Spencer Street, Melbourne
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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.
Running roughly from north to south, Spencer Street forms the western edge of the Hoddle Grid. To the south Spencer Street becomes Clarendon Street, and to the north, Dynon Road.
The street was once considered an unfashionable and unnattractive end of town, but with the construction of Melbourne Docklands and Southern Cross Station and demolition of some eyesores, such as the power station, the area is becoming more sought after for residents and construction of several high rise apartment buildings began in the late 1990s.
Important buildings on Spencer Street include Southern Cross Station (formerly Spencer Street Station), the former Mail Exchange, Grand Hotel (former Victorian Railways administration offices), the former Sir Charles Hotham Hotel and the HM Melbourne Assessment Prison. For many years, Spencer Street was also the location of Melbourne's General Post Office.
The street is also home to a large 1930s power station and giant smokestack which sat abandoned for decades. The power station was asbestos ridden and in 2006, a demolition of the facility began.
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 Former Melbourne Mail Exchange. Corner of Bourke and Spencer Streets |
 Southern Cross Station, formerly Spencer Street Station, during redevelopment |
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| Streets of Melbourne's Hoddle Grid |
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| Latitudinal Streets West to east: Spencer • King • William • Market • Queen • Elizabeth • Swanston • Russell • Exhibition • Spring Longitudinal Streets South to north: Flinders • Flinders Lane • Collins • Little Collins • Bourke • Little Bourke • Lonsdale • Little Lonsdale • La Trobe Significant Lanes ACDC Lane • Bank Place • Bligh Place • Block Place • Causeway Lane • Centre Place • Degraves Street • Hardware Lane • Manchester Lane • McKillop Street • Punch Lane Significant Arcades Block Arcade • Campbell Arcade • Cathedral Arcade • Centreway Arcade • Howey Place • Melbourne GPO • Port Philip Arcade • Royal Arcade |
