Collins Street, C.1929
This 96 year old view looks in an easterly direction up Collins Street from just above (west of) the Elizabeth Street intersection.
Apart from other factors, this busy shot is interesting as it shows Cable Trams operating in their final year. The Collins Street conversion from Cable to Electric Trams was completed in December of this year.
The building on the right (south east corner) with the multi-columned frontage, is the original Royal Bank building. This was built to a design by Terry & Oakden and opened in 1886 as the City of Melbourne Bank.
It became the English, Scottish and Australian (ES&A) bank’s Royal branch in 1903. The current landmark Royal Bank which replaced this building, was constructed by ES&A between 1938/40. This is now the ANZ Royal Bank branch.
On the left (north east corner, aka Alston corner) is the 6 storey Alston building. This stands today, now an apartment complex.
Henry Alston was a tobacconist who had the red brick and render Edwardian Building constructed by Clements Langford Pty Ltd in 1903. He had previously traded from a two storey premises on the same site. In 1908 his new building was extended by one bay east up Collins Street.
Interestingly, it was on this very corner that Melbourne's first brick building was erected, built shortly after the first land sales in 1836. If you look to the centre right you will see a man in an overcoat (behind the motorbike) running to beat the oncoming traffic. The more patient pedestrians watch from the corner in wonder.