Whether you’re looking for the most Instagrammable places or the coolest laneways, if you’re into photography I’ve got you covered with this guide to the most incredible photo spots in Melbourne.
Ah, Melbourne. I love Melbourne. Long time readers of the blog will know of my obsession with what I consider the best city in the world. Although my wife and I only spent three months in the city during our failed attempt at the lap of Australia, it stole our hearts so much so that we booked to return for our honeymoon only for Covid to ruin all the fun.
For me as a travel photographer, I literally couldn’t stop taking photos during those three months. From the street art covered laneways to the peace and tranquility of the Royal Botanic Gardens, from art deco landmarks to palm tree lined lakes, everywhere you seem to turn there is something that begs to be photographed. In those three months, I feel I got a good idea of the city and where to take the best photographs from so whether you’re looking for the most Instagrammable places in Melbourne or somewhere to test your street photography skills or just want to capture your time in the city as best as possible, this guide to the best photo spots in Melbourne is for you.
Let’s do this.
Don’t worry – if you see a photo that you absolutely love, head to my brand new Etsy store where you can order my travel photography prints straight to your door! If there’s something that you’ve love to order and don’t see it, just let me know!
40 PHOTO SPOTS IN MELBOURNE
PHOTO SPOTS IN MELBOURNE MAP
Before we dive right in, I’ve created a helpful map of all of the photo spots so you know exactly where to go to capture similar iconic images!
HOW TO USE THE MAP | Click the icon in the top left to show the list of all locations. Click on the top right corner of the map to open a larger version in a new tab. The star allows you to save directly to your own Google Maps.
FLINDERS STREET RAILWAY STATION
We’ll kick things off with Australia’s oldest train station and perhaps the most instantly recognisable landmark in Melbourne. The green copper dome, the yellow facade, the clocks, everything about this building makes for the best photo spot in Melbourne. It’s the centre of everything and all visitors, whether with a professional camera or their phone, will no doubt pass by and capture this iconic location!
WHERE | FLINDERS ST
PRINCES BRIDGE
Heading south from Flinders Street Railway Station is Princes Bridge; the most famous of all bridges that cross the Yarra River. From the top level of the Arts Centre you can capture some great shots of both Princes Bridge, the Yarra River and the CBD’s skyscrapers.
WHERE | ST KILDA ROAD
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS
Without doubt, one of the best botanical gardens I’ve visited and it just happens to be in one of my favourite cities in the world. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne are huge considering they’re a stones throw from the CBD; 36 hectares! There’s such a diverse range of trees and flowers, every you turn you’ll find something slightly different. From rainforest walks and bamboo groves to tropical glasshouses, eucalyptus lawns and cacti covered Guilfoyle’s Volcano.
WHERE | ST KILDA ROAD
SHRINE OF REMEMBRANCE
One thing that Australian’s just get right is the ability to create beautiful shrines and memorials to honour those that have sadly passed away during military service. The Shrine of Remembrance is Melbourne’s memorial, built originally to remember Victorians killed during WWI, the design is impressive and the balcony offers exceptional views back towards the CBD. Make sure you take a moment with, and a photo of, the solemn Eternal Flame that has burnt endlessly since 1954.
WHERE | ST KILDA ROAD
CAMPBELLS ARCADE
This old arcade/subway is now closed but the signage above ground makes for a great photo opportunity of a bygone era.
WHERE | FLINDERS ST
CHINATOWN
In the east end of the CBD, primarily along Little Bourke St, is Melbourne’s Chinatown. A vibrant cultural hub, you’ll find authentic Asian cuisine, huge Chinese gates, lanterns and plenty of neon lights when the sun goes down. I’d love to return for some night photography with a pro mist filter for truly cinematic vibes.
WHERE | LITTLE BOURKE ST
SOUTHERN CROSS TRAIN STATION
Melbourne actually has two train stations with the Southern Cross station in the west being the larger of the two. It’s the modern, wavy roof that is the star attraction here for photographers; an incredible piece of architecture.
WHERE | SPENCER ST
COOP’S SHOT TOWER
Within the Melbourne Central shopping centre is the 50m tall Coop’s Shot Tower that, from 1889, produced six tonnes of lead shot every week until 1961! Thankfully, this beautiful tower was saved from demolition and now this historic tower lives on under a huge conical glass roof. A wide-angle lens is essential here to really emphasize the building towering above you!
WHERE | MELBOURNE CENTRAL
FEDERATION SQUARE
Fed Square, opposite Flinders Street Railway Station, is Melbourne’s answer to a not-quite-central public square. Not only an open space for large events and festivals, you’ll find plenty of cultural attractions housed in abstract buildings such as the Ian Potter Centre, Koorie Heritage Trust and the ACMI. Not only is Fed Square a great spot for architecture shots, it’s perfect for trying your hand at some street photography given over 100 million people pass through each year.
WHERE | FED SQUARE, FLINDERS ST
YARRA RIVER
The Yarra River is the heart of Melbourne and cuts central Melbourne neatly in half with the CBD to the north and the aptly named Southbank to the south. This muddy brown river flows 252km through Victoria before reaching Port Phillip Bay near Williamstown. You can’t avoid the Yarra River when visiting Melbourne and it offers so many great opportunities for photos; Ponyfish Island and Evan Walker Bridge make for interesting subjects as do the weekend rowers and reflections of the epic Crown Melbourne’s Gas Brigades that shoot fireballs into the sky! Even out at Yarra Bend Park near Clifton Hill and Abbotsford, the Yarra River is ever present throughout Melbourne and here it will feel as though you are out in the bush not within the city!
WHERE | CLIFTON HILL TO CBD TO PORT PHILLIP
BIRRARUNG MARR
The Yarra River’s original name is ‘Birrarung’ named by the Wurundjeri people who called this land home for thousands of years. Birrarung Marr is a peaceful park on the north bank of the river offering stunning views straight down the river west (a great spot for sunset) and livens up when the city’s famous Night Noodle Market arrives. Two great spots for shots of the city are down the boardwalk near the Federation Footbridge and on William Barak Bridge over Batman Avenue.
WHERE | BIRRARUNG MARR NR FEDERATION SQUARE
GPO BUILDING
I absolutely love Melbourne’s GPO (General Post Office Building); it’s stunning isn’t it and has to be one of the top photo spots in Melbourne. The interior is just as beautiful and what’s surprising is that it houses a H&M store making this the prettiest H&M in the world!
WHERE | BOURKE ST
MANCHESTER UNITY BUILDING
The Manchester Unity Building is one of Melbourne’s most iconic buildings and a fine example of neo-gothic architecture. When finished in 1932, the Manchester Unity Building became Melbourne’s tallest building and, if you have a keen eye, you’ll notice it looks very similar to the Tribune Tower in Chicago that heavily influenced this design.
WHERE | CORNER OF COLLINS AND SWANSTON ST
HOSIER LANE / DUCKBOARD PLACE
Hosier Lane is the most popular of all of Melbourne’s laneways with graffiti and street art murals covering pretty much every spare inch of wall. However, I much preferred Duckboard Place for high quality street art. Either way, you’re going to be capturing incredible pieces of artwork in the laneways that make Melbourne. If you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll see a piece by Banksy in Duckboard Place.
WHERE | HOSIER LANE / DUCKBOARD PLACE
EASEY’S
A popular burger spot out in Collingwood, Easey’s also offers a great photo opportunity thanks to the three train carriages on top of the roof. Yes, you read that correctly! Now that you’re here you might as well go inside for some of the best burgers in Melbourne and sit inside one of those precariously balanced trains looking back towards the city.
WHERE | EASEY ST, COLLINGWOOD
LITTLE AUDREY – SKIPPING GIRL SIGN
The Skipping Girl Sign or Little Audrey is an animated neon sign in the Abbotsford suburb that is synonomous with Melbourne. You’ll find her on postcards, tea towels and posters but you’ll need to head out to Victoria Street in Melbourne’s east to get a shot of her in real life. I love that signage such as this and other of Melbourne’s famous landmarks is protected within the Victorian Heritage Register and will therefore remain a part of Melbourne’s skyline for years to come.
WHERE | VICTORIA ST, ABBOTSFORD
NYLEX CLOCK
Another heritage landmark and iconic feature of Melbourne’s skyline is the Nylex Clock neon sign which sits atop of derelict storage silos in Cremorne.
WHERE | CREMORNE ST
333 COLLINS ST
This is a great little hidden photo spot in Melbourne; under the 333 Collins St tower is a free to enter foyer with the most spectacular roof in the city. If it’s Christmas time it’s even better with a huge Christmas tree.
WHERE | COLLINS ST
ROYAL ARCADE
A stunning Victorian period shopping arcade with black and white ornate tiles, an incredible arched ceiling and a great range of shops, cafes (Hopetoun Tea Rooms) and other quaint retailers.
WHERE | BOURKE ST
ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING
Nestled in the stunning Carlton Gardens, the Royal Exhibition Building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its 19th century exhibition building design. It was completed in 1880 to host the Melbourne International Exhibition which ran from October 1880 to May 1881.
WHERE | CARLTON GARDENS, VICTORIA STREET
MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY UNDERGROUND CAR PARK
The South Lawn underground park is unusual in that the concrete columns are unlike anything you’ll have seen before. It’s a very odd look but can make for some interesting photographs with the columns repeating far into the distance. The police garage scene in Mad Max was filmed here and this iconic car park was once described as the ‘most important non-residential design in the country’.
WHERE | SOUTH LAWN, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
FITZROY
The hippest of all of Melbourne’s suburbs, I love Fitzroy. You’ll find classic Victorian terraces, street art, independent boutiques, pintxos and plenty of coffee. There are photo opportunities across Fitzroy allowing you to document your time in this unconventional area. For a typically Fiztroy experience head to Naked for Satan for pintxos, Rose Street Artists’ Market to support local artists and Industry Beans for coffee as well as the Welcome to Fitzroy mural on Young St.
WHERE | BRUNSWICK ST & SURROUNDS
FITZROY GARDENS
These historic gardens are not actually in Fitzroy but East Melbourne and are a great place to relax a short walk from the CBD. Here you’ll find Cook’s Cottage (James Cook’s family home shipped from England & rebuilt here), a model Tudor village and the carved fairy tree. For me, the best thing about Fitzroy Gardens is the dead straight pathway from Wellington Parade to Albert Street lined with towering Elm trees.
WHERE | WELLINGTON PARADE
MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND
The MCG is, without doubt, one of the most famous sporting stadiums in the entire world fitting in over an impressive 100,000 people. Whether you’re visiting for a game of footy or cricket, the atmosphere will be insane and you can take your camera in too as long as the focal length of your lens isn’t too long. You can also get great views of the MCG on a guided tour!
WHERE | MCG, JOLIMONT
AAMI PARK
AAMI Park is a unique dome-roofed football (soccer) and rugby stadium that is best captured from above with a drone, if current rules allow. From Gosch’s Paddock, I was also to capture brilliant shots across the entire stadium complex towards Melbourne’s CBD. I also headed to the Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory derby football match and grabbed some cool shots of a pretty impressive sunset!
WHERE | OLYMPIC BLVD
QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET
The Queen Victoria Market is a sprawling traders market offering fresh produce, deli goods, great coffee, food trucks and plenty of Australian souvenirs. This market is absolutely huge and, every time we returned, we saw something different and I couldn’t stop taking photos!
WHERE | ELIZABETH ST
DEGRAVES STREET
Degraves St is a popular laneway connecting Flinders St with Flinders Lane and is home to many cafes and bars sprawling out on the street. I particularly loved the vintage style signage for each unit.
WHERE | DEGRAVES ST
DOCKLANDS
The Docklands area of Melbourne was one of the first my wife and I explored as we lived in an apartment on Spencer Street. Here you’ll find the Marvel Stadium, waterfront bars and restaurants, a shopping centre and the Melbourne Star Ferris wheel. There are also cool views across the Yarra River from the Victoria Harbour promenade.
WHERE | WEST OF SPENCER ST
WEBB BRIDGE
Near to the DFO, before we reach the Docklands, you’ll find Webb Bridge; a really interestingly designed pedestrian bridge. The bridge pays tribute to the traditional landowners and is modelled after a traditional Koorie fishing trap. Whilst impressive during the day, visit at night when the bridge comes alive in lights.
WHERE | SOUTH WHARF PROMENADE
TRAMS
One of the things that surprised me most about Melbourne was just how easily accessible everywhere in the city was thanks to its amazing tram network. According to Yarra Trams, this is the largest operational tram network in the world! Melbourne is also home to the infamous hook turn where you turn right from the left hand lane so that the trams have a clear run in the centre of the road.
The #35 city circle tram is a free tourist tram that circles the CBD and features historic W-class trams built between 1923 and 1956. As you can imagine, these historic trams make for great photo opportunities!
WHERE | SPRING ST / LA TROBE ST / SPENCER ST / FLINDERS ST
LA TROBE READING ROOM – STATE LIBRARY VICTORIA
Another absolutely essential photography location in Melbourne is within the State Library Victoria. The La Trobe Reading Room is something that needs to be seen to be believed; it is pretty epic. The reading room at the centre of the library is best observed from the sixth floor (fourth floor at a push) and is honestly incredible. Remember this is a library so be respectful and quiet and grab some beautiful shots before moving on – either to see the famous Ned Kelly’s armour worn during his final moments or wander through the aisles and aisles of (over two million) books.
WHERE | SWANSTON ST
SOUTHBANK
The Southbank promenade along the Yarra River is one of my favourite places in Melbourne. It’s lively, full of bars and restaurants that always seem busy, with great views across to the CBD.
WHERE | ST KILDA ROAD TO CLARENDON ST
PARLIAMENT HOUSE
The Parliament House is, as is no surprise in Melbourne, a beautiful building but, from atop its steps and between its many columns, you’ll find one of the best views in the city straight down Bourke St. If you time it right, the golden glow of sunset filters all the way down this street; you can practically see from east to west here.
WHERE | SPRING ST
EUREKA SKYDECK
There are in excess of 750 high-rise buildings in Melbourne with 77 taller than 150m classifying them as skyscrapers. The tallest building in Melbourne is now the 100-storey Australia 108 (almost the tallest in Australia but loses out to the Q1 Tower on the Gold Coast thanks to its spire) surpassing the gold plated Eureka Tower. The Eureka Tower however offers the Skydeck which, at 285m, offers absolutely mind blowing 360° views across Melbourne making it one of the best places to photography the city from. If you’re brave, take on the Edge, a glass cube that extends 3m from the building – yes the floor is glass, it’s mental!
WHERE | EUREKA TOWER, SOUTHBANK
ALBERT PARK LAKE
Home of the Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park offers brilliant views across the lake back towards the skyscrapers of Melbourne’s CBD with a picturesque curve of palm trees for good measure.
WHERE | ALBERT PARK
MELBOURNE ZOO
For those photographers who fancy trying a little animal photography, head to Melbourne Zoo where you can get up close and personal with almost 4,000 animals from Australia and the rest of the world. My favourite shots were of the koalas (obviously), orangutans and tigers.
WHERE | ELLIOTT AVE
PRINCES PIER, PORT MELBOURNE
Princes Pier in Port Melbourne is a beautiful place at sunset when the sky flicks through a variety of pastel hues and the light is soft. This is an old collapsed pier where the posts that used to hold it up still stand in unity. A great opportunity for some unique long exposures too.
WHERE | PIER ST, PORT MELBOURNE
LUNA PARK, ST KILDA
Australia has two iconic and historic theme parks offering hours of nostalgic fun; one in Sydney and one here in St Kilda, Melbourne. The entrance, through the mouth of the Luna Park clown, is a great place (if not a little creepy) to take photos though you’ll also be able to capture some great memories from within the park especially if you’re here with the family. A little bonus spot is the facade of the 1920’s Palais Theatre next door.
WHERE | THE ESPLANADE, ST KILDA
ST KILDA PIER
This is a great place to visit to admire the views over the water and bobbing yachts to the entire CBD in the distance. Great place to watch sunset too and, if you stay even later, you can see fairy penguins coming back to shore.
WHERE | ST KILDA
BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES
The bathing boxes along Brighton Beach have been all over Instagram for so many years and it’s not hard to see why. There are over 50 different designs on these classic Victorian bathing boxes and each provide an opportunity for portraits or just capturing the unique colourful designs. My favourites were the Australian flag and the VW camper. It’s a popular area so don’t be surprised to see so many people trying to get the exact same shot; we stayed for sunset when it got a little quieter and you get the benefit of watching the sky turn deep red (hopefully) across the sea.
WHERE | BRIGHTON BEACH
Wow, that’s probably the longest post I’ve ever written and I’m quite glad to have that accolade go to my ultimate list of the best photo spots in Melbourne. Hopefully I will be returning to Australia soon so please, if you have any other ideas of cool photography places in Melbourne, let me know in the comments below!
WHERE NEXT?
Ok, let’s be honest, it’s taken me long enough to find the time to publish guides covering my time in Australia. Now though, the majority of them are linked below, so wherever you’re heading you’re likely to find what you need below!
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Hey mate.
Amazing work/love you do.
I laughed at the end when you wrote that you can’t believe you wrote so much, i had similar thoughts 💭 can’t believe that i read so much.
Thanks for doing what you do 📷📸🤙
Haha thank you so much! Really appreciate the kind comments, makes it worth it! Glad you enjoyed it!