection is taken from Miuccia Prada’s nickname.-Stores:...
, BurberryBurberryBurberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing, fragrance, and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. Burberry is most famous for its iconic trench coat, which was invented by founder Thomas Burberry...
, Jimmy ChooJimmy Choo LtdJimmy Choo is a British high fashion house specializing in luxury shoes, designer bags, and accessories. The company, J. Choo Limited, was founded in 1996 by couture shoe designer Jimmy Choo OBE and Vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon OBE. In April 2001 Equinox Luxury Holdings Ltd. bought out...
, FendiFendiFendi is an Italian high fashion house best known for its "baguette" handbags. It was launched in 1925 as a fur and leather shop in Rome, but today is a multinational luxury goods brand owned by LVMH...
, Christian LouboutinChristian LouboutinChristian Louboutin is a French footwear designer whose father is cabinetmaker Roger Louboutin and homemaker mother Irene. His siblings include three sisters, no brothers. Landscape architect Louis Benech has been his partner since 1997. Louboutin launched his line of high-end women's shoes in...
, Yves Saint LaurentYves Saint Laurent (brand)Yves Saint Laurent or YSL is a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. Today, its chief designer is Stefano Pilati. Yves Saint Laurent, founder of the brand, died in 2008.-History:...
, Ermenegildo ZegnaErmenegildo ZegnaErmenegildo Zegna is a leading Italian fashion house, specialing in men's clothing. Founded in 1910, it is now managed by the fourth generation of the Zegna family and remains in family ownership. As well as producing suits for its own labels, it manufactures suits for labels such as Gucci, Yves...
, Bottega VenetaBottega VenetaBottega Veneta is an Italian luxury goods house best known for its leather goods. Founded in 1966, it was purchased in 2001 by Gucci Group, now a part of the French multinational group PPR. Bottega Veneta is headquartered in Vicenza, in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy.- History :Bottega...
, Manolo BlahnikManolo BlahnikManuel "Manolo" Blahnik Rodríguez CBE, , is a Spanish fashion designer and founder of the self-named, high-end shoe brand.-Biography:Born to a Czech father and a Spanish mother and born and raised in the Canary Islands , Blahnik graduated from the University of Geneva in 1965 and studied art in Paris...
and more.
Arcades
There are several arcades and shopping centres that run off the Bourke Street Mall including:- GPO MelbourneGeneral Post Office, MelbourneThe Melbourne General Post Office , is a former post office in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
, the former general post office was converted into an upmarket shopping mall in 2005 after being damaged by fire. GPO Melbourne stocks Australian and overseas clothing designers including Acne JeansAcne JeansAcne Studios is part of the creative collective Acne which was founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 1996. In 1997, co-founder Jonny Johansson created one hundred pairs of jeans in raw denim with red stitching and gave them away to friends and family in Stockholm. This became the foundation of the...
, Wayne CooperWayne Cooper (fashion designer)Wayne Cooper is a British-born fashion designer based in Australia.Cooper grew up in London's East End where he attended university and claims to have completed a law degree...
, Veronika Maine, Mimco, PandoraPandora JewelryPandora A/S is a global jewelry company founded in Denmark. It sells customizable charm bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces in more than 50 countries....
, Ben ShermanBen ShermanBen Sherman is a British based clothing company, designing shirts, suits, shoes, accessories and other items that are, in common with many British brands, now made overseas, largely in the Far East. Their designs sometimes feature the Royal Air Force roundel which is often called the mod target...
, Karen MillenKaren MillenKaren Millen is an Icelandic owned women’s designer clothing brand, specialising in tailoring, coats and eveningwear. Karen Millen stores are found throughout the United Kingdom, America, Austria, Denmark, the Republic of Ireland and many other European countries.-History:The company was founded in...
, Lisa HoLisa HoLisa Ho is an Australian fashion designer born in Albury, on the New South Wales and Victorian border. She is married to Philip Smouha....
and many more. There are also cafes, bars and restaurants located within the building. - Royal ArcadeRoyal Arcade, MelbourneRoyal Arcade is a heritage shopping arcade in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria. Originally constructed in 1869, the arcade connects Little Collins Street to the Bourke Street Mall, with a perpendicular passage running to Elizabeth Street in the west...
. - Strand Arcade.
- Centrepoint Shopping Centre.
Other Retailers
There are several retail chains that maintain a flagship store presence in the Bourke Street Mall:- Jetty Surf
- AdidasAdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
- The Body ShopThe Body ShopThe Body Shop International plc, known as The Body Shop, has 2,400 stores in 61 countries, and is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world, following O Boticario, a Brazilian company...
- SportsgirlSportsgirlSportsgirl is a women's apparel clothing chain, owned and operated by the Sussan Retail Group in Australia.The first Sportsgirl stores were opened in 1948 in Melbourne, as a younger, more fun alternative to the more conservative sister label Sportscraft...
- General Pants Co.General Pants Co.General Pants Co. often referred to as just "General Pants" is an Australian fashion retailer carrying both international and national brands, specialising in street, denim, skate and surf clothing.In addition to the General Pants Co...
- Forever New.
- ZaraZara (clothing)Zara is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Arteixo, Galicia, and founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera. It is the flagship chain store of the Inditex group; the fashion group also owns brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Uterqüe, Stradivarius and...
Notable restaurants
The east end of Bourke Street is home to Grossi Florentino, an Italian restaurant, bar and grill that's been operating for over 100 years and is owned by Melbourne restauranteur Guy GrossiGuy Grossi
Guy Grossi is an Australian Chef and media personality. He is first generation Italian in Australia and draws his inspiration, for his cooking, from his Italian heritage...
.
Pellegrini's Espresso Bar is a Melbourne institution that has been serving coffee and hearty Italian fare to the public for over 50 years and is a popular place for tourists to visit.
Flower Drum
Flower Drum
The Flower Drum is a notable multi-award winning Chinese cuisine restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.It has reached the Restaurant magazine Top 50 several times, ranking it as one of the world's finest restaurants...
restaurant in Market Lane, off Bourke Street opened in 1975 and is one of the most highly acclaimed Chinese restaurants in Australia, receiving multiple awards. In 2003, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Associate Editor R.W. Apple Jr.
R. W. Apple, Jr.
Raymond Walter Apple, Jr. , known to all as "Johnny", but bylined as R.W. Apple Jr, was an associate editor at The New York Times, where he wrote on a variety of subjects, most notably politics, travel, and food....
remarked that it may well be the best Chinese restaurant in the world.
HuTong Dumpling Bar, also in Market Lane is currently one of the most popular restaurants in Melbourne, with people regularly queuing outside the restaurant before it opens hoping for a table.
Several laneways that run off Bourke Street are known for their restaurants, cafes and bars including Causeway Lane
Causeway Lane, Melbourne
Causeway Lane is a street in Melbourne, Victoria. It is a short, quiet and narrow open laneway, running between Bourke Street Mall and Little Collins Street between Elizabeth Street and Swanston Street in the central business district of Melbourne.Located in the heart of the shopping precinct, the...
, Market Lane, Crossley Street, Liverpool Street and Hardware Lane
Hardware Lane, Melbourne
Hardware Lane is a small lane in the Melbourne CBD, Australia.It runs roughly north-south between Bourke Street and Little Lonsdale Street. Restaurants and ski shops are located on the street, as well as hairdressers...
.
Events
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
of 1956, the year of the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
and has been an annual tradition since with the windows decorated in a different display each Christmas aimed at children and their parents.
Commercial Zone
Bourke Street is a commercial zone lined by glass-paned skyscrapers, especially on the western stretch of the street. It is home to the new National BankNational Australia Bank
National Australia Bank is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia in terms of market capitalisation and customers. NAB is ranked 17th largest bank in the world measured by market capitalisation...
headquarters by the Victoria Harbour in Docklands, Commonwealth Bank
385 Bourke Street
385 Bourke Street is the Melbourne head office of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and carries the bank's logo at the top of the building. It is located on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets....
Centre building, Bourke Place
Bourke Place
Bourke Place is a skyscraper in Melbourne, Australia. It is the 4th tallest building in Melbourne and the 5th tallest building in Australia. It is located at 600 Bourke Street, in the central business district, and was completed in 1991....
, Marland House, National Bank House and AMP Square.
Cinemas
Bourke Street has played a historically significant part in Melbourne's cinema industry. It was home to the city's first permanent cinema (although this was initially established near Princes BridgePrinces Bridge, Melbourne
Princes Bridge, originally Prince's Bridge, is an important bridge in central Melbourne, Australia that spans the Yarra River. It is built on the site of one of the oldest river crossings in Australia. The bridge connects Swanston Street on the north bank of the Yarra River to St Kilda Road on the...
), and by 1913 had developed into Melbourne's principal cinema precinct. In 1908, Arthur Russell began screening films at St. George's Hall, which was rebuilt as Hoyt's De Luxe Theatre in 1914, marking the beginning of the Hoyts
Hoyts
The Hoyts Group is an Australian company consisting of Hoyts Exhibition, Hoyts Distribution and Val Morgan.Hoyts Exhibition manages 450 screens across 40 Australian and 10 New Zealand cinema complexes; making it Australia's second largest cinema chain. Val Morgan, the cinema advertising arm of the...
cinema chain.
Bourke Street remained a centre for cinema-goers until quite recently. In 2005, the Hoyts
Hoyts
The Hoyts Group is an Australian company consisting of Hoyts Exhibition, Hoyts Distribution and Val Morgan.Hoyts Exhibition manages 450 screens across 40 Australian and 10 New Zealand cinema complexes; making it Australia's second largest cinema chain. Val Morgan, the cinema advertising arm of the...
cinema moved to larger premises at the Melbourne Central
Melbourne Central Shopping Centre
Melbourne Central is a large shopping centre, office, and public transport hub in the city of Melbourne, Australia. The complex includes the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, which was refurbished in 2005 by architects Ashton Raggatt McDougall; the Melbourne Central railway station ; and the 211 m...
shopping centre. On 15 February 2006 the Village cinema closed down, leaving Village cinemas at nearby Crown Casino as the main Village branded city cinemas. The Chinatown Cinema, which inhabits the former Hoyts Midcity cinema, is the only cinema left in Bourke Street. Just off Bourke Street, the Greater Union
Greater Union
Greater Union, Birch Carroll and Coyle, Event Cinemas, Skycity Cinemas and Damodar Village Cinemas together form a chain of cinema multiplexes across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji...
cinemas and the newly expanded Kino Dendy cinemas continue to be cinema drawcards.
Transportation
Tram routes 86Melbourne tram route 86
Tram route 86 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Bundoora in the northern suburbs to Waterfront City Docklands in the city. It is one of Melbourne's busiest tram routes carrying 44,200 passengers a day...
and 96
Melbourne tram route 96
Melbourne tram route 96 is a public transport tram and light rail route in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of Melbourne's busiest tram route carrying 39,700 passengers a day with a frequency of every 10 minutes or less during peak...
travel the length of Bourke Street and directly through the mall.
Parliament railway station is located at the eastern end of Bourke Street near the corner of Spring Street
Spring Street, Melbourne
Spring Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly north-south, and is the easternmost street in the Hoddle Grid. The street travels from Flinders Street in the south, to La Trobe Street and the Carlton Gardens in the north...
and is part of the underground city loop for the suburban rail network.
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
is located at the western end of Bourke Street and is a major transport hub for train and bus services throughout Victoria including shuttle buses to Melbourne and Avalon airports. A pedestrian bridge at Southern Cross Station provides access from Bourke St to Etihad Stadium and Melbourne Docklands
Melbourne Docklands
Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
.
An underground railway station for Bourke Street has been proposed as part of the Melbourne Metro
Melbourne Metro
The Melbourne Metro is a planned metropolitan rail tunnel in Melbourne, Australia. The tunnels are proposed to travel from South Kensington railway station to Caulfield railway station...
.
External links
- Bourke Street Mall - Official government tourism site