The Street Art of Melbourne

On our recent trip to Australia we spent three wonderful days in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria. Ken had never been to Melbourne and I hadn't visited for about 23 years. One of the things that I really wanted to do whilst we were there was to check out the street art as I love how what used to be taboo is now such a mainstream form of art that people come from all over to see.

Two of the laneways that we explored were Hosier Lane and Union Lane - both still have the cobbles under foot and every bit of space is covered with paint - in some places there are many layers of art and you have to step back to appreciate what was there and what is there now. Here's a selection of the art that stood out for me.

Around the streets of Melbourne there are also interesting art installations that you suddenly come across - love this purse that is lying in the street. People were sitting on it to listen to the buskers that were nearby.

These three shoppers are in the middle of a street which really made me smile watching people walk through the middle of them - I love art that is tactile and not behind glass, away from the people who want to enjoy it. You maybe can't see in this photo, but someone has put a half smoked cigarette in the first man's mouth.

Around a lot of the CBD in Melbourne there are anti-terrorism blocks to stop attacks by vehicles. Have they been left as boring grey blocks - NO!! These blocks have brought out the very different artistic talents of the people of this fabulous city. Here's a selection of the blocks and the art on them.

This was my favourite one, as it's so simple but it states such an important belief that would be wonderful for us all to live by.

I hope you've enjoyed this look at just a small sample of the street art of Melbourne - if you're ever in Australia, make sure Melbourne is on your list of places to visit. I'll leave you with this beautiful cat in one of the lanes.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and take time to appreciate the unusual beauty of wherever you live this week.

Pamela & Ken
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