Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

Joel Robinson

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Melbourne developer PDG has secured Victorian Government approval for its $1.5 billion Southbank development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-one-1-queens-bridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The One</a>, clearing the way for the long-dormant riverfront site opposite Crown to finally be developed.

The Minister for Planning has approved the project at 1-29 Queens Bridge Street, with the Department of Transport and Planning issuing the planning permit following its assessment.

The approval will allow PDG to develop the prominent 5,059 sqm site with a major mixed-use tower comprising premium apartments, including branded residences, a luxury hotel and boutique office space.

PDG acquired the site in late 2024, with its position directly opposite Crown's main entrance and near Melbourne's Arts Precinct making it one of Southbank's most significant remaining development opportunities.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3933013e-6332-4386-b9be-089df05caf17" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.22%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sITIgBqDL0N3VNSMwWEmF5UA.uvcsRyu" />

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower's architecture draws on the movement of the Yarra River, with six vertical pleats running the height of the sculpted facade.

The project will also see the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel restored and incorporated into the development&nbsp;with new hospitality and public uses, including a rooftop venue.

A significant component of The One will be its residential amenity.

More than 5,000 sqm of resident facilities will be delivered across a single level, making it one of the largest consolidated residential amenity offerings proposed in an Australian apartment development.

The planning approval also incorporates a major upgrade of Queensbridge Square, which PDG will deliver in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73167fcd-1031-4b6f-a408-a064cfe45ed1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.17%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Pf1AEWxw6SNmBqR0zQW5lyEze.MtxgFp" />

The existing square will be revitalised as a new civic and pedestrian space along the Yarra River, strengthening the connection between the project, Southbank and the riverfront.

PDG Founder and Managing Director Vince Giuliano said the approval represented a major milestone for a site which has remained largely underutilised for more than 15 years.

“This is the most significant Planning Permit approval Melbourne has seen in recent years,” Giuliano said.

“For more than 15 years, this site has remained underutilised. This approval enables us to deliver a project that will contribute meaningfully to the revitalisation of Southbank, restore and reactivate an important heritage building, and create a new civic and hospitality destination for Melbourne.”

The latest approval follows an earlier planning permit issued by the City of Melbourne covering demolition works across part of the site at 9-29 Queens Bridge Street. Those demolition and early works are already underway.

PDG has also started generating early interest in the residential component from owner-occupiers ahead of a planned public launch in early 2027.

PDG secures approval for $1.5bn Southbank apartment development, The One

Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

History

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The joint Victorian and Melbourne Centenary celebrations were held between October 1934 and June 1935. They celebrated progress and community cohesion at a time when the world, including Australia, was in the midst of a severe economic depression.  
 
In 1934, the centenary firstly commemorated Edward Henty’s Portland settlement in November 1834, which led to the founding of Victoria. While in 1935, the focus of the Melbourne Centenary celebrations was John Batman’s pronouncement of Port Phillip as ‘the place for a village’ in June 1835.  The Duke of Gloucester opened the celebrations in front of an estimated 500,000 people that lined the decorated streets of Melbourne.
 
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Over this time hundreds of events were held across Melbourne and Victoria. Special centenary celebrations of the Royal Agricultural Show, the Melbourne Cup and other sporting events were staged. Sir Russell Grimwade purchased Captain Cook’s Cottage at Great Ayton in Yorkshire and he had it carefully measured, drawn, labelled, packed up and moved to its new home in the Fitzroy Gardens.
 
Sir Macpherson Robertson showed great generosity. He funded an international air race and more permanent mementoes including MacRobertson Girls High School in South Melbourne, the MacRobertson Bridge over the Yarra River at Grange Road, the National Herbarium at the Botanical Gardens and the MacRobertson Fountain near the Shrine of Remembrance.  His gifts to Melbourne are still appreciated and in use today.
 
To recognise the part played by women in the foundation of the state of Victoria, the the Pioneer Women’s Garden was built in the King’s Domain. 
 
The Shrine of Remembrance, arguably one of Melbourne’s most important public monuments was completed and dedicated in 1934. For many it was the crowning glory of the centenary celebrations.
 
In the book, Victorian and Melbourne Centenary Celebrations published in 1936, we find messages for Victoria and Melbourne from many nations around the world, including this surreal quote from Benito Mussolini:
 
“Italy and the Fascist Government send their greetings and cordial wishes. It is with legitimate pride that the Commonwealth of Australia remembers to-day the work accomplished by its strong and tenacious population which in only one century reached the present prosperity. It is with sympathy and admiration for the progresses obtained in every branch by the State of Victoria and its capital that the Italian nation associates itself with the actual celebrations”
 
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thecollector

1934-35 Centenary of Victoria and Melbourne

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I think it’s fair to say that the increasing majority of Melburnians would struggle to remember any other Southbank than the familiar setting in place today. A great success story in urban renewal, the plethora of arts, entertainment, office space and high rise apartments that are present today, are in the place of what was once a highly industrial area, south of the Melbourne CBD on the banks of the Yarra.
Plans for redevelopment were conceptualised in this mid 1980’s, and by the early 1990’s more than 20 years ago now; many of the familiar buildings that feature so prominently along the Southbank promenade, were either in place or under construction. The redevelopment of Southbank closed the history books on the lifetime of a place that was very different from what we know today, and some landmarks that were as familiar then, to the locals, as the Crown Complex, or Southgate are to us today.
If I were to start talking about Little Audrey, the name given to the vinegar skipping girl sign in Richmond or the Nylex Clock in Cremorne, most folks would instantly be familiar with these iconic neon signs. Each is a spectacular example of, or should we say - remnant of - a very different Melbourne – which at one time was densely adorned with spectacular lighted advertising displays, lighting up the skyline of many a Melbourne suburb, but concentrated certainly around the CBD, St Kilda and Richmond.
Of the many hundreds of these neon displays, Audrey and the Nylex Clock are the best known of only a half dozen or so remaining neon displays from this era. Each has had to survive the ravage’s of age, neglect, and urban development - and only survive today thanks to the two key elements that unfortunately the survival of any such iconic masterpiece requires: overwhelming public support and corporate sponsorship.
I was surprised to learn recently, that the mother of all neon signs, and one that as, even up to the day it was demolished, was both a true icon of Melbourne at the time and one of the most outstanding features of the pre-1990’s Southbank. Unlike Audrey however, the Allen’s Sweets sign unfortunately could not find a way to survive the desperately needed redevelopment of that area directly south of the Yarra.
The Southbank of the majority of the second half of the 20th century was a heavy industrial zone; factories, depots, car parking for those whom worked there, and remnants of the railways and docks that once dominated the area in an even more distant era.
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/FlindersandAllen%27s%20-%20cropped%20jpg_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A view of the Allens Sweets sign from Flinders Street"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/FlindersandAllen%27s%20-%20cropped%20jpg_1.jpg?itok=ytoQK_yt" title="A view of the Allens Sweets sign from Flinders Street" typeof="Image"></a>
The Allen’s Sweets sign was undoubtedly the most prominent of the many neon signs which lit the night sky along the Yarra River through the decades before the Southbank re-developments commenced. Affixed atop an old automotive factory, the impressive sign was some 30m by 20m in size, and brightly coloured in red, yellow and green neon tubing.
The sign was originally erected in 1955 with the Allen’s logo in prominence, and it was in 1963 when the familiar lolly wrapper shape was added. But it was in 1969 that that the animations evolved from purely layers of typography, to an animation which included a soaring rocket that travels in a trajectory over the sign until it reaches the centre, where it detonates into an array of colourful sparks; that the sight transformed into a truly memorable piece of advertising history.
But the plans for the re-development of what is now Southbank would require the demolition of the vast majority of the factories, roads, car parks, and other structures that presided in the area – and this included the factory on top of which the Allen’s sweets sign resided. Despite universal agreement that the sign should be and could be preserved, it seems that no agreement could be reached by the many players involved, both government and commercial, on exactly how, and it would ultimately leave the sign with no place to go.
In 1987, without and plan in place to preserve the iconic sign, and despite the many attempts by the public and in the media to draw attention to the issue, the sign was demolished, and a true treasure, and icon of Melbourne’s urban history, lost to us all forever, effectively bringing this era of bright typographic neon signage in Melbourne to an end.
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tesla

Allens Sweets Southbank

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From the 22nd of November through to the 8th of December 1956, Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games, it was the first time in the history of the Games that an Olympiad was staged in the southern hemisphere.
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Preceded by a period of international turmoil and tension (cold war, Suez crises, etc), many countries boycotted the Games, thus the number of competitors (3342) was the smallest since 1932. Another setback was forced by Australia’s very strict quarantine laws, which caused the equestrian events to be held in Stockholm, Sweden instead. Back home the pre-games period was plagued by delays and disputes over organisation on the various Games construction sites, to the point where on three occasions (1951,1953 and 1955) – Melbourne came close to losing the Games. A year later, most of the problems were settled and the Games proceeded without any major problems and went on to become a magnificent success. Because of the goodwill and friendship between the teams and the abundant good spirited nature of the crowds, the Melbourne Games became forever known as the Friendly Games. The mood of goodwill was further consolidated by the decision of the Games organizers to adopt a suggestion from John Ian Wing, an Australian-born Chinese citizen, that all teams should mingle and walk (not march) during the closing ceremony. This became an Olympic Games tradition.
Competing on their home ground for the first time, Australia fielded a record team made up of 256 men and 35 women which went on to win 13 gold, 8 silver and 14 bronze medals, a record haul as well.
A capacity crowd at the MCG witnessed a glorious Opening Ceremony in which Ron Clarke scorching his arm carrying the Olympic Torch, lit the Olympic flame while having a slight stumble on the final step up to the block to reach the couldron.
The Games introduced us to a new crop of Australian sports heroes such as, Betty Cuthbert, Murray Rose, Dawn Fraser and Lorraine Crapp.  Some of the sporting highlights were Cuthbert in track and field, winning gold in the 100 and 200 metres and the 4 x 100 metres relay, in the swimming pool, Dawn Fraser winning her first two gold medals of a spectacular career and seventeen year old Murray Rose matching Cuthbert, by winning gold in the 400 and 1500 metres and 4 x 200 relay.
The introduction of television was also rushed in to enable Australians to view it all at home for the first time.
Medal Tally
Country               Gold                 Silver         Bronze           Total
1  USSR                37                     29               32                   98
2  USA                   32                     25               17                   74
3  Australia          13                      8                 14                  35
4  Hungary             9                     10                  7                   26
5  Italy                     8                       8                   9                   25
 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Sports and locations
Opening and closing ceremonies – MCG
Athletics – MCG
Basketball – The Glaciarium
Fencing – StKilda Town Hall
Soccer – MCG and Olympic Park
Weightlifting – Royal Exhibition Building
Modern pentathlon – Oaklands Huntclub and various arenas
Boxing – Melbourne Festival Hall
Hockey – MCG and Olympic Park
Yachting – Port Phillip Bay
Shooting – Williamstown range and RAAF station at Laverton
Rowing – Lake Wendouree, Ballarat
Swimming and Diving – Olympic Swimming Pool
Wrestling – Royal Exhibition Building
Cycling – Olympic Velodrome and country road course, Broadmeadows
Gymnastics – The Glaciarium
Demonstrations – MCG
The Olympic Village was at Heidelberg
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Memorabilia from the XVI Olympiad, Melbourne 1956

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The  Melbourne &amp; Hobson’s Bay Railway Company started Melbourne’s and Australia’s first steam railway service between Sandridge (Port Melbourne) and Flinders Street in 1854, only twenty years after Melbourne was founded.  
The railway was built to the Irish gauge of 5 ft 3 in (1600 mm) because the chief engineer from Sydney who set the standards was Irish, when he was replaced by a Scot, NSW switched to 4 ft 8 ½ in (1435 mm), the English and Scottish gauge, but Victoria had already ordered its trains and was unable to change. This was the reason and the beginning of Australia’s railway gauge problem.
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/RailwayShareSmall.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A share certificate for a £10 in The Melbourne &amp; Suburban Railway Company, dated 1860."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/RailwayShareSmall.jpg" title="A share certificate for a £10 in The Melbourne &amp; Suburban Railway Company, dated 1860." typeof="Image"></a>
The Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company was formed in 1857. It had authorization to build a railway line from Princes Bridge to Windsor with a spur from Richmond to Hawthorn as well.
The line from Princes Bridge to Richmond opened in 1859 and in that same year extended to another station named Pic-Nic in the Cremorne Gardens on the banks of the Yarra River. In 1860 they built a bridge over the Yarra River to have the line extended to South Yarra, Prahran and then eventually reaching, Windsor in 1861. Another bridge was built in 1861 for a spur to reach Hawthorn.
Plagued with financial problems around the time the Windsor and Hawthorn stations were completed, the company sold out to the Melbourne Railway Company in 1862.
The Melbourne Railway Company along with many other private railway companies was taken over by the government owned Victorian Railways in the early 1880s.
The era had begun and Melbourne’s suburban railway network experience significant growth over the next two decades.
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/VRNewportPlateSmall.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="An engine plate from the Victorian Railways Newport Workshops, 1910."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/VRNewportPlateSmall.jpg" title="An engine plate from the Victorian Railways Newport Workshops, 1910." typeof="Image"></a>
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/FlindersStation1a.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="First Flinders Street Station showing entry on Swanston Street."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/FlindersStation1a.jpg?itok=98YzIwvD" title="First Flinders Street Station showing entry on Swanston Street." typeof="Image"></a>
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