1. Why is Smith Street important?
A history of one of Melbourne’s
most diverse streets
Dr Craig Bellamy
Victoria University, Melbourne
www.craigbellamy.net
Nerd Nite Melbourne, Tuesday 14 October, 2014
2. The 19th
Century
Street founded in 1837 on an irregular track from the top end of
Bourke Street that went to Heidelberg
Between 1837 and 1865 the street made the transition from a
thoroughfare to a manufacturing and shopping centre
Boom in the 1880s saw the building of the Post Office and Foy
and Gibson’s Collingwood Store
Cable tram arrived in Smith Street in 1887 and expanded the
retail population
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10. 1900 to 1970
Major expansion of Foy and Gibson
Tunnel built under Smith Street for Lady Shoppers
Foy’s Ladies Store Built in 1911
George Coles opened first store in 1914
World War II shortages forced the closure of many small
retailers as the larger retailers received the major share of
rationed goods
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22. Recent History: 1970s to the present
Foy and Gibson’s Collingwood Store Demolished in the 1960s
Gentrification of the Inner Cities and the changing demographic
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27. What future for Smith Street?
Smith Street significance is in the history retailing in Victoria and
Australia
Smith Street gentrification is an ongoing process along with the
tensions and conflicts that go along with this
