BOURKE AND SPENCER STREETS
Designed by Commonwealth architect JS Murdoch, the Mail Exchange was built in 1917 to alleviate the overcrowded and inefficient conditions at the Melbourne General Post Office on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Streets. It was known as the General Post Office until 1964, when the title reverted to the Elizabeth Street building. It then became the Mail Exchange and was used principally for the bulk handling of mail. The building was equipped with chutes and conveyors to facilitate the movement of mail around the building and was connected to Spencer Street Station by a sub-basement tunnel.
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| Former Mail Exchange, from across Spencer Street. (Image: Kasia Zygmuntowicz) |