Nº1 · Melbourne CBD
City history
Gold-rush Melbourne in four stops, from the gaol to the steps of Parliament.
Draft trail. We haven’t walked this one yet to check every detail. Opening days, prices and paths can change, so check before you go.
1 / 6Gold made Melbourne rich almost overnight in the 1850s, and the city built itself to match. This walk links the bluestone gaol, the domed State Library, the Parliament that housed Australia’s federal government from 1901 to 1927, and the Old Treasury, built to hold the colony’s gold.
- Getting there
- Start at State Library station (Metro Tunnel), about 200 m from the Old Melbourne Gaol. Trams along Swanston Street stop outside. The whole walk is inside the Free Tram Zone.
- How long
- About 3 hours, 2 km on foot (3 h 15 min at the stops)
- Cost
- Free, except entry to the Old Melbourne Gaol
- Best time
- A weekday morning. Parliament runs free tours on many non-sitting days; check before you go.
The stops
- 1Old Melbourne Gaol · History · 1 h
Bluestone cells where the bushranger Ned Kelly was hanged in 1880.
Directions - 2State Library Victoria · Culture · 45 min
The octagonal, domed La Trobe Reading Room opened in 1913.
Directions - 3Parliament House · History · 45 min
The grand steps on Spring Street; Australia’s federal parliament sat here from 1901 to 1927.
Directions - 4Old Treasury Building · History · 45 min
Finished in 1862 to a design by a 19-year-old architect, with vaults for the gold.
Directions
On the map
Tips
- Look up in the La Trobe Reading Room: the galleries above give the best view of the dome.
- The Old Treasury is listed as closed on Saturdays.
Collect this trail’s stamp in your Passport by checking in at each stop.