Collins Street

The top end of Collins St has long been associated with that most romanticised of European cities, Paris. Lined with plane trees, grand buildings and luxe boutiques (including Bally, Prada and Hermès), the ‘Paris end’ of Collins St has a certain splendour, but is as much a mini 5th Avenue as a grand boulevard. Straddling Russell St are two of Melbourne’s historic churches. Scots’ Church, the first Presbyterian church in Victoria, was built in the decorative Gothic style (1873); opposite is St Michael’s Uniting Church.

At 188 Collins St, the Athenaeum, dating back to 1886, has undergone many a face-lift. The Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, sits atop the façade, imbuing the theatre with classical gravitas. Across the road, the opulent Regent Theatre was considered one of the most lavish theatres of its kind when it was built in 1929 with the advent of the talkies. Destroyed by fire and then restored in 1945, the Regent had fallen into disrepair by the 1990s. After a major refurbishment it reopened in late 1996 and is now used mainly for blockbuster stage shows. A number of Melbourne’s ornate arcades lead off from Collins St. The Block network, comprising Block Pl, Block Arcade and Block Ct, was named after the 19th-century pastime of ‘doing the block’, which referred to walking the city’s fashionable area.

The Block Arcade, which runs between Collins and Elizabeth Sts, was built in 1891 and features etched-glass ceilings and mosaic floors. It houses an interesting mix of old-school and contemporary retailers. Nestled between Block Arcade and Little Collins St, Block Place keeps city kids fuelled with coffee and café food. Weave your way further south through Centre Way Arcade and Centre Place, pausing to take in the street art, maybe some noodles, a drink, or a browse through a boutique. It’s down to business along the western end of Collins St. The city’s financial sector begins across Elizabeth St, but the area also has some of Melbourne’s best-preserved old buildings. Bankers and stockbrokers call this area home, and it’s where you’ll find the Australian Stock Exchange.