1912c Flinders Street and the Yarra
MI_1067
$18.00
A view of Flinders Street around 1912, looking west. The bridge crossing the Yarra River is Queens Bridge, which opened in 1890. We can see the wharves along the south bank, a large steamer turning, and a lot of activity along the north wharves.
The rail yards are above the Banana Alley Vaults (built 1891), which were originally used by fresh produce sellers to store their goods, and got their name because bananas were ripened here with ethylene gas before being taken to market.
The Tea House (the large building with the white band around it, directly above Queen's Bridge) still stands today in Clarendon Street.
The railway viaduct dissects the photo diagonally, as it curves on its way to Spencer Street, around the Fish Market Buildings. These beautiful buildings were completed in 1890, but sadly were demolished between 1959 and 1960.
The large steamer vessel is apparently T.S.S. Loongana which was leaving Melbourne to take mine rescue gear and fire fighting equipment to help with the North Lyell Mine disaster in Tasmania that occurred in 1912.
The photograph shows a mix of various modes of transport from the early 20th century, with a cable car, horse-drawn carts, hansom cabs as well as the newly introduced motor car running up and down Flinders Street. The railways were still dominated by the steam locomotive, and coal-burning steamships were the current form of sea and ocean transport.
All text © HotPress
Photograph attributed to the Kerr Brothers.
Notes from the State Library tell us that this image is of "An elevated view looking west showing a steamer in dock beyond Queen's Bridge."
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.
