Carlton North
Carlton North is an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It is bordered by Princes Street and Cemetery Road to the south, Royal Parade to the west, Nicholson Street to the east and Park Street to the north. Carlton North is home to the Melbourne General Cemetery, Princes Park, Optus Oval, two primary schools, and a high school. Its main shopping strip is along Rathdowne Street, featuring numerous cafés, restaurants, small fashion boutiques, bookshops and other businesses. It is covered by two Local Government Areas, the City of Melbourne and the City of Yarra. Carlton North also incorporates the small suburb of Princes Hill in its north west corner.
Carlton North has its origins with the allotment of the Melbourne General Cemetery in 1853. Previous cemetery sites at Flagstaff Gardens and (what is now) Queen Victoria Market, had become full, thus the new Carlton North site was established. In the same year a stockade was build at (what is now) Curtain Square. A bluestone quarry was established on Lee Street, which subsequently became an asylum, until 1873 when it became the area's first primary school. Subdivision into residential blocks began in 1869, with the emerging brick terrace houses standing in contrast to Carlton's timber cottages. Princes Park was established in 1844 and became home to the Carlton Football Club in 1897.
Tram lines were installed along Lygon Street, Rathdowne Street (dismantled in 1936), and Nicholson Street. The area was also serviced by the Inner Circle railway line (passenger services were ceased in 1948 although it remained a goods line until 1980).
Today, Carlton North, like other inner-northern suburbs of Melbourne, contains a curious mixture of whitecollar professionals, students, artists, and unemployed, although the area has perhaps become more gentrified than North Fitzroy, Brunswick, or Collingwood.