Beneath Melbourne’s modern streets is a lesser-known world a web of tunnels, vaults and historic basements, some with long-forgotten stories, others open for adventurous explorers. Here’s a peek at what’s down there.
Treasury Tunnels
Below the Old Treasury Building lie gold vaults from the 1850s, once packed with bullion from the gold rush. Today you can visit them as part of the museum experience, complete with dusty ledgers and iron bars.
Parliament’s Escape Route
Rumour has it there’s a secret escape tunnel beneath Parliament House, used as a contingency for MPs in times of political unrest. It’s never been publicly confirmed which only adds to the mystery.
Subterranean Bars
- Goldilocks Bar and State of Grace lead to hidden underground areas
- Bar Margaux and Beneath Driver Lane are literally in the basements of old buildings
- Some spaces still feature original bluestone walls and prison-like doorways
Abandoned Railway Tunnels
- The Princes Bridge underpass and old Flinders Street service tunnels are mostly sealed, but sections are still occasionally accessed by rail workers and urban explorers
- Under the Melbourne General Cemetery, vaults were once used for storage and burials during outbreaks
Theatre Secrets
The Princess Theatre and Forum Melbourne have catacombs that stagehands use during productions and some say these backstage basements are haunted, too.
These spaces aren’t always open to the public, but during Melbourne Open House or select heritage tours, some do pop up on the schedule.
