Welcome to the City of Yarra
Welcome to The Weekend in Yarra, home to some of the oldest suburbs in Melbourne. Get a glimpse of its diversity through heritage precincts, individually significant and landmark buildings, events and stories. With so much to see and do in this part of Melbourne, here’s hoping you can squeeze it all in!
Start your Weekend with the tour Yalinguth Fitzroy: Stories. Sounds. Knowledge. Starting at the Moreton Bay Fig Tree in Carlton Gardens, come along and get to know the home of the Black Power movement in Australia—Gertrude Street. Through this two-hour walking tour, you’ll be taken on an inspiring historical journey with live stories, augmented by Elders’ stories, music and soundscapes.
Still on Gertrude Street, you can drop into the Australian Print Workshop to see what goes into bringing fine art original prints to life. Housed in a revitalised heritage-listed building, this internationally-renowned workshop has produced art exhibited by the likes of the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of NSW, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and more.
Duck around to the alleyway on Little Smith Street, where you’ll see the Retracing Queer Footprints mural.
From here, you can check out the queer history of Yarra, guided by voices and music from the local queer community thanks to Queer-ways: Retracing Queer Footprints.
Or head right round to the 3CR Community Radio studios on Smith Street, one of Australia’s oldest community radio stations. Producing more than 100 shows a week, join a tour of the station to go behind the scenes; see photos, posters and equipment from nearly 50 years of operation; and even jump into a studio and record yourself!
See the inner city like you’ve never seen it before from the top of Collingwood Yards. Sign up for the rooftop tour, or take a site tour to hear about the former technical college’s transformation to mixed use arts precinct.
Take a peek at one of the largest collections of Australian contemporary art in the world nearby at the Artbank Collection Store. Usually only accessed by appointment, the showroom will be open for you to pull out racks, peer into the sculpture store and discover new favourite artworks.
Cross back towards Little Oxford Street, where you’ll find the shared studios of artists RONE and Callum Preston. Both artists will be there sharing their personal archives. You might even get the chance to see what they’re currently working on!
Head over to Richmond to see what Life Down A Lane in a sustainable, light-filled, architecturally-designed family home is like. On your way, keep an eye out for commemorative plaques on Victoria Street celebrating 50 years of Vietnamese migration to Yarra. Feeling hungry? Try the fresh banh cuon—steamed rice rolls—at Thanh Ha 2, or stop at Phuoc Thanh for banh mi with plenty of vegan options.
Digest with a tour or wander around the open studios at Abbotsford Convent, which was once one of the largest convents in Australia. This year there are five tours to choose from, ranging from architecture and historic preservation to social history or nature, so there’s something for everyone.
Make sure you don’t miss Leaps and Bounds Music Festival that will also be on. From DJs to jazz bands, boundary-pushers to genre-benders, this festival is all about celebrating homegrown Aussie talent in Yarra’s great local venues. So get ready to dance the night away!
You can also find out more about Yarra’s diverse cultural history, heritage precincts and iconic buildings with your choice of self-guided heritage walk, or come back and discover Yarra’s local galleries and street art.
Check out What’s On in Yarra to find out more.
Heritage walks in Yarra
As you explore Yarra over the Weekend, it’s a must to connect with the Leaps and Bounds Festival.
What originally began as a vibrant push to support local venues, musicians, and businesses through the quiet of winter, Leaps and Bounds Music Festival nurtures Yarra’s thriving music community by showcasing a diverse range of homegrown talent—from emerging local artists to internationally acclaimed stars.
Spanning genres from electronic to hip hop, jazz to rock, and inclusive of all age groups, Leaps and Bounds proudly promotes an environment of equality, sustainability and diversity.
Check out the full program and intersect the Open House Melbourne Weekend with some stellar tunes and rocking beats!
Leaps and Bounds ProgramCity of Yarra Program
Abbotsford Convent
Saturday 26 July
Albanian Mosque, Carlton North
Sunday 27 July
Heritage Coexistence Part 2: Stories of the City—Yálla-birr-ang_Collingwood
Saturday 26 July
Otter Place by Milieu: A New ‘Great Australian Dream’
Saturday 26 July
RONE + Callum Preston Artists' Studios
Friday 25 July, Saturday 26 July, Sunday 27 July
Russian House
Saturday 26 July, Sunday 27 July
