What is the ACE?

Our Location

Where is the ACE?

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The ACE is situated in the Batman's Hill Precinct of the Docklands. The 1.3 hectare, wedge shaped site is nestled between Batman Drive, Docklands Park and Wurundjeri Way.

The Melbourne Tourist Tram runs past both the Docklands Park and Wurundjeri Way boundaries, and pedestrian access is available from across the river's south bank via the "living sculpture" of the Webb Bridge.

The ACE is also within easy walking distance from the redeveloped Southern Cross (formerly Spencer Street) railway station which is serviced by both metropolitan and country trains.

Site History

The site formerly contained a mix of buildings utilised by the Port of Melbourne transport and cargo operations. All have been demolished with the exception of the heritage-listed Queen's Warehouse, built in 1890. This building was first used to administer the colonial customs regulations and, after Australian Federation in 1901, was used by Federal Customs. Between 1908 and 1924, half the building was taken over by the Department of Treasury and, in 1913, the first Australian Commonwealth bank notes and stamps were printed in the building.

Fox Museum

The Queen's Warehouse now houses the Fox Classic Car Collection. The $15 million collection includes examples of Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar, Porsche, Mercedes Benz and Rolls Royce cars, with up to 100 vehicles exhibited at any one time.

The ACE buildings will eventually wrap around the historic Queens Warehouse, sharing a central open space on the site, and some facilities, such as car parking, café, conference rooms and workshops.

Docklands History

The history of the area begins with the Wurundjeri and Bunerong people, who fished and hunted in the fertile marshlands around the lower Yarra River. When John Batman established the village of Melbourne in 1835, the marshlands were left undeveloped, but gradually became an early industrial area, mainly processing products of the livestock trade, such as meat, leather, bone, wool and tallow.

The Port of Melbourne was extended up the widened river to near the city, and Victoria Dock (now Victoria Harbour) was dug by hand over two years to 1891, with the excavated soil used to fill in the low lying land.

Over the years changes in the way maritime cargo was handled, persuaded the Port of Melbourne Authority to develop new wharves and docks further downstream which resulted in operations at the Victoria Dock area declining.

The birth of the Docklands precinct occurred when the State Government resolved to redevelop the Victoria Dock area and link it to the CBD.

Docklands Community

The Docklands development has become the largest construction project in Australia with more than $8 billion of committed private sector investment.

Thousands of Melburnians now live and and work within the Dockland precinct, with approximately 5,000 residing in postcode 3008 in 2005. Once construction is complete in 12 years there will be an estimated 20,000 residents.

Companies that have moved into the area include the Australian Football League, Channel 7, National Australia Bank, Medibank Private, the Bureau of Meteorology and New Quay. There is also a vibrant mix of restaurants, services and businesses.