The street is thought to have been named after Edward Hawke. In the early 1850’s this area was wide open and unobstructed bush land unlike its built form of today. It was free of buildings and the land would have had easy sight of Port Phillip bay and the ships therein. W.M. Tennent writes “ Hawke street is most desirably situated, is a most healthy and elevated position and commands extensive views of the shipping in the bay and of all surrounding districts” The Argus October 6th 1853. Hawke street has 4 cross streets that intersect with it, them being King street, Spencer street, Adderley street and Railway Place. When the founding fathers of Melbourne came up with the names of the new streets, naming Hawke street as they did makes perfect sense. King street is thought to have been named after the then reigning monarch of England, Spencer street is thought to have been named after Lord Spencer, head of the Whig party in the English house of commons. Adderley street is thought to have been named after Charles Bowyer Adderley, an old Staffordshire family and his wife, the daughter of Sir Edmund Craddock-Hartop, 1st Baronet Adderley and …
