Collingwood Yards Collingwood Yards

Collingwood Yards is a new, permanent and affordable home for scores of artists and independent arts organisations working across music, visual arts, performance, digital media, creative industries and beyond.

Situated across the former Collingwood Technical School campus in inner Melbourne, Collingwood Yards spans over 6500sqm. The site consists of three buildings and a leafy central courtyard and is located in one of Australia's most diverse, rapidly transforming and dense inner city neighbourhoods.

When fully open the space will be populated by over 50 separate tenancies including 17 artist studios, a radio station, hospitality outlets, galleries, performance spaces and a large public courtyard. As well as forming a home to its artists and arts workers, we will welcome visitors, guests, collaborators and the public on to the site for a wide range of events and activities.

Collingwood Yards is owned and managed by Contemporary Arts Precincts Ltd in trust for the public of Victoria. CAP has been deeded the site under conditions that ensure it remains a place of cultural production and creativity.

More than 6000sqm of space in the heart of Collingwood now home to hundreds of artists

For over 140 years, the site of the former Collingwood Technical School on Johnston Street, Melbourne, has played an integral role in the well being of the local community.

It has been a civic hub, including courthouse (1853), Council Chambers (1860) and the Collingwood Artisans' School of Design (1871). The school opened in 1912 when its first principal, Matthew Richmond, rang a bell on the street to attract new students. Collingwood was a poor and industrial suburb, and as a trade school, young boys were offered the opportunity to gain industrial employment skills.

Throughout the twentieth century, Collingwood Technical School supported the local and broader community. From training schemes for ex-servicemen who were suffering from post traumatic stress following World War I (1914-1918), to extra classes during the Great Depression, and the development of chrome and electroplating for machine parts for the Australian Army and Air Force during World War II (1939-1945).

The precinct between Johnston, Perry and Wellington Streets has transformed over time, including expansion with new buildings and school departments, and the change in the demographic of students as Collingwood evolved from an industrial centre to eventual gentrification. And in 1984, New York street artist, Keith Haring (1958-1990), painted a large mural onsite.

Collingwood Technical College closed in 1987 when it amalgamated with the Preston TAFE (Technical and Further Education) campus. Education classes continued until 2005 and the site sat empty for more than a decade, before a section was redeveloped for Circus Oz in 2013.

The former school now has a new identity as Collingwood Yards, and is being developed into an independent space for small and medium creative organisations. The heritage buildings will house the next generation of thinkers and makers, and will become a permanent home to the arts in Collingwood.
buildings that comprise Collingwood Yards are open to tenants and visitors.

Visit

You're welcome to explore the public facing tenancies at Collingwood Yards, situated on the lower ground and first floors of the Johnston Street and Perry Street Buildings.

While we currently need to adhere to strict capacity guidelines, we look forward to inviting you to come and explore our leafy courtyard, spend some time in relaxed eateries, explore one-of-a-kind retail and discover our very special rooftop and basement bar spaces. You'll also be welcome to wander through our hundred-year-old hallways and engage with our resident galleries, workshops and performance spaces.

Collingwood Yards

Collingwood Yards occupies the the site of the former Collingwood Technical College on the block bounded by Johnston, Perry, Wellington and Bedford Street in the heart of the inner-north of Melbourne. When fully open there will be five entrances, three from Johnston Street and two from Perry Street. Our friends and neighbours at Circus Oz also have entries on both Perry and Johnston Street and we are next door to the iconic Tote Hotel on Johnston Street side.

Collingwood Yards has access from two street frontages.

35 Johnston Street, Collingwood - Map
30 Perry Street Collingwood - Map

We are open to the public in line with our trading hours - typically this is Monday - Saturday, 8am - 8pm.

Getting to the Venue

Train
The nearest Station is Victoria Park.
Victoria Park Station is approximately a 700 metre, 10 minute walk to and from Collingwood Yards.

Victoria Park Station is elevated and access to the platforms is either via a ramp or lift.

For Station information:
Victoria Park Station is on the Hurstbridge and Mernda Lines

Tram
The nearest Tram stop is Stop 19 on the Route 86 at the corner of Johnston St & Smith St.
Stop 19 is approximately a 300 meter, 5 minute walk to and from Collingwood Yards.

Route 86 is partly serviced by low-floor trams. Stop information is available here

Bus
The nearest Bus stop is the corner of Johnston St & Smith St on Routes 200, 207 and Night Bus Route 966.
The corner of Johnston St & Smith St is approximately a 300 meter, 5 minute walk to and from Collingwood Yards.

On Site Parking
Collingwood Yards offers a single disabled car parking space. Located in the commons area at 35C Johnston Street vehicle entrance. See site map below or at this link.

There are numerous secure and street parking options in the area.
On the North boundary of Collingwood Yards on Johnston St, two-hour free parking is available. On the South boundary of Collingwood Yards on Perry St, four-hour free parking is available. All day paid parking options are available on Wellington Street (East of Precinct).

Precinct Entrances and Access
Our site has five external entrances.
Two are on Perry Street (Designated as 30A Perry St and 30B Perry Street). Three are on the Johnston Street side (Designated as 35A Johnston St, 35B Johnston St and 35C Johnston St).

The whole of the site is accessible from each entrance, however, if visiting for a specific event it is strongly recommended that you enter via the entrance suggested by the host organisation.

Outdoor Area

Footpath connects 35B and 35C Johnston St to 30B Perry St.
Footpath and courtyard connects 35A Johnston St and 30A Perry St.
Designated smoking areas are:
Adjacent to Spiegeltent
Northwestern corner of the courtyard
Events may designate temporary outdoor smoking areas

Comprehensive lighting covers all external areas of the precinct courtyard as well as LED strip lighting across the external facade of the building.
Covered areas are situated in the following:
35A Johnston St. (Link)
35B Johnston St. (Deco)
30B Perry St. (Undercroft)
Perry St Level 1 Landing
Perry St Level 2 Landing
Perry St Arcade outside retail area

Floor Access

Johnston St Building:
Floor access to Johnston Street Building can be made via the following areas:
- The lift immediately inside 35B Johnston St (LG) provides access to levels UG, 1 and 2.
- 35A Johnston St provides a footpath and ramp to the Automatic door entrance to level UG
- From 35C Johnston St, there is a footpath and ramp leading to Johnston St lifts and external staircase.

Perry St Building:
Floor access to the Perry Street Building can be made via the following areas:
-From 30A Perry St, footpath leads to the retail area of Perry St (UG) and courtyard.
-Lift can be accessed via 30A and 30B Perry St, allowing access to levels 1 and 2 of Perry St Building.
-From Johnston St, access to Perry St Building can be made by crossing the courtyard.

Lock Building:
-Access to the Lock Building can be made via the footpath from 35A, 35B and 35C.
-Access to level 1 and 2 can be made in the Lock building lift.
-Access to level UG can be made via a ramp.

❊ What's On ❊

➼ Keith Haring: Collingwood Mural

➼ Arts Project Australia: Gallery

➼ Hope St Radio | Restaurant & Wine Bar

➼ Music Market

➼ Stay Soft Night Markets - Collingwood

❊ Address ❊

 ℅ Yalla-birr-ang
 ⊜  35 Johnston Street,  Collingwood  View Map

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❊ Web Links ❊

➼ Collingwood Yards 

➼ www.collingwoodyards.org

❊ Also See... ❊

➼ Arts Project Australia: Studio

➼ Circus Oz






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