Just on a decade ago at the corner of Swanston and La Trobe Street in Melbourne, I found a curious plaque hidden among the bluestone paving – it read “Queen Elizabeth Plaza named by Her Majesty The Queen, 28 May 1980”. So what was Queen Elizabeth Plaza, and why did the Queen have it named after her?
The story behins
We start in the 1970s with the construction of the Museum station – now known as Melbourne Central – in a cut and cover box beneath La Trobe Street, between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets. To make room for the massive excavation, Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority acquired properties so that La Trobe Street was detoured to the south.
Public Record Office Victoria image (via ABC News)
The Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority also acquired additional land south of Museum station for a future commercial development, with this 1973 artists impression showing how it would be integrated with the underground station.
PROV image VPRS 12903/P0001, 698/27
However the plans for over site development stalled, and the decision was made to build three standalone entrances to Museum station – from Swanston, Elizabeth and La Trobe Streets. The architecture firm responsible was Perrott Lyon Timlock & Kesa, with the above ground entrances designed by project designer Graeme Butler.
The main entrance to the station was at the south-west corner of Swanston and La Trobe Street, with a civic plaza located over the escalators down to the station concourse.
Once the station box was completed and La Trobe Street moved back to the original alignment, construction of the station entrance started in earnest.
But by mid-1978 the intended opening date of December 1979 was looking unachievable – October 1980 set as the new date, following delays to the new ‘Metrol’ train control centre.
Enter Queen Elizabeth II
On 1 March 1980 it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II would be coming to Australia to open the new High Court Building in Canberra on May 26, followed by visits to Sydney and Melbourne.
Another construction project also underway in Melbourne was City Square at the corner of Swanston and Collins Street, with Queen Elizabeth II cutting the ribbon to open it.
But Melbourne’s new underground railway – it wasn’t ready yet! So the civic plaza on top of the station entrance was tidied up.
Ready for the Royal Visit on 28 May 1980.
Screencap from MURLA film
The Royal Visit
Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at the station via La Trobe Street.
Screencap from MURLA film
Exiting their car on the north side of the street.
Screencap from MURLA film
Walking along La Trobe Street a short way.
Screencap from MURLA film
And down the ramp into the station.
Screencap from MURLA film
The ramp ran along a sloped garden, providing a lightwell into the station concourse.
Screencap from MURLA film
Once in the station, the party headed down another level to inspect a number of displays on the platform.
MURLA photo
And then back up the escalator to the concourse.
Screencap from MURLA film
After another escalator the party reached Swanston Street, where they walked up a flight of stairs to the upper level plaza.
Screencap from MURLA film
A crowd watching from the State Library forecourt across Swanston Street.
Screencap from MURLA film
Up ahead – a waiting plaque, covered in a velvet curtain adorned with the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority logo.
Screencap from MURLA film
Time to pull back the curtain.
Screencap from MURLA film
And there’s the plaque I found – “Queen Elizabeth Plaza named by Her Majesty The Queen, 28 May 1980”.
Screencap from MURLA film
Time for a quick photo with Her Majesty.
MURLA photo
And then it was time for the next engagement of the day.
So what happened to Queen Elizabeth Plaza?
Following the Royal Visit work continued: stage one of Museum station and the first two City Loop tunnels were officially opened on 14 November 1980.
The dome in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Plaza was completed.
Overshadowed by Coops Shot Tower.
An island among wasteland waiting to be redeveloped.
At what was then a quiet part of the Melbourne CBD.
But farewell
Redevelopment of the surrounding area was soon approved as part of the ‘Melbourne Central’ complex, and by 1989, Queen Elizabeth Plaza had disappeared beneath the new shopping complex.
The shopping centre opening atop the station entrance in 1991.
With the Queen Elizabeth name applied to ‘Queen Elizabeth Walk‘ on 11th September 1991.
But just over a decade later, it was now the turn of the Swanston Street station entrance to disappear.
Closed in 2003 as part of the redevelopment of the Melbourne Central, replaced by a maze of escalators running through the shopping centre.
Not exactly fit for a queen, is it?
And the ramp to La Trobe Street?
The ramp used by Queen Elizabeth II to enter Museum station survived far longer.
As did a spiral staircase to La Trobe Street.
Despite being enclosed by shops along La Trobe Street and a car park to the north, both remained in almost original condition until a few years ago.
Until the site was acquired for the Aurora Melbourne Central development. Demolition work commenced in 2015.
The connection to the station box hacked away at the north side of La Trobe Street.
Making way for the basement of the 84 storey residential tower.
The replacement station access to La Trobe Street? A dank graffiti covered staircase and lift.
Definitely not a place you would bring royalty to inspect!
Footnote: a few more Royal Visit titbits
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has a copy of the 1980 Royal Visit program – 30 minutes was allocated for the Queen to inspect Museum station.
3.10pm
- Alight at La Trobe Street entrance
- See selected features of the station
- Her Majesty unveils a plaque naming “Queen Elizabeth Plaza”
3.40pm
- Depart for Government House
In their 1980 annual report, the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority made special mention of the Royal Visit.
It is fitting that the Authority received recognition by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh during their recent visit to Melbourne by their making an inspection of the Underground at Museum Station, culminating in the conferring by Her Majesty of her name on the plaza above the eastern entrance to the Station. In due course the plaza will be integrated into the Museum Station area redevelopment.
The visit by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh provided a further impetus for public involvement with the Loop and its potential benefits. It also made possible a welcome opportunity to open Museum Station for inspection by special interest groups of individuals, and representatives of organisations who have made significant contributions to the project, and workmen (with their families), many of whom have been involved with the project since its inception.
Special reference is made to the Media which, in story and picture, provided a continuing coverage of Loop progress, particularly the television sector which, by virtue of its unique nature, enabled millions of viewers throughout the world to see activity taking place underground and in areas otherwise completely hidden from public view, including an extensive national and international coverage of the Royal Visit.
The full film of the visit is here:
‘phunnyfoto’ on Flickr was also there for the Royal Visit, photographing the event from atop 200 La Trobe Street.
Finally, on Flickr you can find more photos of Museum station by Graeme Butler.
Footnote: another Royal Visit to a delayed station
Queen Elizabeth II also visited a behind schedule railway station during her 1975 visit to Hong Kong – but still left behind a plaque to mark the occasion.
Queens Victoria II ?
That’s a brainfart and a half – fixed!
It was a VERY quiet part of town when it opened. The growth of RMIT and the shopping centre have certainly changed that.
And the past 10 years have seen it grow even more, as the last light industrial buildings north of La Trobe Street have been replaced by apartment towers.
I was on a Train of Knowledge tour in Grade 6 to Bairnsdale back in 1982. When we came back to Melbourne on the last day we took a train to/from Museum and I remember we were out on a concourse somewhere – maybe that was it! I also remember getting told off for standing too close to the edge of the platform trying to look at the track and wires. (Not being familiar at all with Melbourne at the time, being from the country!)
Great post Marcus. Will still never forgive Melb Central for how horrifying they’ve made it to get down to the station these days.
The current staiton is very easy to access. Its quick to get to the gates and to the trains
I wouldn’t call two separate sets of escalators and an obstacle course of commercial stalls “quick”.
The current station is much better than the original looking one
I would say the inside of the station definitely isn’t – it’s a dark dank cave, compared to the open and light concourse that used to be there.
[…] first sighting is the circular staircase connecting Queen Elizabeth Plaza to Museum Station, looking south towards Coops Shot Tower and Myer […]