The Mutual Bowl mystery; A cult of living memory

Beneath the cobblestones, in the darkness of Campbell Arcade, a legacy lingers

‘The cult of living memory was kicking, rolling over in its grave, eager to be released from obscurity.’

If you’ve ever been rushing to catch a train at Flinders Street and attempted a sneaky shortcut through one of the station’s many underpasses, you may have accidentally stumbled upon Campbell Arcade; a dim, pink, forgotten stretch of tunnel that boasts a somewhat checkered past.  

Campbell Arcade is an often-overlooked subterranean stretch connecting Degraves St with the nearby metro. Opened in 1955 with the anticipation of the 1956 Olympic Games, the arcade sought to ease congestion into the subway and serve as a secondary entrance to The Mutual Store – Melbourne’s first and most glamorous department store. In true 50s style, the space was bedecked in pink art deco tiles and held aloft by a series of squat black marble columns. Spirits were high; businesses scrambled to secure tenancy of the shops lining the arcade, keen to capitalise on the anticipated foot traffic and the pull of The Mutual Store above.  

Almost immediately, the arcade was deemed a failure. Early projections from the city council had estimated around 20,000 people would pass through it daily. Two years later, only 2000 commuters patronised the shortcut regularly. In fact, a survey found that two of three regular commuters were not even aware of the tunnel’s existence.  

A series of unfortunate events nailed the coffin shut. With the close of The Mutual Store in 1965 and a lack of promised business, the arcade’s quaint storefronts struggled to thrive. Then, with the devastation of a flood in 1972, it slipped into further disrepair. The subway slowly faded out of use and devolved into a refuge for rough sleepers who dared to endure the 24/7 fluorescents in favour of a dry night. While some rejuvenation came in the form of a heritage listing and the installation of glass display cabinets for the Platform Contemporary Art Group to house ever-changing exhibitions in, Campbell Arcade never truly flourished.  

Stepping into the arcade now feels like entering a dream land; somewhere you vaguely remember from childhood but would rather not dwell on. The unmistakable stench of urine permeates the air, forcing you to mouth-breathe for the duration of your stay. The low, claustrophobic ceiling and blinding overhead lights heighten the sense of trapped-ness, of wrongness.  

The shop fronts that used to host milk bars, clothing boutiques and coffee stalls stand empty, abandoned. One lone zine store is a bright speck of life amidst the gloom. Graffiti covers most doorways, but it's not the cool kind. The arcade is a place to hurry through, to avoid at night and tolerate by day. On a bright Tuesday morning, it is all but deserted.  

Many have forgotten about Campbell Arcade, that much is obvious. But something fascinating is stirring in the cultural zeitgeist, reinjecting renewed interest into the tepid dark. Recently, Melbourne message boards and Tik Tok threads began to buzz with the urban legend of a secret hidden bowling alley left to rot beneath the bones of Flinders St Station and The Mutual Store. The entrance to this fabled venue? None other than Campbell Arcade.  

The mystery of the bowling alley, allegedly called The Mutual Bowl, resurfaced with a vengeance. Kicked off by Tik Tok user @stephislost, whose post about the place went viral, the myth of The Mutual Bowl spurred digital denizens on a spirited hunt for information, photos and evidence of its existence.  

During the initial investigation, opinions were mixed. Some claimed that the place never existed and was little more than an internet legend. Some claimed to have bowled there in the 70s, recalling the fact that lane 14 was warped. Some claimed that the bowling alley closed in the 80s and became a carpark. Some claimed it still stood but was walled off forever behind a blind alley. 

Whether or not The Mutual Bowl actually existed, what truly mattered is that its skeleton had been dredged from the lake of legacy. Myth became material once more, and people were eager for proof. The cult of living memory was kicking, rolling over in its grave, eager to be released from obscurity. Nothing whets the appetite more than a mystery, and here was a mystery living just beneath the cobblestones, begging to be unravelled.  

The story ends happily. @stephislost eventually unearthed proof that the bowling alley existed; pictures of the Mutual Store’s facade with a sign reading ‘bowling alley in basement’, black and white stills of tweens hanging out there and, remarkably, a photo of an intact staff uniform worn by a local in youth. Dozens of people reached out in emails and messages, recounting the many happy days they spent underground. City plans were snatched from library shelves, blueprints dug up from archives. The myth was solved; The Mutual Bowl made the leap from legend to legit within weeks.  

Watching the mystery play out, I was reminded again of our city’s history; both remembered and unremembered. All it took was one video to capture an audience hungry for truth, and what power they held in their collective hands when push came to shove. Melbourne is richer for the secrets hidden beneath its surface, as are we all for seeking them out. 

Sadly, the Campbell Arcade is under threat of demolition amidst the glossy promise of the new Metro Tunnel project. Melbourne could soon be robbed of another heritage-listed location, and in the face of development, I side with pink tiles and fat marble columns. If the hunt for The Mutual Bowl has taught me anything, it is this: we must not leave our legacy for the hungry wolves of time.