1874 Richmond, Looking east along Bridge Road
An amazing photo from 1874 looking to the east along Bridge Road, Richmond, looking across Hoddle Street. The hotel on the right hand corner was the "Admiral Napier Hotel", with Robert Wilson as the licensee. A policeman stands outside the hotel, but has moved during the photograph's long exposure and appears ghostly. On the left of the photograph is a wooded area, known as "Highett's Paddock", This was a large area, bounded by Hoddle Street, Erin Street, Normanby Place, and Bridge Road, and was subdivided in 1881. It's located on one of the highest points in inner Melbourne. In 1885 the north-east corner of Hoddle and Bridge Roads was acquired by the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Co. Limited for the erection of the Engine Room that drove the cables that moved the cable trams along Bridge Road into the city. It's worth noting that quite a number of buildings that are in the photo are still standing. All text © HotPress Photographer was Charles Bayliss. This is a digitally retouched reproduction of the original held by the State Library of New South Wales, held in their Mitchell Library. All prints are reproduced without the HOTPRESS watermarks. Our team of conservators have worked on a high resolution digital image in order to remove age-related damage caused by the handling and storage of the original. We strive to provide authentic representations of the original work that are suitable for enlargements that retain the tones and character of the original.