Flinders+Street+Station


 * [[image:Flinders_opick=kle.JPG width="489" height="366" align="right" caption="Flinders Street Station, 2008 (Photo taken by Nezzy and Leon)" link="Getting Around Melbourne"]]Flinders Street Station**

Flinders Street Station is a symbol of Melbourne, tens of thousands of commuters pass through its confines every day. Its strange yellow facade has come to represent Melbourne and its spirit. Although it has become less used in recent years, it is still regarded as one of the primary stations within Melbourne.

The station we know today was constructed in the early 20th century. The design was the among seventeen entries submitted by various architects as part of a contest to redesign Flinders Street which had previously been a collection of ramshackle wooden building which had become inadequate to suit the needs of the growing city. The winning entry was awarded on the 22nd May 1900, the prize of £500 going to J.W. Fawcett and H.P.C. Ashworth and building started in 1901 and finished 9 years later.

There are alternative stories about the history of Flinders Street Station which, though of questionable orgin and correctness, are intresting to hear. One such story claims that the design for Flinders Street Station were sent out from England, but that the plans were mixed up with a station in India. The station that was suposedly meant for Melbourne is Victoria Terminus in Mubai, a heavy gothic building that resembles more of a palace than a train station. However, these two stations were built almost twenty years appart and, in my opinion, the 1887 station appears to have a very Indian flavour - though not having been there it is hard to judge. As far as I can find the station was designed by a Fredrick W. Stevens.


 * City Terminus**

The original station that was around before the Flinders Street redevlopement was known as City Teminus, Melbourne Terminus or even just as Melbourne. This station was officially opened with a large service on the12th September 1854 by Governor Charles Hotham and his wife. Much the same as early Batman Hill Station, Melbourne Terminus was little more than a collection of makshift weatherboard buildings.

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