Hosier Lane vs Duckboard Place: The best street art in Melbourne?

The CBD laneways are the best place to see street art in Melbourne. Look in Hosier Lane, Duckboard Place and Croft Alley for stencils, murals and paste-ups.

Hosier Lane, Melbourne, is an unlikely tourist attraction.

In the last decade or so, Melbourne has developed a reputation as one of the world’s street art hotspots. This is partly because the warren-like network of laneways in the city centre lends itself to murals and stencils. They are the driving force of street art in Melbourne.

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But the City of Melbourne’s enlightened view towards street art plays a big part too.

Is street art in Melbourne legal?

Many cities see spray paint as graffiti to be clamped down on, and make street art illegal. In Melbourne, it is legal, albeit with important caveats. The main one is that the building owner’s permission must be sought and supplied in writing.

But it’s more than about just allowing street art – it’s about promoting it too. Melbourne sees street art as an attraction, something to lure visitors in, and it wants people to find it.

Melbourne Street art on Hosier Lane, Duckboard Place and more

Sometimes this works too well. Hosier Lane has become world famous, and is often crowded with selfie-takers. Hosier Lane is also one of the few places where the unwritten rule of street art – you don’t spray tagging and lower quality work on top of high quality work – doesn’t seem to hold.

But the good news is that there are plenty of bright, vibrant laneways to explore inside Melbourne’s Free Tram Zone. Duckboard Place, AC/ DC Lane, Croft Alley, Strachan Lane and Meyers Place have all got seriously impressive street art in them. Although, of course, what’s up one day on Hosier Lane or Duckboard Place can always be replaced the next.

Melbourne Laneway street art map and guide

A comprehensive list of street art laneways is on the City of Melbourne website. This comes with an annotated map, usable for a self-guided walking tour. That will undoubtedly make for one of the best free afternoons in Australia, but it’s possible to do guided tours of the CBD as well. Melbourne Street Art Tours offers artist-led walks that explain the key players on the scene. The artists also point out little details you may otherwise miss. The street art tours last around three hours and cost $80 – they’re amongst the best walking tours in Melbourne.

Another option is the Lanes and Arcades tour from Hidden Secrets. This Melbourne laneways tour costs $129.

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