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In the heart of Melbourne’s CBD lies the hub of quirky retail stores that range from Russian dolls to watchmakers; toy stores to tie stores and everything in between.

The Royal Arcade is an understated treasure of Melbourne, connecting Little Collins Street to Bourke Street Mall, with an added vertical passage that runs through to Elizabeth Street.

In 1868 Mr Charles Webb, an architect from Suffolk in England, won a competition to design the arcade. In 1870 it was officially opened by Lord Mayor Charles Amess. The Royal is proudly known as the first arcade in Melbourne and the longest-standing arcade in Australia.

In 1892, two of the Royal Arcade’s most attractive features were erected. Gaunt’s Clock can be seen at the end of the arcade above the Collins Street exit, displaying two seven-foot giants statues of mythical characters, ‘Gog and Magog,’ standing either side. These statues were carved from clear pine and modelled on the figures that can be seen in Guildhall, London. They are said to symbolise some kind of conflict between the Britons and the Trojan invaders.

There are a few different myths about Gog and Magog. One refers to them as two giants who guard the underworld and gods of dark spirits. Part of the prophecies of the apocalypse is that when Gog and Magog return to war, the war will end. There’s also a theory that they actually represent war between two eastern-European countries.

At the opposite end of the arcade stands another symbolic statue, Chronos, a Greek mythological character also known as ‘Father Time’. If Chronos has his blindfold removed, the world will end.

From the years 2000-2004, the Royal Arcade was renovated and restored to its once-magnificent state. On the opposite side to Chronos, years ago, there was a statue of a baby called Dawn, who represented the beginning of life. But when the arcade was given a makeover, all of the statues were removed for a fresh coat of paint and Dawn was never returned.

One of the more intriguing stores in the arcade’s repertoire is Spellbox, a Melbourne original witchcraft company, purveyors of anything witchy, wizardry or magic in nature. Spellbox has been in the arcade twelve years, though it looks like the arcade was built around the store, as it blends right in with the Victorian gothic feel of the  Royal Arcade.

Lori Valentine is a manager and owner of Jasper Junior, a toy store that has been in the Royal Arcade since October 2006.  Like all others in the arcade, Jasper Junior gets a fairly broad range in their customers. “We have a lot of customers who come through internationally because it’s the oldest arcade in Melbourne” Valentine says. “People come in just to see Gog and Magog, so they come into our shop while they’re waiting for them.”

The popular chocolate tours and laneway tours have been great for business “I think it has a lot to do with placement,” Lori says. “We looked at the Block Arcade but I think this already has a more ‘toy’ feel to it. I think the nostalgia of the arcade also filters through to us, so by the time [customers] come into the store they’re already warmed to that.”

The Golden Lamp Bookshop is another quirky store which once resided in the arcade. The Golden Lamp moved out last year after an eleven year-stint. Now located in West Melbourne, the shop is all about self-development in a variety of areas, such as dream analysing, relationship counselling or palmistry.

“[The Royal Arcade] was beautiful; it had a really protective feel because it’s so old and being in the alleyway section [of the Elizabeth Street annex] where it’s not renovated, we kind of felt like the outcasts, which suited us just fine.” says co-manager of Golden Lamp, Carol.  And with so much charisma, it’s no surprise the arcade has a few secrets. “Many years ago, the top bit used to be a brothel!” Carol explains, “All the ladies were upstairs. It would have been a very long time ago, but it’s still interesting to know!”

As if housing one of Melbourne’s earliest brothels was not enough, there’s rumour of a ghost in the arcade; a woman on a spinning wheel has been sighted on many occasions after hours. Staff members believe she has been there for an exceptionally long time considering, how long it has been since spinning wheels were used.

According to Drew Sinton, paranormal expert and owner of The Haunted Bookshop in McKillop Street, “In 1997 we were looking at opening a shop in the Royal Arcade. We were looking at taking out a lease which was number 22 (now Love It). I was looking at going into partnership with a medium who was minister of a spiritualist church. We took the keys to go have a look and she went upstairs, and she says to an empty room- ‘there’s a lady here with a spinning wheel.’”

With an erotic past and some haunting stories the Royal Arcade is an integral part of any tour of Melbourne’s hidden gems.

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