Smith Street, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
Smith Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne
.
and Collingwood
; the short segment north of Alexandra Parade is in Clifton Hill
. Smith Street is located a block east of Brunswick Street
. From Gertrude Street to Queens Parade, Smith Street forms part of tram route 86
.
Smith Street is somewhat more downmarket than Brunswick Street
and has not become as fashionable though it is slowly gentrifying. It contains restaurants and cafés and also has numerous shops selling cheap household goods. North of Johnston Street there are factory outlets selling athletic and fashion clothing. This include brands such as Nike
and Adidas
. Parts of Smith Street also serve as a meeting place for the local Indigenous Australian community.
During the late 1990s, Smith Street was frequented by heroin users and dealers. This earned it the sobriquet 'Smack Street', which, whilst arguably no longer apt, has stuck.
In the last few years a number of bars and clubs have emerged on Smith Street, including “a bar called Barry”, “Scarlet” and until its closure in 2004; the all night venue Republika
.
station 3CR
has its offices in Smith Street, south of Gertrude Street. Music-oriented community radio station 3PBS is also located nearby, in Easey Street, Collingwood.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Geography
Smith Street runs north-south from Victoria Parade at its southernmost end to Queens Parade. Between Victoria Parade and Alexandra Parade, it forms the boundary between FitzroyFitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
and Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
; the short segment north of Alexandra Parade is in Clifton Hill
Clifton Hill, Victoria
Clifton Hill is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. The border between Clifton Hill and Fitzroy North is Queens Parade and Smith Street. Merri Creek defines the eastern border of Clifton Hill. Its Local Government Area is...
. Smith Street is located a block east of Brunswick Street
Brunswick Street
Brunswick Street can refer to three different locations in Australia:*Brunswick Street, Brisbane, a major thoroughfare in Brisbane, famous for the Brunswick Street Mall....
. From Gertrude Street to Queens Parade, Smith Street forms part of tram route 86
Melbourne tram route 86
Tram route 86 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Bundoora in the northern suburbs to Waterfront City Docklands in the city. It is one of Melbourne's busiest tram routes carrying 44,200 passengers a day...
.
History
By the 1860s, Smith Street was a busy and popular suburban shopping strip.Smith Street is somewhat more downmarket than Brunswick Street
Brunswick Street
Brunswick Street can refer to three different locations in Australia:*Brunswick Street, Brisbane, a major thoroughfare in Brisbane, famous for the Brunswick Street Mall....
and has not become as fashionable though it is slowly gentrifying. It contains restaurants and cafés and also has numerous shops selling cheap household goods. North of Johnston Street there are factory outlets selling athletic and fashion clothing. This include brands such as Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
. Parts of Smith Street also serve as a meeting place for the local Indigenous Australian community.
During the late 1990s, Smith Street was frequented by heroin users and dealers. This earned it the sobriquet 'Smack Street', which, whilst arguably no longer apt, has stuck.
In the last few years a number of bars and clubs have emerged on Smith Street, including “a bar called Barry”, “Scarlet” and until its closure in 2004; the all night venue Republika
Republika
Republika means "Republic" or "The Republic" in several languages. It may refer to:* Republika , a former Polish rock band active 1978–1986* Republika , a Croatian monthly for literature, arts and society established in 1945...
.
Landmarks
Left-wing community radioCommunity radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
station 3CR
3CR
3CR is a community radio station that broadcasts on the AM band in Melbourne, Australia. The Community Radio Federation had their broadcasting licence approved on 10 October 1975, by the Minister for the Media, Dr Moss Cass. Test broadcasting begun on 1 May 1976, full operation began 3 July 1976...
has its offices in Smith Street, south of Gertrude Street. Music-oriented community radio station 3PBS is also located nearby, in Easey Street, Collingwood.
External links
- http://www.smithstreet.org/ Community weblog and local history.
- Melbourne's hottest strip: get your kicks on route 86 - Article in The Age