Robert Hoddle
Surveyor

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“When I marked out Melbourne in 1837, I proposed that all the streets should be ninety-nine feet wide . . and after having done so, I was ordered by the Governor [Governor Bourke] to make them sixty-six feet wide; but upon my urging the Governor, and convincing him that wide streets were advantageous on the score of health and convenience to the future city of Victoria, he consented to let me have my will. I therefore gave up my objection to narrow the lanes [to] thirty-three feet wide, which have unfortunately become streets, and many expensive buildings have been erected theron. Had a great number of allotments been bought to public auction at first, houses in the broad streets would have been built in preference. I have remedied it afterwards in marking out North and East Melbourne, by making the various streets sixty-six feet wide. In 1837, after marking the streets Sir Richard Bourke came early one morning into my tent and gave me the list of the names of the streets.”

Related Links

• Robert Russell

Hoddle Street is named after him. Unfortunately the name Hoddle Street is now associated in most Melbournian's mind with The Hoddle Street Massacre which occurred in the 1980s.