You know something serious is up when a boringly modest grey wall turns
suddenly into a stunning green oasis that captivated both innocent passersby
and true locals. We see harlequin bug flashing its body of metallic sheen
amidst the rainforest habitat, butterfly dances its ways around those strange
and common insects (and what not). It is a mural went alive with both lovely
and bizarre items. We have brilliantly red ladybug, gracefully flowing
waterfall and brightly coloured flowers of unknown species. Comfortably
snuggled beside those beautiful things are some out-of-place junks: a discarded
Nintendo Gameboy controller and some bulky, superseded computer monitor being
chucked away pathetically like some hazardous waste.
A giant green mantid with its tilted triangular head stared straight ahead
with bulging eyes, and a weird tropical “corpse flower” displays its exotic
charm like some outrageous monument. It is a breathtaking painting formed with more
than a dozen shades of green, a gigantic public art piece by one of Melbourne’s
most beloved street artists Makatron on his few favourite themes: nature and
living things.
This previously unassuming laneway is home to a few eateries and
cocktail bars. There is a home-style restaurant The Waiters Club serving
delightful Italian cuisine, an Argentinian eatery San Telmo, Onsen Ma a
sanctuary offering Japanese bathhouse experience, and Lily Blacks an exciting
cocktail bar renowned for its creative beverages range. The lane also houses
Lane’s Edge, a pretty little eating place surrounded by luscious greenery, and
the Loop Roof with its enchanting garden secretively nestled at level three.
Meyers Place celebrated its victory recently after winning one of
the much-coveted four spots in the City of Melbourne’s Green Your Laneway
Program. It was no easy win, but an outcome driven by the collective force of
the laneway’s traders and business owners who actively campaigned and
galvanized support for public votes for a good many months.
Meyers Place now has all the legitimate reasons (plus funding) to
paint itself insanely green. One of the first transformative steps is to do it
literally by brushing its wall using the right colour. More genuine greening
initiatives will soon be visibly carried out, from traditional pot and tree
planting, to the more challenging cascading and vertical greening efforts
involving climbers and creepers.
Meyers Place will soon make a name for itself as Melbourne
Metropolitan’s latest green gallery and an unmistakably leafy spot to be
watched out for!
Where: Meyers Place, connecting Little Collins and Bourke Street at
the East end
