The University of Melbourne, founded in 1853, occupies a 22-hectare campus at the south-western edge of Carlton, between Grattan Street and Tin Alley. The original 1850s quadrangle — known as Old Quad — sits at the heart of the grounds and is open to wander through during teaching hours. Around it have grown a hundred-odd buildings spanning Gothic Revival, mid-century functionalism, and contemporary commissions by architects including Sean Godsell and FJMT.
The campus is a public space in practice — you can walk through freely and many of the buildings (the Baillieu Library, the Ian Potter Museum of Art, the Old Arts building) have public functions. The university's South Lawn is a particularly pleasant green space, and the underground car park beneath it is a heritage-listed brutalist gem.