1880c Bourke Street looking east
$10.50
A photograph from around 1880 looking east along Bourke Street. We are looking across Elizabeth Street towards Parliament House in Spring Street. The photo was taken at 2:50pm, most likely on a Sunday, as there are very few people in the photo.
The building on the left is the first stage of the GPO, just the original 2 storey, with the third level and a new clock tower added in 1887.
At the end of the street is the partially constructed Parliament House. Behind it is the partially constructed St Patrick's Cathedral.
This part of Bourke Street was the retail and entertainment centre of Melbourne, and continues to be today. Shops, hotels, theatres and a large market attracted visitors day and night.
All text © HotPress
Photograph attributed to Charles Nettleton.
The notes from the State Library tell us that this image is "Looking east along Bourke Street from just before Elizabeth Street intersection. General Post Office on left corner, Beehive Clothing Company on right. Line of horse and carriages travelling on left side of road and figures of men standing in street blurred by motion. Parliament House visible in distance.".
This is a digitally retouched reproduction of the original held by the State Library of Victoria. All prints are reproduced without the HOTPRESS watermarks.
Our team of conservators have worked on a high resolution digital image in order to remove blemishes and artifacts such as stains, mould, scratches and damage caused by the handling of the original. We strive to provide authentic representations of the original work that are suitable for enlargements that retain the tones and character of the original.
