Category: The Melbourne Files

In the 1880s, Impressionism was at the cutting edge of the art world. And in Australia, local Impressionists headed to the beach.

The east end of Collins Street is often called, The Paris End of Melbourne. The label can be traced to a long demolished café, and its cosmopolitan owner.

The Princess Theatre is one of Melbourne’s most iconic buildings. It is also home to one of the world’s most famous ghosts.

The top part of Russell Street, Melbourne, features one of the city’s most stylish buildings. It was also the setting for one of its most notorious crimes. 

In 1993, the world’s biggest band came to Melbourne: this is Guns n’ Roses at Calder Park, an event that would go down in local infamy.

Standing atop a building in Abbotsford is one of Melbourne’s most iconic symbols; the Skipping Girl Vinegar sign. And for a piece of neon, this girl has led an eventful life.

Evan Dando was an indy rock star with a well-known drug problem, His 2003 meltdown at a gig in Melbourne became the stuff of local music legend.

It has Moorish turrets, a Greco-Roman interior, and a fake sky, and it was a church and a cinema. This is, The Forum Theatre.

Quirky statues, lush forest, a labyrinth of stone pathways; The William Ricketts Sanctuary is an artistic legacy unlike any other.

The Builders Arms in Collingwood is a popular local pub. It also played a key role in the history of Melbourne, and the push for Indigenous rights.