Northbank Heritage Trail

STOP 3
Princes Walk Vaults

Location:
Flinders Walk

The Princes Walk Vaults were constructed for the City of Melbourne in 1889-90 and remain a colourful reflection of Melbourne’s waterfront history. The vaults were part of the major works for the construction of Princes Bridge, the rail connection of Princes Bridge and Flinders Street Railway station, the realignment of Yarra Bank Road (later known as Batman Avenue and now a pedestrian ramp to St Kilda Road). Located under the ramp’s retaining wall, the brick barrel-vaulted cells are approximately 5m deep. With their south-facing openings in six bays of three, diminishing in size along the riverbank, they present a striking frontage faced with rusticated bluestone.

The major works at the end of the nineteenth century which resulted in the Princes Walk Vaults illustrates the aspirations of city planners and engineers and their confidence in Melbourne as a modern city, by improving the amenity of the river banks. The vaults were constructed for the City of Melbourne by Alfred McKenzie. The twenty cells have ten supporting piers which are capped with Harcourt granite and support cast iron light standards, to complement those on Princes Bridge. Each room is 4.6m (15 feet) long by 4.7m (15 feet 6 inches) wide. One of the longest tenants of a vault was boat builder James Edwards. At the turn of the twentieth century, he opened a refreshment room; his two sons later joined him and they ran the business into the 1920s.

Listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, the vaults were managed through the twentieth century by the Melbourne City Council. Some were used as council storerooms and others rented to tenants including the Victorian Motor Boat Club, the river police, confectioners, restaurants, hobby shops, and a range of marine trades including boat-builders, motor boat proprietors and marine engineers. In 2003, with fewer than half of the vaults tenanted by river-cruise operators, they were transferred to the state government-owned company Federation Square Management. Federation Wharf, below the vaults, is the departure point for tourism cruises upriver, and ferries to Williamstown.

FURTHER READING

IMAGE CREDIT
Princes Walk Vaults, photographer Liz Rushen 2024