"Meet Me Under the Clocks"

I've posted on Flinders Street Station before but I found some more history which I found fascinating on one of our cultural websites about Melbourne. We learn alot from blogging don't we?



A favorite meeting spot was under the clocks at Flinders Street Station over the years to this day.

 

Before the grand plan, Flinders Street Station was no more than a few timber and corrugated iron buildings. This cyclist is riding towards the first station.



But it did have a clock tower, even before 1900. The first station was called the Melbourne Terminus in the mid 1800s.



The Grand Plan and the winning entry.

 






A scene not long after the station was officially opened in 1910.

In 1899 it was announced by the Government that there would be a competition to design a new station for Melbourne. The above design submitted by Fawcett and Ashworth rewarded them with the 500 pound prize. Designed in the French Renaissance style the building spans two city blocks. Work began in 1900 and wasn't completed until 1909 and the official opening was the following year. Fawcett and Ashworth's original design was altered over the decade of building due to financial constraints. Today the station moves 110.000 commuters with 1500 trains passing by daily.


A Postcard of Flinders St Station,
the Yarra River and Princes Bridge heading towards St Kilda.
To the opposite side of Flinders Street Station is the Princes Bridge Station servicing the north and south eastern suburbs of Melbourne.



This postcard shows the great dome and the smaller ones with the tall clock tower at the end of the station building spanning the two city blocks.




Peak hour commuters in the 50s.

Very quiet here, must be Sunday in the 50/60s when Melbourne would be closed



Behind locked gates - The train strike.
Check out the art nouveau leadlight.

Flinders Street Station today at dusk.

None of the photographs for this post were taken by me - I am not that old or talented. Images come from Google.





The next "Wednesday's in France" will be most probably the last post on our 2008 trip to France. Our last museum visit was the Louvre where we focused on the Egyptian exhibits.

If you enjoy the posts of France , don't despair as we still have the 2009 and 2010 trips to go.