Series
Federation Square at 21
The Age explores Melbourne’s controversial quest for a monument of its own, the future of the square and the century-old dream to build a deck over the Jolimont rail yards.
‘We were seeking an Opera House’: Melbourne’s quest for a monument of its own
In 1978, the Victorian government launched an international competition for a landmark to put Melbourne on the map. After 2300 entries, it turned into a fiasco.
- Jewel Topsfield and Royce Millar
Loved, hated, soon to be updated: The next chapter for Federation Square
Jeff Kennett was no fan of Fed Square, but like many Melburnians, has grown to love it. But challenges with Melbourne’s civic space remain.
- Jewel Topsfield and Royce Millar
State shelves dream to fix eyesore dubbed the ‘black hole of Melbourne’
The government has quietly abandoned the idea of decking the Jolimont rail yards next to Federation Square, after successive state leaders have struggled with costly plans for a century.
- Jewel Topsfield and Royce Millar
Other series
Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2026
This year’s laugh fest has kicked off, with more than 2000 performers stepping up to the mic. Here, our writers take a closer look
- 10 stories
Hate of origin: Inside football’s most intense rivalry
Essendon and Hawthorn have hated each other for more than 40 years, from some old-fashioned thuggery and a fake drug scandal in the mid-80s to last year’s failed bid by the Hawks to poach the Bombers’ captain.
- 5 stories