The History Of Melbourne's GPO Building In 1 Minute

Once upon a time, Melbourne’s General Post Office was the centre of the city’s postal service where thousands of letters were received and sorted. Located on the intersection between Bourke and Elizabeth Street, the GPO building was conveniently positioned in the city’s central business district and its location continues to be used as a point of reference to measure distance from the centre of Melbourne. From the mid-19th Century right up until 1992, Melbournians visited the GPO to post letters, buy stationary, check their PO boxes and pay bills, but these days the building is home to retailers and restaurants.

Architecture

In 1859, a design competition was held in Melbourne in search of a new building, but instead of moving forward with the winning entry, the design that won second place was chosen. Designed by A.E. Johnson, the neo-renaissance building blended classical design with French Second Empire influences. The foundation stone was laid in 1859 and the building was constructed and remodeled over 48 years between 1859 and 1907. The first level features Doric columns, the second level features Ionic columns and the third level which was built in 1887 features Corinthian columns and it was during this final stage that the iconic clock tower was added. A.E. Johnson went on to design the Supreme Court.

Melbourne Old Post Office (Shopping Mall Interior)

20th Century

21st Century

By September 2001, the GPO building was still looking for a modern day purpose when a fire damaged its interior. It took three years to restore the building to its former glory and the ceiling was repainted a lighter shade in accordance to the original design. In October 2004, it reopened as a retail centre and featured Venetian style dining on the colonnade. Today, retailers include Absolutely Altered & Tailored, Larsen Jewellery and in April 2014, retail giant H&M opened Australia’s flagship store which occupies three levels and almost 5,000 square meters of the GPO building. GPO is also home to Alto Events Space which can be booked for weddings, corporate functions and parties. There are also four premium restaurants including Ca de Vin, Federal Coffe Palace, Gekkazan and Mama’s Bưởi.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

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Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

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