For thousands of years, the land around Birrarung (the Yarra River) has been Melbourne’s meeting place – an area of cultural significance for First Peoples and a place of creative expression. Today the site is home to the Melbourne Arts Precinct; a vibrant creative community and the artistic heart of our city.
Fed Square is the gateway to the art precinct – and as Melbourne’s public square it is the civic, cultural and community heart of the city. It also home to three of Victoria’s major cultural institutions: ACMI – Australia’s Museum of Screen Culture, the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia.
Located opposite the iconic Flinders St Station, Fed Square is also Melbourne’s premier meeting place, tourist destination and event venue for thousands of events a year – since opening in 2002, it has seen more than 100 million visits.
In 2019, Fed Square was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, the youngest building in Australia to ever be recognised in this way.
We’re proudly guided by our Civic & Cultural Charter. Our Charter was developed closely with the Victorian State Government and Melbourne City Council, neither of whom govern Fed Square but whom we keep a strong relationship with.
The Charter outlines Fed Square’s role in Melbourne as a centre for creativity and innovation, arts and cultural festivals, gorgeous gardens and river access and as the focal point in town for contemporary cultural and civic activities.
In line with the Charter, Fed Square ensures that these themes and strengths find expression in Fed Square’s management philosophy, marketing, programmed events, and hiring and leasing activities, including the way we run the commercial spaces that make all the good stuff possible.
Fed Square is the organisation responsible for the coordination and management of all the self-governing tenancies (that’s the cafes, art galleries and so on), programming and marketing of all the public spaces and all aspects of asset management and development.
Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation
Fed Square is set to become an integral part of a new entity created by the Victorian Government, the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co), responsible for bringing to life an expanded, single continuous arts, civic and cultural precinct stretching from NGV Australia to the soon to be built NGV Contemporary. MAP Co will be responsible for the delivery of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation project – Australia’s largest ever cultural infrastructure project – and management of Federation Square and the new Melbourne Arts Precinct public spaces.
Our Service Goal
Fed Square’s service goal is to be widely recognised for providing exceptional, seamless customer service to inspire visitors, customers and clients to return time and time again.
Our Service Commitments
Our Service Excellence Standards
To be: