In 1850 a pamphlet was circulated calling for an area that would ‘ventilate and purify the most crowded areas of the city’.
It wasn’t until 1961 that the Melbourne City Council initiated plans to build such a square. Intended to be a space for civic assembly and a lure for suburban shoppers, the site on the corner of Collins and Swanston Streets was chosen because of its proximity to the retail district and main civic buildings. Between 1966 and 1968 the MCC purchased and demolished a series of buildings, including the Victoria Building, the adjoining City Club Hotel, Green’s Building and the Cathedral Hotel.