Fire at the Cathedral Hotel!
Southward view
Firemen in their shiny brass Merryweather style helmets battle a fire in the roof of the Cathedral Hotel, Tuesday 3 March 1936. It was located on the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane and so named for its proximity to St Paul’s Cathedral, just visible at top left.
The fire broke out in between the roof space and wooden ceiling of the hotel at around 4.30 pm, causing disruption to afternoon commuters – hence the banked-up trams along St Kilda Road. The hoses snaking across the roof have been dragged up through the hotel’s front door. The scene of devastation on the roof appears to be a result of both the fire and firefighting efforts.
The panoramic background is dominated by the dome of Flinders Street Station, the wide, treed boulevard of St Kilda Road, and a densely built-up industrial area south of the Yarra with its elevated signage and substantial buildings.
MCK090 Inkjet print by John Gollings on Canson Platine Fibre Rag
Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie.