Howey Place, Melbourne

If you ever wanted to slip into a quieter corner of Melbourne without actually leaving the Central Business District (or CBD), Howey Place is your shortcut—though it didn’t always look this polished. Back in the late nineteenth century, this narrow passage was part of Cole’s Walk, a no-frills thoroughfare lined with small shops and casual stalls.

Its transformation into a proper arcade began in 1896, when Edward William Cole, the entrepreneurial showman behind Cole’s Book Arcade, decided the place deserved a little glamour. He installed a glass canopy, turned it into a sheltered retail strip, and suddenly Melbourne had a chic new pathway linking Bourke Street with Little Collins Street. Early residents—a bookstore, a print shop, a toy store—set the tone for the cosy, tucked-away vibe the lane still carries.

The name itself harks back to Henry Howey, who bought the land for the princely sum of £128 in 1837, long before anyone imagined fashion boutiques would one day claim it. The early twentieth century added even more character, with the Howey Court buildings and their Edwardian façades giving the lane the kind of architectural charm that makes passers-by slow down without quite knowing why...

Of course, the laneway hasn’t been immune to change. Howey House, a 1930s Art Deco number, once graced the site before it was replaced in the 1980s by what’s now the Sportsgirl Centre. But despite the comings and goings, Howey Place has held on to its identity. The tiled floors, preserved shopfronts, and signature glass canopy all whisper back to the early age of Melbourne’s arcade culture—a reminder that the city has always loved its hidden passages and compact commercial nooks...

Walking through it today feels a bit like stepping into a refined pocket of retail history, tucked neatly between the modern pulse of the CBD.