Melbourne Opens Laneway Dedicated To Chrissy Amphlett

Chrissy Amphlett's raspy, powerful singing voice blared from the entrance to her namesake lane as Divinyls songs were played in her honour.

Amphlett Lane, formerly Corporation Lane 1639, is off Little Bourke Street in Melbourne's CBD, nestled behind the Princess and Palace theatres. Red carpet has fittingly been laid down to make the occasion and a mural by Peter Gouldthorpe – featuring Amphlett's trademark school uniform, beloved dogs and a Divinyls amp – marked the spot alongside a commemorative plaque.

Councillor Rohan Leppert commended Amphlett’s husband Charley Drayton and Little Pattie for first presenting him with a petition (containing 6,000 signatures) to create a laneway in the Divinyls frontwoman’s memory back in July, 2013.

The Lord Mayor Robert Doyle then officially opened Amphlett Lane, stressing her understanding of and appreciation for Melbourne’s laneway culture (“she knew about the fabric of Melbourne”) and pointed out she performed on both the Palace and Princess theatre stages (Divinyls played the Palace while Amphlett starred in The Boy From Oz at the Princess). He then presented a replica Amphlett Lane sign to Drayton and Little Pattie. 

Little Pattie, Amphlett's cousin, then offered a string of varied adjectives that have been used to describe Chrissy over the years: “talented, iconic, gorgeous, aloof, tricky, testy, frustrating, enigmatic.” Although she then went on to tell us she prefers, “Beautiful and courageous to the very end.”

Drayton, who drummed for Divinyls, stood at the lecturn alongside his nephew and acknowledged the permanence of Amphlett Lane. Drayton turned to his nephew, saying, “As you guys grow up and get to learn more about your aunty, you’ll get to come here with your friends and tell them just how badass your aunt is.”