Little Barkly Street, Carlton VIC - A brief history of the Melbourne slums. 1930's-1970's

Welcome to Melbourne!
The featured historical images were taken between 1930-1970. Many of the images are specifically from Carlton (A small inner city suburb in Melbourne VIC Australia) However some of the photographs are from nearby surrounding Melbourne suburbs including Collingwood VIC.
The first photograph is of the laneway we visited "Little Barkly Street". The image has no associated date, however it is thought to be from the post-war era. Which is arguably between 1945-1960.
A few interesting things to note; We found sea shells in the mortar of the bricks! And along the top of the masonry walls, there were jagged shards of glass. Many pieces were actually a pale orange color, a color I have never seen before. And not surprisingly, in among the glass there were thick rusty nails jutting right up. I can only assume; that this was an intentional & somewhat clever design, to keep people from jumping over the walls. Or perhaps, a less exciting theory; it might be to simply keep the pigeons & crows from pooping on the walls & nearby washing.
The mortar is eroding from the older structures - which makes the bricks appear to be seamlessly floating in some areas. This street has been through some extensive development, despite being recognizable.There has been a flurry of repairs with different materials & the texture is extraordinary. Furthermore, the vine growing up the side of the building is very much happy & alive! It looks absolutely breathtaking during the Australian Spring.
The laneway's in Melbourne were (in part) designed for the ‘night carts’. During the night; men with horses & carts traveled down the cobbled, narrow curving lanes - to collect human waste. However, as the population grew & slums popped up, eventually Melbourne’s storm water drains & rivers were turned into open sewers. This happened for multiple reasons including overwhelm, lack of resources, perhaps some laziness during harsh weather & because temporary shelters were blocking access.
To read more about Melbourne’s waste system, check out this link:
www.melbournew...
Correction - The stones are blue stone!
It was a saddening and eerie experience walking down this street. To imagine how many people suffered from cramped & filthy living conditions. Especially when considering that Melbourne has such a stark contrast when it comes to summer & winter temperatures - either freezing or intolerably hot. I just can't fathom the struggle of every day survival. It was incredible & humbling to reach out and touch something that should exist only in an old photograph.
This is my very first video! Enjoy!
For more reading - Check out this link.
www.heraldsun....