Location, Location, Location
This image is part of my High Street Project, which I’ve been working on for over ten years.
I was initially drawn to High Street because I travelled along it regularly as part of my daily life. Over time, I began to notice the variety of businesses and buildings that line its length, and it gradually shifted from a route I passed through to a place I returned to intentionally. The kinds of shops I’d see were changing also, from more typical suburban, practical neighbourhood shops like hardware, milk bars to to more repetitive bars, restaurants clothing stores - the process of gentrification was well underway before I started this but it’s accelerated since.
Even after years of change and ongoing gentrification, I still find it a compelling place to photograph. It functions both as a working street and a destination, something that feels increasingly rare in Melbourne. The stretch I focus on runs through Northcote, Thornbury, Preston, and Reservoir, and includes a mix of cocktail bars, pubs, second-hand bookshops, and long-established local businesses.
I tend to shoot here either early in the morning or later in the afternoon, working different sides of the street depending on the light and how it shapes the architecture and movement.
What continues to draw me back is the variation along its length. Each visit offers something slightly different, and even familiar sections feel open to change.
The street itself has shifted significantly over time. Where there were once only a couple of high-rise buildings, there are now many, particularly around Preston. The population has changed, and property prices have risen sharply. The character of the area continues to evolve at a noticeable pace.
Despite this, it remains recognisably itself. That tension between continuity and change is what keeps me returning.
View the full series : https://www.wurstercreative.com/documentary/highstreetproject
Empty lot on High Street, Thornbury. I’ve been surprised by how long it has remained like this, sitting in a kind of pause while the surrounding street continues to change and intensify.
