Melbourne Metropolitan Area

Survey

When Robert Hoddle laid out what became Melbourne's Central City area in 1837 he positioned its south-west corner next to Batman's Hill near the intersection of Flinders and Spencer Streets. The town's southern boundary (Flinders Street) ran approximately along the northern side of the Yarra River, but as the river did not flow exactly east-west, the central city block plan was tilted: northwards thoroughfares run north-west.