Transforming the Yarra

Transforming the Yarra is a multimedia walking tour celebrating the development of Melbourne’s Yarra River precinct since the 1980s from a post industrial wasteland to the centre of Melbourne’s public life. The walking tour tells the story of the visionary work of many architects, urban designers and planners in realising the potential of the Yarra River corridor and revitalising it as a hub for recreation and culture.

Through the application of enlightened urban design and architectural principles, a precinct that was once dour and industrialised has become a lively, people-centred area. Importantly, the original visions of these planners, architects and designers continue to be developed through new public projects such as Federation Square, Birrarung Marr and South Wharf, which build on the cultural vitality of the area.

Transforming the Yarra features interviews with the public servants, politicians, designers and academics who established a new vision for the river and carried it forward during the last 30 years. The tour uses archival and current images to clearly show the river’s transformation and rebirth.