1. Themes
  2. A to Z
  3. Search

Regent Place

Located between Swanston and Russell streets, Regent Place extends from Collins Street to Flinders Lane. The laneway was constructed in the 1920s, at the same time that massive redevelopment in this part of the city produced the Plaza and Regent cinemas. It was named after the Regent Theatre (191 Collins Street), which opened in 1929. Over the decades it was home to Ernest Hillier's milk bar, Fletcher Jones dry-cleaning, coffee and gift shops, and for the children, Tim the Toyman and Peter Piper Bookshop. In the 1970s, Regent Place was demolished by the City of Melbourne for the construction of the City Square. The laneway, however, returned shortly after as a private right-of-way, providing access to the Westin Hotel and the newly restored Regent Theatre.

Biheng Zhang

References
Bate, Weston, Essential but unplanned: The story of Melbourne's lanes, State Library of Victoria and the City of Melbourne, Melbourne, 1994. Details