| 1870s as a decade |
| Building Boom In the 1870s and 1880s there was a building boom, both commercial and residential. SOURCE Context Pty Ltd 2012, Thematic History: A History of the City of Melbourne’s Urban Environment, prepared for the City of Melbourne. Housing: Cast iron elements are introduced in 1870s as decade Verandah roofs were clad in corrugated iron, usually with a delicate concave profile.Better verandahs had timber friezes and brackets until the introduction of cast iron elements in the 1870s. SOURCE Context Pty Ltd 2012, Thematic History: A History of the City of Melbourne’s Urban Environment, prepared for the City of Melbourne. Polychrome bricks continue to be popular after their debut with St Michaels Church build in 1866 Polychrome brickwork, generally red or brown with cream accents, became very popular in the 1870s. SOURCE Context Pty Ltd 2012, Thematic History: A History of the City of Melbourne’s Urban Environment, prepared for the City of Melbourne. |
| 1870s as a decade Melbourne mint becomes only second outside of London following NSW The Mint’s first decade of operation saw the minting and circulation of gold sovereigns and half sovereigns to the value of £15m. During this time, the Mint also produced coinage for India, New Guinea and Papua. -SOURCE ‘Establishment of Melbourne Mint, 1872’ https://collections.museumsvictoria.com. au/articles/3776 |
| Bilking Square BLOCK 32 In 1870s Melbourne, Juliet Terrace and Romeo Lane, between Bourke and Little Bourke streets at the eastern end of the city grid, led to Bilking Square, an unofficial name for this notorious location of prostitution. The name derives from the practice of prostitutes stealing intended customers’ wallets after inviting them into bed with a promise of sexual favours. Romeo Lane and Juliet Terrace were respectively renamed Crossley Street (1876) and Liverpool Street (1890). SOURCE BILKING SQUARE by ANDREW MAY https://www.emelbourne.net.au/ biogs/EM00191b.htm |
| 1870 |
STREET SURFACE
Gradually the road surface was improved first with Macadam – compacted basalt chips – and then
Tarmacadam – compacted basalt chips bound with tar. It would take until 1870 before Melbourne’s
first asphalt footpath was laid in Elizabeth Street, and it would take the installation of underground
drains in the 1880’s before street flooding was at least partly managed.
-SOURCE p8 Elizabeth Street
Historical Character Study, Green Heritage Compliance and Research pdf
| 1879 |
| Yarra River alterations begin 1879 Starting in 1879, the Yarra River’s course was altered to mitigate the frequent flooding and to straighten it to become parallel with Melbourne’s city grid. The Falls (Yarro Yarro), which separated salt and fresh water was also removed. To reduce travel time, the Coode Canal was dredged, in the process creating Victoria Harbour and Victoria Dock https://museumsvictoria.com.au /melbournemuseum/resources/marvellous-melbourne/ |
burrows & co 