East Melbourne, Victoria

Probably Melbourne's earliest suburb, the area has been affluent since first establishment, East Melbourne has some of the largest and oldest Victorian homes and terrace houses in Melbourne.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Local Landmarks
4 Transport
5 Health
6 Localities within East Melbourne
7 References
8 Maps and Aerial Photos
9 External links

[edit] Geography

East Melbourne is home to most of Victoria's government institutions in the parliamentary precinct and Treasury Precincts as well as St Patrick's Cathedral and many of the larger medical institutions and some of the city's finest Victorian parks and gardens such is the likes of Treasury Gardens and Fitzroy Gardens. The suburb is probably best known for the world famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) situated in the locality of Jolimont, Yarra Park.

The parliamentary and cathedral precincts are located on a gentle hill. Jolimont railway station is at the top of a ridge which extends towards Bridge Road in Richmond, from which Jolimont slopes downwards towards the Yarra and the residential section to the north slopes gradually towards the flatter areas of Fitzroy and Collingwood.

[edit] History

East Melbourne was one of Melbourne's earliest suburbs. Wealthy professionals began establishing mansions in the suburb as early as the 1840s.

In the 1960s and 1970s, while other inner city suburbs were experiencing gentrification, East Melbourne, traditionally a blue ribbon belt experienced a temporary decline. Flats began to appear and replace many of the old mansions. The construction of the Hilton Hotel, saw the demolition of Cliveden mansions, a five storey Victorian era terrace and the largest mansion in Melbourne (a small section of the ballroom is retained in the foyer of the Hilton). Office development and expansion of the hospitals in the area affected much of the area surrounding Victoria parade.

During the 1990s, East Melbourne once again experienced a sharp increase in property prices. The Becton development at Jolimont, modelled on a picturesque Georgian village created one of inner city Melbourne's first exclusive enclaves. Many of the remaining mansions and terraces were placed on heritage registers and subdivided into apartments. Later the Victoria Brewery was also converted into exclusive apartments named "TriBeCa" after the Manhattan neigbourhood.

Whilst East Melbourne is no longer considered in the same light as suburbs such as Toorak, Brighton or South Yarra, the proximity to the city and the relatively unspoilt streetscapes mean that many properties are highly sought after.

[edit] Local Landmarks

[edit] Non-Residential Architecture

East Melbourne is home to many famous Melbourne landmarks.

Treasury Place is notable for its government buildings on Spring Street, including Parliament House of Victoria (built in 1856 to the design of Peter Kerr) and the old Treasury Building (built in 1857 to the design of John James Clark). Treasury Place forms Australia's finest Renaissance revival streetscape, combining the facades of the Treasury, State Offices offices, former Government Printing Office and Commonwealth Government Offices (built 1912 - 1914 to the design of John Smith Murdoch), all overlooking the Treasury Gardens. The rear of these offices is a feature of St Andrews Place.

Nearby Cathedral Place is home to St Patrick's Cathedral and many other former religious buildings now serving mixed use.

Other notable buildings include the Arts & Crafts style of the Victorian Artists Society (1892) by Richard Speight and Harry Tompkins, the Eastern Hill Fire Station (1893) and the East Melbourne Synagogue (1877) by Crouch & Wilson. The former Baptist Church House, built between 1859-1863, although substantially modified during conversion into an office building, is one of the finer classical styled buildings in East Melbourne and was designed by Thomas Watts.

ICI House, built on the edge of the Melbourne CBD on Nicholson Street between 1955-1958 and designed by Bates, Smart & McCutcheon, is notable as being one of the first curtain wall glass skyscrapers in the world and the first skyscraper to break Melbourne's strict height limits. Until 1961, it was also Australia's tallest building.

The Dallas Brooks Hall, one of Australia's finest examples of the "stripped classical" style, was completed in 1969 and has served as a major events venue for many years. The building caused controversy after 2001 when it owners, Freemasons Victoria announced that it was to be sold and demolished to make way for multi-purpose commercial development. Despite the building's architectural and cultural significance, its heritage protection status remains unknown.

In Hotham Street, the large Cairns Memorial Presbyterian Church, which was built in the 1880s was subject to an innovative apartment conversion after the church was gutted by fire in the 1988, leaving only the exterior shell.

Victoria Brewery (1882) is notable as an early work of William Pitt. Its castellated facade has since been partially restored and converted into apartments.

Parliament House, Melbourne	Old Treasury Building	Commonwealth Government Offices	St Patrick's Cathedral - Gothic Revival (Central Tower), Melbourne
Victorian Artists Society, Albert Street	Orica House (former ICI House), Nicholson Street	Dallas Brooks Hall, Albert Street	East Melbourne Synagogue, Albert Street
Former Baptist Church House, Albert Street	Cairms Memorial Presbyterian Church, now apartments.	Eastern Hill Fire Station	Victoria Brewery
St John's Parish Church, Punt Road, combines Richardsonian Romanesque with celtic designs	Catholic church of St John the Evangelist, Punt Road	The German Lutheran Church, Hall & Manse was granted this site in 1852 East Melbourne	St Peter's Anglican Church (1846 Built) in East Melbourne
St Patrick's Cathedral - Gothic Revival Architecture	St Patrick's Cathedral - Gothic Revival (East Side)

[edit] Residential architecture

East Melbourne is home to some of Melbourne's earliest houses. While terrace housing is predominant in the area, the suburb also has some fine remnant mansions, the oldest and largest in East Melbourne being the blue stone colonial mansion Bishopscourt (designed by Newson & Blackburn), which dates back to 1853, was used as Victoria's Government House in 1874-1876 as well as the residence for all of Melbourne's Bishops and Archbishops since its completion and is on the Victorian Heritage Register. The two storey house at 157 Hotham Street, built in 1861 is notable as a rare example of bluestone gothic applied to residential architecture. The house is often attributed to Joseph Reed and considered one of his early residential works. Accordingly it is also listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Several terrace houses are notable, including Tasma Terrace (1878) by architect Charles Webb, arguably Melbourne's finest terrace home and headquarters of the National Trust in Victoria, Clarendon, East Melbourne Terrace, Annerley and Cyprus Terrace (1867).

The large Edwardian apartment building known as Queens Bess Row is also notable. Completed in 1887 and designed by architect firm Tappin Gilbert and Dennehy, this Queen Anne styled building dominates a main residential corner. As is Eastbourne Terrace, an eclectic Edwardian terrace on the corner of Wellington Parade.

Bishopscourt, Clarendon Street	157 Hotham Street	Tasma Terrace, Parliament Place	Cyprus Terrace
Three storey terraces on Albert Street	Queens Bess Row	Eastbourne Terrace

[edit] Public Space

East Melbourne has many Victorian era gardens, the largest of which are the Treasury Gardens and the Fitzroy Gardens. Yarra Park in Jolimont is used for picnicking and carparking for the MCG, which is gradually being phased out by the local council.

Treasury Gardens in Winter

Fitzroy Gardens

[edit] Transport

East Melbourne is served by major tramlines on Wellington Parade and Victoria Parade, both connecting with the CBD in the western edge of the suburb.

East Melbourne is serviced by rail, with two main stations, Parliament underground station on Spring Street and Jolimont which is used primarily by patrons attending events at the MCG.

Punt Road, on the suburb's eastern boundary, is a major busway.

[edit] Health

Due to its proximity to a number of hospitals many medical practitioners also have their rooms in East Melbourne. These hospitals include The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH), Freemasons' Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute.

In addition, St Vincent's Hospital and St Vincent's & Mercy Private Hospitals are located in adjacent Fitzroy, after relocating from their original site in East Melbourne.

[edit] Localities within East Melbourne

The MCG and surrounding gardens dominate Jolimont

The Melbourne Cricket Ground

Jolimont is a locality within the suburb of East Melbourne a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the City of Melbourne.

Jolimont covers a very small area. Most of it is occupied by the Melbourne Cricket Ground and surrounding Yarra Park and has its own railway station. The remainder of Jolimont is made up by a single block of housing, consisting of many Victorian terrace houses and office buildings.

The first superintendent of the Port Phillip District, and later lieutenant-governor, Charles La Trobe lived in Jolimont with his family in a pre-fabricated cottage. The La Trobe's Cottage was moved in 1963 to the Kings Domain where it is open to the public. Other notable people who have lived in Jolimont include William Guilfoyle.

[edit] References

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). East Melbourne (State Suburb). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-09-26.
^ East Melbourne, accessed 9 August 2007

[edit] Maps and Aerial Photos

East Melbourne, Victoria is at coordinates 37°48′47″S 144°59′06″E / -37.813, 144.985 (East Melbourne, Victoria)Coordinates: 37°48′47″S 144°59′06″E / -37.813, 144.985 (East Melbourne, Victoria)

[edit] External links

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Categories: Suburbs of Melbourne | Settlements established in the 1830s

East Melbourne, Victoria

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