Heritage

As generally recognised, Smith Street is one of the most important nineteenth century commercial streetscapes in Victoria. Smith Street is one of Melbourne's oldest thoroughfares dating back to the first suburban land subdivision in Melbourne in 1838.

It was built upon a winding dirt track that went to Heidelberg and was the only road out of the city into the north eastern district of the fledgling colony. It later became Melbourne's first suburban shopping strip and became one the busiest and most important shopping centres in Australia.

Smith Street has a secret tunnel, an Art Deco Coles and other motley remnants of the lofty dreams of retailers and developers.

A Brief Social History of Smith Street

From JL Fitzgerald, S Broad, A Dare Regulating the Street Heroin Market in Fitzroy/ Collingwood, The University of Melbourne and Vic Health, 1999....

A heritage view of the proposed development on Smith Street

A quick overview of the Planning Application PL03/1407 by Malvernway PL and Davgab PL (for the developers Banco of Lygon Court) for 132-172 Smith Street, Collingwood, shows that this development appears to have been deliberately designed to present the most hostile possible face to its neighbours.

An Art Deco Coles...

This is an edited version of an objection sent to the Planning Department at the City of Yarra by Robin Grow, President of The Art Deco Society.

Also in Heritage

• A Bibliography of Smith Street...
  Here are some of the books that contain histories of Smith Street, kindly provided by Damian Robert Shaw of the Toorak Library.
• Foy and Gibson, Coles Variety and Secret Tunnels...
  This is an edited version of a report by Kerry Jordan (a Melbourne based Architectural Historian) written for the National Trust.
• The Origins of Smith Street
  A brief look at the origins of Smith Street.
• Collingwood Local History Photo Database
  A web database lets you search for historic photos held in the Collingwood Library collection....
• Second Hand Smith Street
  Second Hand Smith Street, by writer/film-maker and former Fitzroy resident, David Cox.