Court House Hotel

Corner Errol St and Queensberry St, North Melbourne

Not many pubs that still serve Carlton Light, and I'm yet to see if the Court House itself still does.

Commonwealth Savings Bank of Australia

Errol St, North Melbourne

Old metal plaque at the entrance of what is now the North Melbourne Post Office.

Parkville Tennis Club

Royal Parade, Parkville

Something cool about this one, despite the lettering looking slightly amateurish. The wall it's been stuck to is a little less cool. I'm surprised this has lasted nearly so long nestled in among such prime real estate.

Parkville Post Office

Fitzgibbon St, Parkville

These leadlight windows adorn the outside of the Parkville Post Office, a truly remarkable building. It was built in 1889, which must surely make it one of the oldest surviving post offices in suburban Melbourne. Kind of an elaborate way to advertise a service, but there you go. They don't advertise like they used to!

Don't Dump Babies!

Somewhere in San Francisco, apparently

Photo courtesy of Alan Forbes

I can't believe somebody thinks this sticker will stop people putting their babies in dumpsters. I can't believe baby dumping has become such an everyday activity that it warrant stickers on bins, regardless of how effective said stickers are. I can't believe, supposing just for a second that a) it would prevent the dumping of babies, and b) that, yes, it is now just that commonplace, that the design and messaging on the stickers would be so completely bloody crude.

Foster's Lager

Railway Pl, North Melbourne.

This old billboard, on the side of the Railway Hotel (across the road from North Melbourne station) captures a moment in time that younger beer drinkers such as myself are still confused by. When exactly, after years of Foster's being THE australian beer of choice, did Victoria Bitter suddenly become de rigueur. And why? Actually, we know why - because Foster's tastes like horse urine. That's why it's now drink of choice only for old men, hobos and tourists.

Colony Woollen Mill

Eastwood St, Kensington

This whole building looks fantastic - given the opportunity I'd have loved to have spent a couple of hours wandering around it. The best of the buildings are so often next to train lines.

Arden St Oval

Fogarty St, North Melbourne

You know these signs are old - when's the last time you could get into the football for seven dollars? Having a look at these facilities, it's not at all surprising to hear that North Melbourne Football Club has been struggling for money.

Beware

Langford St, North Melbourne

Beware. This area is protected by guard dogs. And a nasty lobster.

Commonwealth Wool & Produce Co.

Sutton St, North Melbourne

This huge old building is now home to a number of businesses. It's impossible to appreciate just how huge this sign is until you're standing underneath it, but anyone who's travelled between Macauley and Flemington Bridge Stations should be able to give you an idea.

Join the Druids

Swanston St (opposite RMIT, Melbourne)

Photo courtesy Chloe Wilson

Milk Bar Advertisements
Corner Ascot Vale Rd and Montgomery St, Ascot Vale
This milk bar (still operational):
a) has a fondness for 80's advertising kitsch
b) has escaped the attentions of Pepsico and Streets for far too long
c) is the only place within walking distance you can get a litre of milk at 6 in the morning, so the owner doesn't give a damn what you make of its shoddy old signage
d) all of the above.

Detail-Mural at Collingwood College, Victoria
Johnston St (near Wellington St), Collingwood
Keith Haring was an American street artist of note that came to Australia in 1984 and painted this piece in Collingwood, next door to the Tote Hotel. More information about Haring can be found at this website, but what interested me about this piece, and this man, was his stipulation that none of his works were to be preserved under any circumstances. Apparently he saw the gradual deterioration of his artwork as an integral part of its existence, and it's certainly clear on this piece that his wishes have been respected.
Sadly, I understand that the building this is painted on is soon to be demolished. Haring's fans may be dismayed, but I guess that's exactly what the man would have wanted.

Big Freaky Looking Horse's Head Poking Out of a Wall

Park Dve, Parkville

This is attached to the old cattle market wall, and dates back to 1888 (though it was originally hung around the corner). Needless to say the cattle market no longer exists, nor is the US Army building that once lived behind the same walls. I could be wrong but I believe the grounds behind this wall our know used by University High.

Tattslotto

Brunswick St (near Johnston St), Fitzroy

Very cool old sign, now largely obscured by the shop awnings below. Has neon tubing around the letters that I can only assume stopped working many moons ago.

John Bull Oats

Corner Morrah and Wimble Sts, Parkville

'32 OZS OF BREAKFAST SATISFACTION' doesn't sound like the type of thing I'd want to shove in my own mouth of a morning, but each to their own. The back streets of Parkville, despite being incredibly old and close to town, aren't as fertile ground for this blog as you'd imagine, but this sign (above a cafe/milk bar) is a ripper.

Freedom

Park st (near corner of Amess St), Carlton North

Photo courtesy Ramona Bryant

What drove someone to write this message, in this incredibly time consuming way and paste it up on a random wall? It does look rather pretty though. I Wonder what the whole thing said.

Clayton Reserve

Canning St, North Melbourne

I'm kicking myself that I didn't take a photo of the plaque underneath this sign. Apparently it was put there by a greatful public in thanks to some public servant or other long forgotten. The point is, why is there not more of this nowadays?

Manchester Unity Building

Corner Collins and Swanston Sts, Melbourne

What exactly does one have to do to become an Oddfellow?

The inside of this building is an absolute marvel. Good to see it has survived years of public use and the barbarism of the Bolte Government.

A Morning on the Upfield Bike Path

Upfield Train line between Brunswick and Coburg

Old Coburg Police Station

Bell St, Coburg

Do Not Spit / Way Out

Flinders St Station Underpass, Melbourne

They seemed very keen to make sure didn't spit. I assume this was some sort of half-arsed attempt to limit the spread of TB or similar? Anyone know?

Old milkbar with Tarax sign

Albion St, West Brunswick

Astor Quality Radio

Abbotsford St, North Melbourne

Sorry about the current North Melbourne bias. Submit some pics of your own and help me correct it.

The House of Phillips Shirts

Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne.

Note the 'Urban Apartment' installation to the left - a series of dummies sleeping in netting on the exterior wall of the same building. Cool.

Underground Signage

Campbell Arcade (Degraves subway), Melbourne

This arcade is an absolute beauty. Apart from this beautiful signage, there are some fantastic stores (Sticky and Corky Saint. Clair are favorites) and some great art installations that are turned over regularly.

A great usage of what in any other city might become just another decrept, piss-stained litter trap.

Shoeing Forge

Flemington Rd, North Melbourne

Anyone who catches the No. 57 tram regularly will be well acquainted with this old yellow building.