Bourke Street, Melbourne

Bourke Street is one of Melbourne's best known streets. Historically been regarded as Melbourne's "second street", with the main street being Collins Street and "busier than Bourke Street" is a popular catchphrase. Bourke Street has traditionally been Melbourne's entertainment hub. In its heyday it was the location of many of Melbourne's theatres, cinemas as well as a major retail shopping precinct. Today the street remains an entertainment hub best known as the location of the Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne's main pedestrian mall and one of the city's main tourist destinations.Bourke Street is named for Sir Richard Bourke, the Governor of New South Wales (and thus, of Melbourne as well) in 1837 during the drafting of the Hoddle Grid.GeographyBourke Street runs roughly from east to west and it bisects the CBD along its long axis. Bourke Street runs between the parallel Little Collins and Little Bourke streets.There are two stretches of Bourke Street; the older CBD stretch and the newer Docklands stretch. The older stretch intersects with Spring Street to the east and Spencer Street to the west.