Russell Street, Melbourne

Russell Street Victoria
Former Russell Street Police Headquarters
Russell Street
Coordinates	37°48′43″S 144°58′03″E / 37.8119251°S 144.9676339°E / -37.8119251; 144.9676339Coordinates: 37°48′43″S 144°58′03″E / 37.8119251°S 144.9676339°E / -37.8119251; 144.9676339
General information
Type	Street
Length	1.1 km (0.7 mi)
Opened	1837
Major junctions
North end	Lygon Street Carlton, Victoria
	Victoria Street La Trobe Street Lonsdale Street Bourke Street Collins Street
South end	Flinders Street Melbourne CBD
Location(s)
LGA(s)	City of Melbourne
Suburb(s)	Melbourne CBD

Former Melbourne Magistrate's Court on the corner of Russell and La Trobe Streets

Russell Street is a main street and thoroughfare in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly north-south and was laid out as a core feature of the Hoddle Grid in 1837.^[1]

Russell Street is named after John Russell, British Home Secretary and leader of the House of Commons in Lord Melbourne's cabinet. Russell himself was also a future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.^[2][3]

Geography[]

Russell Street runs roughly north-south and is located one block east of the city's central thoroughfare of Swanston Street.

At its southern end, the street intersects with Flinders Street and Federation Square, while at its northern end it becomes Lygon Street, the main street of Melbourne's Little Italy.

Notable buildings[]

Russell Street is lined with established trees and is the home of numerous public amenities and buildings. Noteworthy structures include:

• QV Village
• RMIT University
• Grand Hyatt Hotel

The street is also home to many buildings featured on the Victorian Heritage Register or classified by the National Trust of Australia, including:

• Old Melbourne Gaol (1845)
• Duke of Wellington Hotel (1850)
• State Library of Victoria (1854)
• Scots' Church (1874)
• , commemorating Melbourne's labor movement to adopt the 8 hour working day (1903)^[4]
• (1909)
• Former Melbourne Magistrates' Court (1914)
• Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy (1927)
• Former Russell Street Police Headquarters (1943)
• (1954)
• Total House (1965)
• Several Underground Public conveniences

Russell Street Bombing[]

On 27 March 1986, a car bomb was detonated on Russell Street near the Police Headquarters. Constable Angela Taylor died and 21 others were injured in what was described as a ‘revenge attack' on Melbourne police, perpetrated by Stanley Taylor and Craig Minogue.^[5]

Transport[]

Russell street is partly serviced by Transdev Melbourne bus routes 200 and 207.

Whilst the street does not have tram lines or train stations located on it, it is easily reached by public transport via Parliament, Flinders Street and Melbourne Central stations. It also intersects with several streets which are serviced by Melbourne tramlines, including Victoria Street, La Trobe Street, Bourke Street, Collins Street and Flinders Street.

See also[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Russell Street, Melbourne.

 Australian Roads portal

References[]