Latest articles by Dr Cheryl Griffin
A remnant of the past tucked away in Franklin St
In 1937 this old two-storeyed house that had seen better days was put up for auction. It was on a site alongside a terrace of six other old two-storeyed houses, tucked up against a right of way and not far from Elizabeth St.
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Old Melbourne Law Court
This unpretentious wooden building with veranda nestled in among much taller, more impressive edifices was one of the earliest public buildings in Melbourne. Located on the north-west corner of Russell and La Trobe streets, its foundation stone was laid in 1842 and the building was completed in 1843. Its style speaks to its age.
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The three “Rs”: school’s in at the Old Model School, Spring St
In September 1854, Patrick Davitt and his wife Ellen began their work of instilling the fundamentals of every basic education – the three “Rs” (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic) – on the children who attended the newly-built Model School in Spring St.
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The Howitt family’s life in the inner city in pre-goldrush times
When Godfrey Howitt, his brother Richard and other members of their family decided to settle in Port Phillip in April 1840, Godfrey brought a home with him and that is what you see here.
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The grandeur of Spring St, early autumn 1899
The wealth and extravagance of the 1880s, the era of Marvellous Melbourne, was long gone when this photograph was taken, but it is still evident in the two main buildings you see here – the Grand Hotel on the left and the Princess Theatre on the right.
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A stroll along Collins St, 1900
Collins St has long been considered Melbourne’s most fashionable street and these smartly dressed pedestrians reflect the street’s status as a popular place to shop at higher end stores like George’s Emporium, the city’s most elegant store, and at the many milliners, costumiers and glove-makers that lined the street. Collins St was the place to be seen.
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Little Flinders St East, looking east, corner of Swanston St, 1870s
Looking at this photograph taken in the 1870s, it is hard to believe that the photographer was standing on the west side of Swanston St just opposite the St Paul’s Cathedral site. His camera is pointed up Flinders Lane and if he walked up the street far enough he would end up at the Treasury Gardens.
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