The Melbourne Files
Welcome to our archive of Melbourne History articles.
Liardet’s Beach
Sailor, artist, businessman and iconoclast, Wilbraham Liardet was one of early Melbourne’s most unique early inhabitants.
The St Kilda Solar System
The Saint Kilda Solar System stretches for 6 kilometres along Melbourne's foreshore. It even includes Pluto.
The Six O’Clock Swill
Until the 1960s, Australian pubs used to close at 6pm, and getting a drink after work was a fraught experience.…
Mazu: The Heavenly Queen of the Maribyrnong
Overlooking a river in Footscray, in Melbourne's west, is something unexpected; an ancient Chinese goddess. Meet Mazu, The Heavenly Queen…
The Point Nepean Quarantine Station
The Point Nepean Quarantine Station was many people's first taste of Melbourne: sick arrivals were once kept in extended quarantine,…
Melbourne’s Only Honey Locust Tree
Standing on the corner of King and Bourke St in Melbourne is a living piece of history; the city's only…
Elvis Costello at Flinders St Station
In 1984, Elvis Costello came to Melbourne and filmed a music video at Flinders Street Station.
The Disappearance of Harold Holt
Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming in December, 1967. Presumed drowned, later explanations included the CIA, China, and…
Foy’s Rooftop Funpark
The corner of Swanston and Bourke Streets used to be dominated by a giant Santa, and a fondly remembered department…
The Great Melbourne Flood of ’72
In The Great Melbourne Flood of '72, a violent storm front buried the CBD under a surging torrent of water.
Alick Wickham and His Amazing World Record Dive
March, 1918: Alick Wickham, AKA: 'Prince Wikyama', completes a world record high dive in Yarra Bend Park in front of…
Australia’s First Movie Screening
Australia's first movie screening came courtesy of a vagabond English magician, and a local promoter looking for a get rich…