St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Cathedral, Church
Even in a metropolitan landscape as colorful as Melbourne, capturing the essence of a city in photographs can be challenging at times. However, we’ve put together a list of the top five places in the heart of Melbourne where photography can never go wrong. These places will allow you to take multiple, unique pictures at the same place. Whether you choose to use an Instagram filter or not, these places will remain absolutely stunning.
Parliament House | © Sue Roe Lim
Parliament House
One of the most iconic, beautiful and majestic landmarks in Melbourne, Parliament House is a favored spot for wedding photography due to its vintage, historical and grand exterior. Parliament House is a place for photographing landscape panoramas and close-ups. The vintage lamp posts, magnificent white pillars and the finely carved doors seem to shout ‘take a picture with me.’ Parliament House is definitely most photogenic during the day when the sun is shining and the white pillars of the building stand out the most.
Parliament House, Spring St, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia, +61 3 9651 8911
Southbank | © Sue Roe Lim
Southbank
The Yarra River is the main river of Melbourne, and Southbank is the section of the river that cuts right through the city. Where there is reflection, there is beauty. With skyscrapers and Flinders Street Station by its side, Southbank has one of the best views, plus the river is lined with cafés, bistros and pubs, making it a must-visit for everyone in Melbourne. Sunset is a good time for capturing Southbank on film, but the real magic occurs during the night when the beautiful lights of Flinders Street Station and the city dance on the water, reflecting the spirit of the city.
Southbank, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Southbank | © Sue Roe Lim
Croft Alley
Graffiti and street art has always been at the heart of Melbourne’s culture. Situated in the middle of Chinatown, Croft Alley is arguably the second most beautiful lane in Melbourne. It has a darker theme compared to many other lanes in the city, with quite an amount of scary and trippy graffiti — this may not suit the palate of everyone. Scariness aside, the street art in Croft Alley is all of extremely high quality. Any corners reachable by humans, sometimes maybe with the help of ladders, are not spared from great art. At the end of the alley sits a bar called The Croft Institute, which complements the graffiti by lighting up the alley as night falls. The bar is also a great place to relax and enjoy some cocktails.
The Croft Institute, Croft Alley, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, +61 3 9671 4399
For Victorian Gothic architecture, St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the best representation in Melbourne. The cathedral is seated behind the Old Treasury Building, and while the front looks small, this cathedral has a garden that could easily be twice the size of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Now as spring approaches, the garden will soon be in full bloom, with flowers and trees growing around the statues throughout the garden. Forget all about Instagram filters; the cathedral has that taken care of with all its stained glass windows. The interior of the cathedral is washed in gold when the sun is shining, as if it is receiving blessings from above. The architecture of the cathedral is sophisticated yet not overly elaborate. St. Patrick’s Cathedral truly delivers the picture of a sacred place.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 1 Cathedral Pl, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia, +61 3 9662 2233
St. Patrick’s Cathedral | © Sue Roe Lim
Hosier Lane
Of all the graffiti lanes and street art alleys, Hosier Lane is undeniably the most famous in Melbourne. Located opposite the Australian Centre for Moving Images (ACMI), Hosier Lane feels like a completely different place. It is more than just a street art and graffiti-filled lane; it is like an open-air, free art exhibition where anyone and everyone can display their artworks. A variety of art can be found on the walls of Hosier Lane, including 3D art. You can take a thousand photographs, and they will be different every single time as the lane is frequently updated with new artworks. When it comes to photogenic places in Melbourne, Hosier Lane definitely comes out on top.
Hosier Lane, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
By Sue Roe Lim
Sue is currently pursuing Bachelor of Journalism at Monash University. Born and raised in Malaysia, she is constantly fascinated by the different cultures the world can offer. Sue loves exploring new places by foot.