Tucked behind weathered facades and sun-bleached signage, Melbourne’s inner north carries a quiet, visual poetry. It’s in the chipped paint of an old shopfront, the geometry of architecture and the hand-lettered ghost signs that whisper of another time.
Hidden North began as a personal study—a way to walk slowly through the streets of Fitzroy, Collingwood, and Northcote, camera in hand, eyes tuned to stillness. What started as a photo series is now both an evolving archive and a love letter to the everyday texture of this part of the city.
On April 11, I launched this project with an exhibition at Blackcat, Fitzroy, featuring a new portrait series of architectural forms and facades across the inner north. These prints—available for purchase both in person and online—mark the first release from the Hidden North collection.
This project isn’t about landmarks. It’s about noticing. About catching the light when it hits an old building just right. About showing up, walking the same streets again and again, and seeing something new each time.
Follow the project:
Instagram — @hidden__north
Prints — www.lesleybourne.com/hidden-north