ABOUT OUR STATION FLINDERS STREET
This website represents a further stage in the development of The Flinders Street Station Project which was conceived and instigated by Jenny Davies, researcher, writer and 'provocateur' (The Age Magazine Dec 2011).
The Project began with the publication of Jenny's architectural, social and commercial history of the station in May 2009 entitled, Beyond the Facade: Flinders Street, more than just a railway station. The launch of the book was intended to apply public pressure to both the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government to celebrate the forthcoming Centenary in 2010.
Flinders Street Station was the hub of Melbourne's social and cultural activity until the 1980s when the heritage listed building was deemed unsuitable for tenants. The space occupied by the Victorian Railways for the operation of the suburban train network had been maintained in a minimal manner while that allocated to non railway tenants representing nearly 2/3rds of the building was left to decline in the post war era. Since the privatisation of the railways in the 1990s, rail operators Connex, then Metro, have retained the traditional rail facilities at the station while undergoing some cyclic maintenance of the entire building.
The Flinders Street Station Project gained the support of the Baillieu Government and influenced the development of the Design Competition which was launched by the Minister for Major Projects, Dr Napthine, on 29 June 2012. The Design Competition called for the development of a vision for the whole station precinct which stretches from the Swanston Street concourse to the west end of Banana Alley and from Flinders Street across to the Yarra River. This was the first time that a competition had embraced a vision for the whole precinct.
After entries to the Competition closed, six entrants were short-listed. The Competition Jury announced their decision on 8 August 2013. The submissions were available online from 23 July to 5 August to allow the public to vote. 'The People's Choice Award' was not known to the Jury and both outcomes were announced at the same time.
The development of this website extends the aims of my original Project by reinforcing the importance of the station infrastructure to cater for the increasing demands on public transport and the public facilities required to enhance those demands. 'Meeting people's needs' was the binding theme of Beyond the Facade and this included the consideration of public amenities and services that the railway commissioners of the day believed to be intrinsic to a viable public transport system. This included such facilities as waiting rooms and public toilets, the availability of services such as porters and information personnel, the incorporation of adequate directional signs and indicator boards and clocks, provision of cloak and luggage storage, and in terms of rail operations, suitable shunting yards and maintenance facilities near to the site. Most of these have since disappeared.
It is an exciting time for Melbourne and all who have ever used the station. It is possible that the whole of the building could be returned to public use and that the requirements of the rail operations are better served by the creation of new specifically designed spaces on the precinct. The Design Competition enabled the world's most innovative designers and planners to create a design which could have enormous impact on increasing the efficiency of the ebb and flow of the city and surrounds just as significantly as the building of the current station did for most of the 1900's.
