Flinders Street, Melbourne
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Flinders Street is a notable street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Running roughly parallel to the Yarra River, Flinders Street forms the southern edge of the Hoddle Grid. It is exactly one mile (1609.344 m) in length and one and half chains (30.1752 m) in width. It is named for the explorer Matthew Flinders, who was (erroneously) credited with discovering Port Phillip Bay at the time of its naming. It extends eastwards as far as Spring Street and the Treasury Gardens, and westwards past Batman's Hill to the Melbourne Docklands. As the closest street to the river, Flinders Street serviced Melbourne's original river port. Customs House, now the site for Victoria's Immigration Museum, is situated on Flinders Street.
The street is home to Flinders Street Station, the central station in Melbourne's suburban rail network. Tram routes 48, 70 and 75, as well as the City Circle route, run along Flinders Street.
Other landmarks on Flinders Street include Federation Square, St Paul's Cathedral, Young and Jacksons, the Melbourne Aquarium and Batman Park, which adjoins the Yarra River. It was once home to the Melbourne Fish Market, an ornate building constructed in 1890, covering 23,000 square metres, and of similar design to Flinders Street Station. The market was demolished between 1958 and 1960.
In 1961 an overpass was built over the intersection with King Street. This led to a decline in property value in the western end of Flinders Street, a trend which has continued to the present day. Halfway through 2005, the State Government finally implemented a plan to demolish the overpass, which was completed at the end of the year.
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[edit] Images
[edit] Northern side
 1908 building |
 Hosie's Hotel. Built in 1955 for the 1956 Summer Olympics to the design of Mussen, McKay and Potter. Features a colour mosaic mural of Geometric abstract art. |
 Former Empire Building. Built 1905 to the design of Nahum Barnet |
 Former Mutual Store (now apartments) on the corner of Degraves Street. Building 1891 to the design of Reed, Smart & Tappin. |
 Ackman's Building, on the corner of Degraves Street. Currently a backpacker's hostel. |
 Yooralla House. Streamline Moderne building. |
 Former SEC Headquarters. Art deco skyscraper. |
 1950s design Port Phillip Arcade mural |
 Young and Jacksons Hotel |
 St Paul's Cathedral: the north face and the spire |
 Former Metropolitan Gas Company (1892), by architects Reed, Smart & Tappin in the Venetian Gothic style |
 Former Ball & Welch Department store buildings (1898), by architects H.W & F.B Tompkins. Two additional storeys added in the 1980s. |
 Former Masonic club buildings built in the 1920s. Converted into apartments with additional top storey in the 1990s. |
 Forum Theatre, opened 1929 |
 The old Herald and Weekly Times building. Built in 1921 to the design of H.W & F.B Tompkins |
[edit] Southern side
 Flinders Street Station main entrance |
 Flinders Street Station west facade |
 Atrium of Federation Square |
 Melbourne Aquarium, Yarra River facade |
[edit] External links
| 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 |
