eHive Object Details

Name/TitleAn imagined view of Bourke Street, Melbourne, looking east from Queen Street (shows Parliament House with dome), c. 1885

About this objectThis drawn image depicts an imagined view looking east along Bourke Street from Queen Street, towards Parliament House. It is "imagined" for a few reasons, one being that the impressive dome which sits atop the Parliament building in the background was never built, due to the economic depression of the 1890s.

This image is reproduced from "Historical Sketch of Victoria" by James Smith, which was part of a larger publication, "Picturesque Atlas of Australasia", edited by Andrew Garran and first published in 1886. This original work contained over seven hundred illustrations, engraved on wood and steel by the best engravers available in Australia and the United States.

The image is dominated by the General Post Office building, located on the north-east corner of Bourke and Elizabeth streets, with its ornate clocktower. The engraver must have been working from architectural plans because the addition of the third storey and tower wasn't completed until 1887, after publication.

The building in the left corner is Griffin's Farmers' Club Hotel.

The foreground shows a wide and busy Bourke Street, as it rises steeply towards Queen Street, with cable trams, horse-drawn vehicles and crowds of pedestrians and passengers receding into the distance.

The large ecclesiastic style building, standing above the city to the right of Parliament House, is St Patrick's Cathedral before its spires were added. It is actually located behind Parliament house and would not be seen from this view, but the artist has included it in the picture.

There is a snippet of a quote in the top right-hand corner of the slide. This is taken from the text of "Historical Sketch of Victoria" and partly describes the lawyers who inhabit Chancery Lane, the extension west of Little Collins Street. The lawyers, "... are addicted - owing to the nature of their occupation and their daily familiarity with the seamy side of human nature - to rather pessimistic views of mankind in general...".

This image was reproduced on linen in the 1960s by John Rodriguez, who also reproduced a drawing of Collins Street from the same publication (GS-BCS-74).

One of the many glass slides purchased from retailers or specifically made for illustrated lectures given by Isaac Selby between c. 1930 and c. 1955 to raise money for the Old Pioneers Memorial Fund.

For more information about this image contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria

MakerCooper & Co (firm)

Maker RoleSlide Maker

Inscription and MarksInscribed on top right-hand corner : "and their daily familiarity / pessimistic views of mankind"

Measurements8.2 x 8.2 cm

Period1880-1890

Object TypePhotograph

Subject and Association KeywordsSelby, Isaac, 1859-1956

Subject and Association KeywordsParliament House (Melbourne, Vic.)

Subject and Association KeywordsGeneral Post Office (Melbourne, Vic.)

Subject and Association KeywordsBourke Street (Melbourne, Vic.)

Subject and Association KeywordsMelbourne (Victoria.)

Subject and Association KeywordsHoddle Grid

Named CollectionImages collection

Object numberGS-BCS-48

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved