Union Lane

Located in the heart of Melbourne’s retail precinct, Union Lane is something of an anomaly. There aren’t any of the usual bars, boutiques or cafes to entice visitors but they come nonetheless. What they flock to see is one of the city’s best known street art sites. Just about every square inch of wall is covered by a giant graffiti mural, totalling some 550 square metres. Born out of a mentoring program launched by the City of Melbourne, the work was created by 50 young artists in late 2007. Although street art remains controversial in many quarters, its immediacy, verve and accessibility are hard to deny.