Central Business District in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia — Oceania
17 Casselden Place
| | Historic Little Lon | |
Photographed by Dean Barton-Ancliffe, June 3, 2026
1. 17 Casselden Place Marker
Erected by City of Melbourne and State Bank Victoria.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1877.
Location. 37° 48.531′ S, 144° 58.265′ E. Marker is in Melbourne, Victoria. It is in the Central Business District. It is on Casselden Place 0.1 kilometers south of Little Lonsdale Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 17 Casselden Place, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Oceania, Australasia, the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific, the Pacific Rim, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Madame Brussels (here, next to this marker); Digging through Time (here, next to this marker); Bill Proudfoot (here, next to this marker); Little Lon People and Professions (a few steps from this marker); Sister Esther (a few steps from this marker);
this page online
Also see . . . 17 Casselden Place. Victorian Heritage Database
The house at 17 Casselden Place is a single-storey brick cottage of three rooms, the last remaining of a row of six cottages built in 1877 on the west side of Casselden Place, a laneway running off Little Lonsdale Street in the once-notorious Little Lon area of Melbourne. The land around Casseldon Place had been subdivided and sold in 1847 and five two-room wooden cottages were built there, most probably just before the Melbourne Building Act came into effect in January 1850. This was introduced to restrict the spread of fire and specified the use of fireproof building materials. These cottages were bought in 1871 by John Casselden, but there are no records of any earlier building having been constructed at 17 Casselden Place. In 1877 Casselden, who had been first recorded in 1853 as a shoemaker and later as a newsagent, had six new brick cottages built by George(Submitted on June 9, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria.)Tuxworth. The six cottages were always rented out, often to Chinese men or single women, who were attracted by the cheap rental and central location. The single women were likely to have been among the many sex workers who worked in the area and were stigmatised by those who thought them less respectable. The cottages remained in Casselden's possession until 1890, after which they changed hands every few years until the Commonwealth Government took possession of the area in 1948. In the 1960s the other five of the six cottages were demolished leaving number 17 as the sole survivor, which in 2010 is used as an office. The city block on which the house is located has been redeveloped, and the house is now almost surrounded by high-rise buildings: the Telstra national headquarters, the Casselden Place office tower and The Urban Workshop.Photographed by Dean Barton-Ancliffe, June 3, 20262. 17 Casselden Place and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 9, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 9, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
