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Melbourne is nowadays, in my opinion, one of the world’s great art cities. For me, Melbourne’s street art scene is what really sets it apart. There’s always new and incredible art to explore. The world’s best street artists have come here for many years to do their thing. You might even find some Banksy street art. Follow me to some of my favourite street art spots around the city.
In most cities in the world they are called alleyways and they are to be avoided due to being empty, rat-infested, crime-ridden. In Melbourne, though, they are called “Laneways” and, curiously for many visitors, they are some of the best-loved and most visited parts of Melbourne. For many locals and visitors, myself included, the laneways are one of the many things that make Melbourne a great city. Venture just a few metres off the main thoroughfares and into some of those laneways you will find people taking selfies in front of an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colour. It’s what, to me, sets Melbourne apart from many other cities, especially its long-time rival, Sydney. I grew to love looking for street art because of Melbourne’s scene and taking guests to see the art has been one of life’s pleasures for me.
In Sydney, visitors flock to the harbour and beaches for its grand vistas and photogenic edifices. It’s all selfies in front of the Opera House, selfies with “The Bridge”, selfies on the beach. In Melbourne, though, people flock to its laneways like Hosier Lane to photograph, or pose in front of, the latest piece of street art or just the amalgamation of colours, abstract patterns and scrawls merged together along the walls. Layer upon layer of sprayed surfaces coalesce into one giant mosaic. Not just on walls but wheelie bins, air conditioning units, pipes, window bars and sign posts. Every surface seemingly gains a new surface, sometimes every day, sometimes every few days. The harder to get to surfaces last longer. The higher up you go the more permanent the work stays.
Hosier Lane
People flock to Hosier Lane especially to see these free open-air galleries which, 20 years ago, had only been known to the few and misunderstood by many. The city, state and even federal governments now not only turn a blind eye to what was previously regarded as vandalism, but they actively promote it as an attraction and as part of the city’s “fabric”. All of a sudden Hosier Lane became the most photographed attraction in the city. Large murals and small hidden installations started popping up throughout the city’s other laneways. Now an officially sanctioned activity, almost any kind of “graffiti” is permissible in Hosier Lane and a few other laneways throughout the city. They have become places where anyone can come and paint, tag, paste-up or attach anything they like without fear of arrest or prosecution. It gives the taggers an outlet and it gives artists a canvas where they can practice their art and they won’t get hassled. Most of the renowned artists of today started out life doing tags and “graffiti”. Nowadays they have morphed their identity into legitimate “street artists” and some, like Banksy, are regarded as rockstars in the art world.
Some murals, like Matt Adnate’s depiction of a young Indigenous boy staring out over the Yarra River from a wall behind the Forum Theatre, the featured image of this story, have become much photographed iconic symbols of Melbourne. Others, no less important works in themselves, are hidden in plain sight. Like English artist Will Coles’ thought provoking sculptures. One, a cement cast of a Louis Vuitton purse stamped with the letters FAKE sits glued onto a window sill in Hosier Lane. A chip out of one corner is a clue to the value of the piece. It’s a scar left by someone attempting to lever it off its perch, presumably to sell to a collector. Another, a paint splashed cast of a dead pigeon stamped with the word NOTHINGNESS on its body, hides behind steel bars amongst the litter accumulating in a gap in the wall of one of the buildings lining the laneway.
Look out for old flattened tin cans attached to walls or posts with bottle tops nailed through the bent over top to look like a face with eyes. Junky Projects has apparently attached thousands of them around the streets and suburbs of Melbourne, made from litter picked up around the streets of the city. There are many, many more small, nondescript art pieces out there, you just have to look for them.
AC/DC Lane (and where to find a “Banksy”)
It’s not all about Hosier Lane, though. There are numerous laneways to explore where you will find this ever-changing scene. Just up Flinders Lane is AC/DC Lane. Yes, it is named after the Aussie heavy rock band many of us grew up with. AC/DC Lane features works lifted from some of the most legendary album covers in music. Album cover from Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Nirvana, Rolling Stones to name just a few adorn the walls. Memorial pieces to AC/DC band members Bon Scott and Malcom Young also feature. At the end of AC/DC Lane in Duckboard Place you can’t miss Steen Jones’ tattoo inspired Melbourne sign. Look out for a paper paste-up of Queen Elisabeth wearing sneakers and gripping a skateboard in one fingerless-gloved hand.
Hiding in a corner doorway, ignored by most, sit the last two examples of Banksy street art in Melbourne. Keep an eye out for them near the entrance to Tonka restaurant.
I prefer exploring AC/DC Lane and Duckboard Place to any other laneways. More subdued and less crowded than Hosier Lane, these laneways are also home to some of Melbourne’s best laneway restaurants and hidden bars. It also doesn’t attract anywhere near as many Instagrammers all vying for “that shot”.
Throughout Melbourne’s downtown area there are any number of little laneways and places that you can wander all day to view and ponder art. Here, unlike most art museums, there’s no closing time, entry is free, and you can take photos of anything you like. And even for those budding artists amongst us, you can grab your own palette, head to places like Hosier Lane and start working on your own masterpiece. Only thing is though, it might not be there when you come back tomorrow.
These are my recommendations for where to stay, eat and tour in Melbourne.
Where to Stay in Melbourne
Adelphi Hotel – An award-winning boutique hotel, the Adelphi not only boasts a fantastic location right in the middle of the Melbourne Street Art scene in Flinders Lane, but it combines two of my own passions – food and art. The decor used throughout the hotel is artistically designed to resemble sweets, candies and desserts. Even the lobby is scented to give you the feeling of being in a patisserie!
Lindrum Hotel – Another award-winning hotel, the Lindrum is a beautifully crafted boutique hotel housed in a century-old heritage building. I love the Lindrum for its wonderful attention to detail, outstanding service and a perfect location with easy access to the laneways, dining scene and Melbourne’s superb parks and gardens.
Where to Eat in Melbourne
Supernormal – I can never get enough of this restaurant, also located in the heart of Flinders Lane. Whether it’s the superb slow cooked lamb shoulder, the mouth watering duck bao or the peanut butter parfait, a sweet tooth’s delight, this fusion of Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong will surely keep you coming back for more. Kat and I always ask for our favourite spot right down the end of the bar looking into the kitchen where you can watch the chefs displaying their craft.
Movida – Since 2003 this restaurant has been at the forefront of Melbourne’s diverse dining scene. Credited with igniting the cities love of tapas, Movida is a celebration of Spanish flavours and food culture. Located at the end of Hosier Lane, it can’t be a better location for street art lovers as well. Or if you want to dine right among the street art, literally, try Movida’s Mexican Cantina offshoot Tres a Cinco
Best Tours to Explore Melbourne
Discover Melbourne’s street art and dining scene using these fantastic local operators I know personally.
Melbourne Private Tours offer Melbourne’s best private luxury tours of the city as well as further afield to discover the delights of Victoria.
Hidden Secrets Tours are Melbourne’s original and best walking tours. Discover all those hidden secrets and the stories that make Melbourne a delight to explore.
Melbourne Street Tours specialise in street art tours in Melbourne. Founded by and guided by street artists, you can dive in deep and even try your hand at street art yourself.
In my next blog on street art I’ll explore a bit further around Melbourne’s centre and find a few more of my favourites. Stay tuned!
