Melbourne CBD’s Oldest Home, 330 King St

Posted on By Vienna Richards

It’s overshadowed by Melbourne’s modern day buildings. Still, this historic house stands silently on the corner of Melbourne’s La Trobe and King Street doing its best to stay. It’s almost 200 years old. Propped up by scaffolding on one side, it is scarred by graffiti tags on the wall facing La Trobe Street. I took the photos during the permitted walks outside of the home in August during Melbourne’s Stage 4 Lockdown. Despite its neglected state, this tiny building is one of the remaining glimpses into Melbourne’s frontier beginnings. When it was built around 1850/1851, it must have been quite the house. Some interesting things in Melbourne’s archives. 1800s Map of West Melbourne showing Spencer, La Trobe, King Sreets and Flagstaff Gardens. The green mark … Continue ReadingMelbourne CBD’s Oldest Home, 330 King St

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Melbourne’s La Trobe and Spencer Streets, Friday Lunchtime

Posted on By Vienna Richards

Stage 4 in the city. Melbourne’s La Trobe and Spencer Streets at Friday lunchtime. Even though I have been living in the Melbourne CBD since March, when the first stay at home orders were introduced, there are some days when the road traffic feels or looks emptier than usual. Lunchtime traffic on the road and footpaths of La Trobe on Friday 28 August was one of those days. I was standing in the sun at the pedestrian crossing when I first noticed the emptiness across all the roads at the intersection. I was walking out of the home for one of the permitted essential reasons. And this is a snapshot of what I saw. Pre-pandemic, lunchtime would normally be busy and bustling. Melbourne has a … Continue ReadingMelbourne’s La Trobe and Spencer Streets, Friday Lunchtime

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In Search of Melbourne’s Oldest Home

Posted on By Vienna Richards

As part of my very imperfect ‘Melbourne CBD history walks’ also known as my one hour max of walking outside within 5kms of home, I went looking for the city’s oldest home. Built about 170 years ago, I couldn’t wait to find it. So off I went after work one day. In search of Melbourne’s oldest home. A friend told me about its location: ‘it’s behind the scaffolding, you’ve walked past it all the time on the corner at La Trobe and King St’ something along those lines. This was the only place that came to mind. This fenced area right on Flagstaff Gardens, closer to the Flagstaff train station. But it wasn’t on the corner of King and La Trobe. I couldn’t remember seeing … Continue ReadingIn Search of Melbourne’s Oldest Home

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