City in Silence

Melbourne during lockdown, 2020–2021.

Empty tram tracks, shuttered shops and familiar streets without their crowds. I photographed the city as I found it, creating a record of a Melbourne few of us had seen before.

The illuminated lattice of Webb Bridge in Docklands is reflected in still water at night.
Lights from Melbourne riverside buildings and a bridge reflect in the Yarra River through night fog.
An empty bench faces still water and distant lights glowing through orange night fog.
A black-and-white night scene of a quiet street with bright signs and silhouettes in fog.
Flinders Street Station in Melbourne at night during lockdown with empty streets and rain reflections
The Shrine of Remembrance is illuminated at night, with a memorial flame in the foreground.
Melbourne buildings and bridge lights are reflected across the Yarra River at night.
Red lights frame a Chinatown gateway above a quiet Melbourne street at night.
Streetlights reflect on an empty, rain-wet Melbourne street with tram tracks.
A broad, empty footpath passes trees and an illuminated stone building at night.
An empty Melbourne street and tram tracks reflect the lights of surrounding buildings.
Crossing beams of light rise above the illuminated Shrine of Remembrance at night.
View along the empty walkway inside the illuminated lattice of Webb Bridge in Docklands.
A quiet Melbourne footpath passes illuminated signs and closed shopfronts at night.
An empty paved Melbourne square faces brightly illuminated buildings at night.
An empty, tree-lined Melbourne footpath leads past closed buildings under evening lights.
An empty pedestrian bridge with sweeping white arches is illuminated against the night sky.
Tall metal columns stand in an empty public space among trees and night lights.
A pedestrian crossing and streetlights fade into dense night fog on an empty road.
Rows of streetlights illuminate an empty road disappearing into night fog.
A grand stone building with a clock tower overlooks an empty Melbourne intersection.
An empty tram corridor and shelters reflect lights beneath trees in central Melbourne at night.
Rain-wet paving and tram tracks lead between trees and illuminated Melbourne shopfronts.
Bright city signs and traffic lights reflect along empty, wet tram tracks at night.
A view through a windscreen along an almost empty road beneath overpasses and a cloudy sky.
A view through a windscreen of an empty multi-lane freeway beneath overhead road signs.
A black-and-white view down a rain-wet Melbourne street, with lights reflected along tram tracks.
Streetlights form starbursts above a deserted Melbourne tram street with reflections on wet paving.
A wide view along empty Melbourne tram tracks, with bright streetlights reflected in rainwater.
Daylight falls on an empty, wet Melbourne intersection where tram tracks run between tall buildings.

Melbourne During Lockdown (2020–2021)

Lockdown 1: March 23 – May 12, 2020 (~7 weeks)
Lockdown 2: July 8 – October 27, 2020 (~111 days)
Lockdown 3: February 12 – February 17, 2021 (5 days)
Lockdown 4: May 27 – June 10, 2021 (14 days)
Lockdown 5: July 15 – July 27, 2021 (12 days)
Lockdown 6: August 5 – October 21, 2021 (~77 days)

Total time under lockdown: ~262 days

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