Flinders Street, Melbourne
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Flinders Street is a notable street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Running roughly parallel to the Yarra River, Flinders Street forms the southern edge of the Hoddle Grid. It is exactly one mile in length and one and half chains in width. It is named for the explorer Matthew Flinders, who was (erroneously) credited with discovering Port Phillip Bay at the time of its naming. It extends eastwards as far as Spring Street and the Treasury Gardens, and westwards past Batman's Hill to the Melbourne Docklands. As the closest street to the river, Flinders Street serviced Melbourne's original river port. Customs House, now the site for Victoria's Immigration Museum, is situated on Flinders Street.
The street is home to Flinders Street Station, the central station in Melbourne's suburban rail network. Tram routes 48, 70 and 75, as well as the City Circle route, run along Flinders Street.
Other landmarks on Flinders Street include Federation Square, the Melbourne Aquarium and Batman Park, which adjoins the Yarra River. It was once home to the Melbourne Fish Market, an ornate building constructed in 1890, covering 23,000 square metres, and of similar design to Flinders Street Station. The market was demolished between 1958 and 1960.
In 1961 an overpass was built over the intersection with King Street. This led to a decline in property value in the western end of Flinders Street, a trend which has continued to the present day. Halfway through 2005, the State Government finally implemented a plan to demolish the overpass, which was completed at the end of the year.
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