Russell Street, Melbourne

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Looking north toward the Russell Street Police Headquarters building, bombed in 1986 causing over A$1M damage, now apartments.

Russell Street is a north-south street in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia, part of the Hoddle Grid laid out in 1837. At its southern end it intersects with Flinders Street and Federation Square, while at its northern end it becomes Lygon Street, a street famous for its Italian restaurants and cafes.

Russell Street has a rich and colorful history. Like many premium, inner-city precincts it has been transformed over a period of extensive urban renewal to become a hub for learning, living, shopping and dining. Russell Street is lined with established, green leafy trees and is the address of many restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, offices, 5-star Grand Hyatt Melbourne Hotel and luxury French label Chanel who have a flagship store on the corner of Russell Street and Flinders Lane.

Russell Street is also the address of some of the city’s most important public amenity. The QV building, once the Queen Victoria Woman’s Hospital is now an upmarket mix of retail, restaurant, office and residential. The old Russell Street Police Headquarters has been redeveloped into apartments and the Old Melbourne Gaol is now managed by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) as a popular tourist attraction. The former Melbourne Magistrates' Court on the corner of Russell and La Trobe Streets is now being used by RMIT University as part of its broader CBD campus. Retaining is original purpose, the grand State Library of Victoria is an important resource for over 1.5 million visitors every year and was one of the world’s first free libraries.

Russell Street is easily reached by public transport by taking a train to Parliament railway station, Flinders Street railway station or Melbourne Central railway station. It also intersects several streets serviced by metro tram lines.

See also

Australian Roads portal