Little Lonsdale Street

Little Lonsdale Street

Little Lonsdale Street in 2012
Map
Little Lonsdale Street is located in Melbourne
Little Lonsdale Street
Little Lonsdale Street
Coordinates
General information
TypeStreet
Length2 km (1.2 mi)
Major junctions
West end Spencer Street
Melbourne CBD
 
East endSpring Street
Melbourne CBD
Location(s)
LGA(s)City of Melbourne
Suburb(s)Melbourne CBD
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Little Lonsdale Street is located in the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. A part of the Hoddle Grid, it runs roughly east–west. North of Lonsdale Street and south of La Trobe Street, Little Lonsdale Street's eastern end intersects with Spring Street while its western end intersects with Spencer Street. It was named after William Lonsdale, the first administrator and magistrate in Melbourne. Unlike the other little streets, it runs one-way in the easterly direction, not the west.

In the nineteenth century, the eastern end of the street ran through a notorious "red light district", known as "Little Lon". It was associated with prostitution, petty crime and "larrikinism".[1]

  1. ^ Justin McCarthy (1989). The Commonwealth Block, Melbourne: Archaeological Investigation Report. Volume 1: Historical and Archaeological Report. p.55. Australian Construction Services prepared for The Department of Administrative Services and Telecom Australia