Collins Street, Melbourne

Collins Street is one of those Melbourne originals—the kind that’s been here since the city first got its grid in 1837. Surveyor Robert Hoddle drew the lines, measured the angles, and declared that this street would be exactly one mile long and one chain (that is, 99 feet) wide. And Melbourne, obedient as ever, still follows his blueprint. The name itself comes from Lieutenant-Governor David Collins, who led the founding of Sorrento in 1803—which was the first British settlement in Australia outside of Sydney (back when Tasmania was still Van Diemen’s Land and Australia’s map was mostly wishful thinking)...

Head to the east end, and you’ll hear locals call it the “Paris End”—and honestly, they have a point. With its leafy trees, heritage facades, cafés spilling onto the sidewalk, and boutiques that look like they charge by the eyebrow raise, it gives off an unmistakably French mood. Walk west toward Queen Street, and the atmosphere shifts. This has been Melbourne’s financial district since the 1800s—less croissants, more contracts. The Block Arcade sits at the retail heart of it all, linking Swanston and Elizabeth Streets with old-world charm and enough mosaic flooring to make a Roman jealous.

Over the years, Collins Street has had its share of upgrades, no doubt. Elm trees arrived in 1875, trams clattered in by 1885—originally cable-drawn until electricity took over in 1930. Sadly, not everything survived progress: many boom-time buildings were swept away during the 1950s and '60s redevelopment wave.

But a few architectural gems still hold their ground. The Collins Street Baptist Church, Scot’s Presbyterian Church, and Saint Michael’s Uniting Church keep the Victorian spirit alive, while Alston’s Corner (designed in 1914) shows off Edwardian flair. And at the business end, the dramatic Gothic towers—nicknamed the “Cathedrals of Commerce”—remind you that even accountants can have a sense of style...