Bourke Street, Parliament House and the City, C.1926
An aerial photograph of the east end of the city in 1926, taken by RAAF pilot Ernest Ebell. Parliament House in Spring Street dominates this end of the city, closing the vista along Bourke Street. At this time, Melbourne was the nation's Capital, and Parliament House served as the Commonwealth Parliament. Visible to the rear of Parliament House is St Patrick's Cathedral, which is yet to have its spires added.
Despite development over the years in this part of the city, many of the larger buildings visible in this photograph survive. In addition to Parliament House, other survivors include the Treasury Building, Windsor Hotel and the Princess Theatre. Much of this part of the city still retains a built form of a human scale and of a nineteenth century character.