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You’ve probably heard that Melbourne has a spirited street art scene, which is arguably best found down Hosier Lane, a highly decorated and celebrated street in the city.
Ever since the 1970s, graffiti artists have been decorating the city’s backstreets with vibrant and striking pieces of urban artwork, coloring the city in floor-to-wall displays of artistic expression.
Hozier Lane, located in East End Melbourne, is one of the most decorated streets.
It’s easily recognizable from the many tourism campaigns that has used it as the backdrop over the years, and today, is probably the most Instagrammable street in the city.
Although its roots began with stenciling artwork, today you can see a variety of different styles, from NYC-inspired 3D lettering to humorous cartoons and realism paintings. Each piece tells a different story, either of political and cultural issues to events in Melbourne’s history. Some are just plain whacky!
Where is Hosier Lane?
Hosier Lane is a pedestrian and vehicle lane way in the East End of Melbourne, in the Central Business District (CBD).
It’s a short 2 minute walk from Flinders Street Station and is tucked between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane.
Why Is Hosier Lane Famous?
What makes Hosier Lane famous is it’s long-standing commitment to preserving and fostering artistic expression.
It’s not only Melbourne locals who have come to Hosier Lane to decorate its walls, but international artists, as well.
It first began attracting street artists in the 1990s, and not much has changed ever since.
While some city’s consider street art a form of vandalism, Melbourne has always embraced it.
In fact, it holds annual street art festivals, such as Urban Canvas Mural Festival and , in which the government and event organizers come together to invite artists from around the world to continue to add to the city’s street art scene.
The most famous street art event took place in November 2013, which was organized by Invurt. This was the largest urban art paint-up event in Melbourne and saw 100 local artists come to Hosier Lane and nearby Rutledge Lane to share their artistic talent.
Today, there is hardly a square inch on the street that has not been decorated, not even the cobbled road, sidewalk and bollards have been spared in some places!
