Melbourne is the second-largest city in Australia and the capital of the south-eastern state of Victoria. Located on the southern coast of Australia’s eastern seaboard, it is considered by many to be one Australia’s most cultured cities, the exclusive title to which Melbourne vies for with its great rival Sydney. The city’s features include Victorian-era architecture, many cultural institutions such as museums, galleries and theaters, and large parks and gardens. Melbourne's 3.8 million population is both multicultural (with large Greek, Italian, Jewish, Vietnamese and other immigrant communities) and sports-mad.
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Districts
Australia's second largest city, Melbourne is a vast sprawl of suburbs, spreading southwards along the shoreline of Port Philip Bay, east towards the Dandenong Ranges, westwards towards the city of Geelong and northwards towards the plains of central Victoria.
Like any large city, Melbourne is divided up into many suburbs - not all will be of interest to travellers.
NB: The districts below do not necessarily correspond with the suburbs of the same name, and will often include neighbouring areas.
Inner city
Outer suburbs
Understand
History
The settlement of Melbourne commenced in 1835 when settlers from Tasmania "purchased" land on Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River from the local Aboriginal tribes. The streets of central Melbourne were carefully laid out in 1837, with some streets 30 metres wide. The first British lieutenant-governor, Charles La Trobe, arrived in 1839 – his cottage still stands and can be visited in Kings Domain. The year 1851 was a landmark for Melbourne - the colony of Victoria was separated from New South Wales and very soon after gold was discovered in Victoria, sparking a huge goldrush. Aspects of goldrush history can be seen at the Gold Treasury Museum, housed in the Treasury Building built in 1858. Gold was the catalyst for several decades of prosperity lasting through to the late 1880s and examples of the ornate Victorian-era structures built during this time still stand. In 1888 the property boom collapsed and Victoria suffered the depression of the 1890s. Throughout the gold and building booms Melbourne managed to retain its many and spacious parks and gardens and these remain to this day.
In 1901 the British colonies of Australia became an independent federation and Melbourne the de facto capital of Australia, the Federal Parliament meeting in the Parliament House of Victoria until 1927 when the new Federal capital of Canberra was founded. After World War II Melbourne grew rapidly, its mainly Anglo-Celtic population boosted by immigration from Europe, particularly Greece and Italy. Today Melbourne has the biggest Greek city population (over 800,000) outside Greece and the biggest Italian city population (over 230,000) outside Italy. The significant pre-war Jewish population was also boosted after the war. From the mid-70s many immigrants came from South-east Asia, particularly Vietnam and Cambodia. Melbourne has had a Chinese population since the goldrush of the 1850s and Chinatown has existed from that time but the population of Chinese and other East Asians has also been boosted by immigration in recent years.
New high-rise buildings replaced many of Melbourne’s interesting old structures in the construction boom of the 1970s and 80s. Melburnians belatedly recognised the loss of their architectural heritage and steps were taken to protect what was left. Construction of the huge Crown Casino (briefly the largest casino in the world) in the 1990s upset many Melburnians with its introduction of a crass gambling culture and the sucking of money from the rest of the city. Melbourne’s development continues in the 2000s with the opening of the Melbourne Museum, Federation Square and the Docklands precinct.
Culture
Melbourne considers itself the cultural capital of Australia, a boast supported by its many art galleries, film festivals, orchestras, choral and opera productions, vibrant live music scene and a strong food, wine and coffee culture. Particular events to note include the Melbourne International Film Festival in August, the International Art Festival in October, and the Melbourne Comedy Festival in April, as well as individual concerts and exhibitions throughout the year. In addition to the Melbourne Museum, there are special museums dedicated to subjects such as science, immigration, Chinese history, Jewish history, sport, racing, film and moving image, railways, police, fire brigades and banking.
Sport
Melburnians are sports enthusiasts and particularly passionate about Australian Rules football , a sport invented in Melbourne. In fact AFL is not so much a sport as a religion in Melbourne with 9 of the 10 Victorian teams being based in Melbourne, the only other being based in Geelong. As a guide, the entire national competition only has 16 teams, meaning over half the league is based in Melbourne. Horseracing is another passion, and the majority of the state has a public holiday on the first Tuesday of November for the racing of the Melbourne Cup , one of the world’s famous horse races. Cricket is the big summer sport and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the 'MCG') is one of the world's leading grounds. Each January Melbourne hosts tennis' Australian Open , one of the world’s four Grand Slam championships. In March, Melbourne hosts the first race of the Formula One season . The race is held in Albert Park in South Melbourne. Melbournians have also taken Football (Soccer) to their hearts in recent times. The Melbourne Victory, playing in Australia's premier competition, the A-League, enjoy enormous crowds and colourful, boistrous support at their home ground, the Telstra Dome. Melbourne is the unquestioned sporting capital of Australia with the largest arenas and two of the major sporting administrations basing their operation in Melbourne: Cricket Australia is a stone's throw from the MCG, and the Australian Football League is based at the Telstra Dome.
Get in
By plane
Melbourne is serviced by two airports, Melbourne International Airport at Tullamarine (International/Domestic) and Avalon Airport (New Zealand/Domestic Only), both located West of Melbourne.
Melbourne International Airport (Tullamarine)
Melbourne Airport (MEL), located 22 km north-west of the city centre at Tullamarine, provides regular access from all major Australian cities, as well as many international destinations across Europe, America, Asia and the South Pacific region. Note that due to Australia's distance from most parts of the world, many international flights may go via an Asian hub (for example Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong) or a Pacific Hub like Auckland, and/or transfer in Sydney.
The airport is divided into three terminals, T1, T2 and T3 which are all in the same building.
All arrivals are on the lower level of the terminals, with departures from the upper level. Unlike many airports around the world, all the terminals at Melbourne Airport are connected and within easy walking distance of each other. However, each terminal has separate security screening, and access between terminals is not available once in the sterile area.
Taxis between the airport and the city centre cost around $40-$45 and take about 25 minutes when traffic is no problem.
Skybus , tel 9670 7992, runs a 24/7 shuttle to and from the Southern Cross Bus Terminal on Spencer Street at the west end of the Central Business District, just north of Lonsdale Street. The trip takes 20 minutes and is the fastest way between the airport and city by road (it uses an enhanced freeway route with bus lanes). It costs $15 adult one-way, $24 adult return, $5 child one-way (between 4 and 14 years of age). There are also several family ticket options available.
There are two airport pickup locations. One is outside the Virgin Blue/REX terminal (T3), 50m from the international terminal (T2). The other is outside the Qantas/Jetstar domestic terminal (T1). There are ticket desks at both T1 and T3, and if unattended tickets can be purchased electronically or from the driver.
Frequency ranges from hourly during the wee hours to quarter hourly from about 6:30am-7:30pm (always on the quarter hour). They also run a connection service between the terminal and central hotels/hostels during the day (M-F 6am-8pm, Sa-Su 8am-6pm). Book hotel pick-up 3 hours ahead. Bookings are not needed for travel from the airport to hotels.
It is worth noting that the Skybus will drop you at Southern Cross bus terminal, which is connected (albeit not very well) to Southern Cross train station, where you can board all suburban trains and country/interstate trains.
Avalon Airport
Avalon Airport (AVV), is Situated in the Geelong outer suburb of Lara. The Airport is located 55 km to the south-west of Melbourne. Sun Bus Australia operates a shuttle service to Melbourne's CBD at $19 per adult one way. The Avalon Airport Shuttle provides a service to other areas of Victoria from $12 per adult one way.
Avalon Airport is serviced by Qantas subsidiary low-cost airline Jetstar which services destinations such as Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin and Perth.
Note that Avalon is quite a distance from Melbourne city (about 50 minutes drive), although only 10 minutes from Geelong. Avoid a taxi as this will cost around AU$100. Consider arriving at Melbourne Airport if possible for convenience.
Avalon Airport itself is host to the biannual Avalon International Airshow, the most recent being held in March, 2007.
By train
All intercity rail services from interstate and intrastate destinations operate to and from Southern Cross Station (formerly Spencer Street Station), located on the western edge of Melbourne's central business district. The station has recently been renovated and has excellent links to the rest of the city's public transport network as it is part of the City Loop.
Train rides from major cities take about 10 hours. CountryLink operates a twice daily service from Sydney (10½ hours away), a faster alternative to driving. Great Southern Railway run four services a week from Adelaide (10-11 hours away).
Services from cities within Victoria are operated by V/Line. These services operate from regional centers such as Geelong, Ballarat, Albury, Bendigo, Bairnsdale. Note that V/Line also operates bus services which connect with these trains.
VicLink is a handy website to manage your state-wide travel on trains and buses across Victoria. Regional Victoria's public transport is controlled by VicLink.
By car
From Sydney, the quickest route is the Hume Highway, which takes about 9-10 hours (non-stop). A more popular, longer route is along the coast on the Princes Highway. This adds several hours to the journey as it is longer in distance and there are fewer bypasses.
Adelaide is slightly closer, and can be reached in 7 hours. Once again, it is possible to go inland or along the coast - the coast is very scenic, but will add a couple of hours to the journey.
Although not often travelled, a direct journey from Brisbane takes around 24 hours (non-stop) and takes you further inland through areas not commonly visited (along the Newell Highway). This makes an interesting alternative to the more common Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne coastal route.
By bus
Bus services to Melbourne from out of state are provided by Firefly Express and Greyhound (incorporating McCaffertys).
Bus services within Victoria are operated by V/Line, and operate from most major and many minor Victorian towns. VicLink is a handy website to manage your state-wide travel on trains and buses across Victoria.
By boat
Melbourne can be reached from Devonport, Tasmania by car/passenger ferries run by Spirit of Tasmania. The journey takes 10 hours and runs every night (in both directions), departing at 9pm and arriving at 7am. During the peak of Summer, there are also day sailings (departing 9am, arriving 7pm) on many days - check in advance.
Ticket prices depend on time of year and your sleeping accommodation. A seat (no bed) is the cheapest, starting (in off-peak season) from $108 for adults and $82 for children. Bear in mind, the seat is most uncomfortable, equivalent to a cinema seat. Cabins with bunk beds start from $187 adults, $97 children. Peak season costs are about 25% higher. Cars cost $59 all year round.
Get around
By foot
Melbourne is an excellent city for walking and you should have no problems navigating the CBD. It is a very large metropolitan area, but most areas of interest can be reached within about 20 minutes from the CBD on the train or tram. Maps can be purchased from bookstores such as Angus & Robertson , taken from Federation Square or viewed online. If you're planning on taking the train to a specific area and walking the rest of the way, a combination of the afore-mentioned site and a decent printer will serve you well.
By public transport
Melbourne has an extensive network of public transport making private vehicle travel unnecessary for most trips around the city and regional Victoria.
Melbourne’s public transport system, known as Metlink , comprises of trams, trains and buses: trams service the central city and inner suburbs, trains service the suburbs, and buses where there are no tram or train tracks. A single ticket (called a "Metcard") allows travel on all three modes of transport. The trains are generally dirty, slow, run down, hot in the summer time and fairly expensive to ride($9.90 fare from the city to the suburbs). If you are from Europe do not expect the clean, safe, modern, efficient public transport that you may be used to.
The "Met Shop" in the Melbourne Town Hall, on the corner of Swanston St and Little Collins St provides timetables and brochures, and sells tickets, maps and travel merchandise (open 8.30am-5pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm Saturday). The Metlink Information Centre, ph 131638 (131MET), every day 7am-9pm, provides information and the Metlink website also provides information including maps, fares and zones and all timetables. Metcards are also available from:
Metcards are divided into "Zones", with Zone 1 covering the central city and inner suburbs (and consequently almost the entire tram network) and Zone 2 covering the middle suburbs and some outer suburbs. Until recently Zone 3 covered the remaining outer suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula however this has now been incorporated into a 2-zone system. Almost all tickets are time-based; that is, they can be used for the given period of time within the specified zone(s) from the first time you use it. The following are the most useful tickets (and some indicative costs) for travellers (fares as at 3/06/2007):
Concession Metcards are available for all children aged under fifteen years, but concessions for older students are only available to Victorian residents who are eligible and have paid for a student concession card. Concessions are also available to holders of Victorian Seniors Cards, Victorian Health Care Cards, and Australian Pensioner Concession Cards. A concession Metcard costs roughly half the price of an adult Metcard. Children under 4 years old travel free.
Before each journey, and sometimes to gain access to the station platforms, a metcard must be "validated" by inserting it into a validation machine. On trams, the metcard must be validated after boarding the tram; however, tickets purchased on the tram (from the machine) are already validated. Note that a two-hour metcard that is validated for the first time at 6:01pm (18:01) or later is valid for the rest of the night, so if you’re heading out after 6pm for an evening’s entertainment, don't buy or validate a day ticket. Note that you will not be allowed to leave a station with fare gates if you did not validate your ticket before you first got on the train.
Ticket inspections are rare during peak hour for obvious reasons, but more common during the middle of the day. You'll find that Flinders Street station and the adjacent tram stops almost always have a large population of inspectors floating around who'll swoop on you as soon as you make a move to exit the station - especially if you appear to be young or are carrying a concession ticket. If you are caught using a concession ticket without a concession card, you will be fined. The ticket barriers have a light on the top which flashes if you are using a concession ticket. It has now been written into law that your ticket can be inspected even after you have left your train, tram or bus. Fines start at $158 and can be as high as $500.
Services generally operate between 6:00am and midnight Monday to Saturday, and after 8:00am Sunday morning. After midnight on Saturday and Sunday mornings only there are NightRider buses which run defined routes to the suburbs. Metcards are now valid on Nightrider services, but you should keep in mind that daily and 2-hourly Metcards expire at 3:00am - if you're boarding a bus after this time, you'll need to buy or validate a new ticket. If you board a bus scheduled to depart before the expiry time on your ticket, it will be considered valid for your entire journey, even if you don't alight until after it expires.
Although Melbourne is a reasonably safe city, crime can and does occur on public transport. If you're waiting at a station at night, it would be wise to stand in the designated 'safety area'. These areas are well lit and provide easy access to the emergency intercom.
You'll find that the trains have intercoms as well, but be warned: if you move to the next carriage to send a message to the driver, everyone onboard will be able to hear it.
The free City Circle trams run around the CBD perimeter, covering Flinders St, Spring St, Nicholson St, Victoria St, La Trobe St and Harbour Esplanade. They run in both directions every 12 minutes every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day from 10am-6pm, and until 9pm Thursday-Saturday during daylight savings. Several of the trams on this service are equipped with recorded commentary about attractions passed. They are geared to visitors and are a great introduction to central Melbourne.
The free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle bus service stops at key tourist destinations in and around the city. The buses run at 15 minute intervals between 10am and 4pm every day. A complete circuit takes 45 minutes, and there is onboard commentary.
By bike
Melbourne has an excellent network of bike paths, making pedal-power a great way to take in the city. Most paths are "shared footways" under the law, although the majority of users in most places are cyclists. This means cyclists should expect to share the path with pedestrians, dog-walkers, rollerbladers, joggers, prams and tricycles. Some trails contain on-road sections (in marked bike lanes). It is legal to cycle on footpaths only when supervising cycling children or when the path is marked or signposted as allowing bikes. Helmets are required by law, and care should be taken when cycling near slippery tram tracks.
The main paths of interest to travellers are:
Detailed maps of the bike path network can be found here.
Information about cycling rules can be found at Bicycle Victoria.
Bikes can be hired from Hire-a-Bike near Federation Square at Vault 14 Princes Walk, Federation Wharf on the north side of the Yarra, ph 0417 339 203.
By car
The cheapest car rentals are from places like Rentabomb but use may be restricted to the Melbourne metropolitan area.
Mid-range rental companies give good value. Try:
The more pricey major chains are well-represented. These include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Thrifty.
Be aware of rental car insurance conditions in Australia. You will pay an excess on damage even if it is not your fault.
Driving in the city shouldn't be attempted without at least a basic map! You can buy a very detailed 'Melways' or 'UBD' directory of the metro area from most bookstores or petrol stations.
Drivers should watch out for "hook turns" in the inner city areas. Normally, a driver would have to be in the right-most lane of a multilane street in order to legally perform a right turn. When a hook turn is indicated by a sign "Right turn from left only", the driver must go as far as practicable into the intersection, staying on the left. When the light of the street you are turning into turns green, you complete the turn. Lots of Melbournians are confused about this, but you should not complete the turn until you get a green light on the street you are turning into. The point of hook turns is to keep all turning cars away from the tram tracks, as it is an offence to delay a tram by trying to turn right across traffic. Check out Wikipedia's hook turn page.
Check out CityLink's site for details of Melbourne's T-shaped tollway which links the Westgate, Tullamarine and Monash (formerly South-Eastern) freeways. It is a fully electronic road with no manual toll gates. You can buy a day pass in advance, or within 3 days of having driven down it, giving your registration and car details. You can do this by phone, internet, or at some Shell petrol stations. The registered owner of the car will get a fine in the mail if you do not buy a pass within 3 days. The tolled sections are indicated with purple and orange signs, rather than the standard green and white. CityLink can cut a worthwhile amount of time from your journey, especially if you are driving from, say, the south-eastern suburbs to Melbourne Airport. Motorcycles are free, cars are around $11/day. Larger vehicles are more.
In progress is the EastLink tollway. Formerly called the Scoresby, then the Mitcham-Frankston freeway, it will link the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula freeways.
See
Melbourne has a seemingly endless list of attractions. Here is a listing according to their respective districts. Please go to the respective district pages for full details.
City Centre
The City Centre probably has the most to attract the traveller than any other in Melbourne. Hit the streets and soak in the energy, and make sure that you take as many coffee breaks as possible in between your sight-seeing and shopping so that you can make the best of the many cafes the City Center has to offer.
Carlton
The attractions in Carlton are mostly recreational, thanks to the huge Royal Park in Parkville, historical as it houses the museum, and cultural with its strong Italian heritage.
St Kilda
St Kilda is Melbourne's beachside suburb and is tremendously popular.
South Yarra
Greenery and high-end living are the main draws to South Yarra.
Prahran
Prahran lies to the south of the city and shopping is the main draw.
Northern Melbourne
Tullamarine
Southern suburbs
Brighton
Do
Learn
Work
If you have an appropriate Visa (e.g. Work & Holiday Visa, temporary work) you can join a temp agency and get placed in positions all around Melbourne. To get started it's recommend to walk around in the Backpacker Hostels and look for the jobs corner or surf in the Internet. Although checking the website of major companies in your preffered industry will give you an idea which positions are open.
Most popular is to work in hospitality jobs around the St. Kilda area. The wages in all other industries are usually much better than working in hospitality but require a certain kind of skills. At the moment there are a lot of job offers for nurses etc and craftsmen.
Fruit picking is a possible source of income but in the greater Melbourne area not many jobs are offered. Better chances are in the dairy business but some basic experience should be proved.
Buy
Melbourne is the Fashion Capital of Australia without a doubt. Bridge Road is a strip where warehouse direct outlets rule and no one pays recommended retail price. Chapel Street in South Yarra is a favourite among the locals, with its spread of exclusive boutiques, cafes and well established chain stores. In the CBD itself, Little Collins Street is home to some of the world's top designers and fashion houses; Collins St also boasts a Louis Vuitton outlet. Brunswick Street features an eclectic mix of vintage, retro and alternative gear for the more adventurous. There are also several huge shopping complexes in the suburbs, such as Chadstone (dubbed "the Fashion Capital") in the South-East and Knox City in the outer East. and With its numerous Shopping Malls and boutique lined streets, Melbourne has more than enough to keep the most avid shoppers happy!
Eat
For the culinary traveller, Melbourne is one of the best destinations in the world. There is an abundance of affordable, high quality restaurants representing almost every cuisine — though authentic Mexican is a notable weak point. While prices have increased in recent years, eating out remains noticeably cheaper than in Western Europe but not nearly as affordable as North America. The service in Australian restaurants is generally abysmal by North American standards. Don't expect that your waiter will go out of his way to make your dining experience memorable, special or even more enjoyable. In fact once your meal has been brought to your table expect to see little of your server. The reason for this probably lies in the fact that there is no tipping in Australia so service personnel have no incentive to 'go the extra mile' so to speak.
Excellent eateries can be found sprinkled throughout all of the inner (and some outer) suburbs, while certain neighbourhoods have become magnets for residents and restaurants of particular countries.
This section gives an introduction of the various types of cuisine available in Melbourne and where the can be found. Please see the respective district pages for outlet listing.
Australian
What exactly is Australian cuisine, one may ask. Often divided into traditional fare and "mod oz", Australian food includes everything from the traditional fish and chips and meat pie to the fusionistic creations which combine tastes from the various cultures which have called Australia home. Restaurants offering such food are scattered throughout Melbourne, and can easily be found in the city centre, Southbank and Docklands (see listing in Melbourne's City Center. Other major shopping districts such as Prahran, South Yarra and St Kilda also have outlets offering all kinds of Australian food.
Café/Delicatessen Food
Make sure you do not miss having at least one meal at the many cafes and coffee shops in and around Melbourne. The standard menu will almost always include various gourmet sandwiches, hot food such soups, and a selection of pastas. Degraves Lane in the City Center has attained almost legendary status for such food. The many malls in the city center are full of such outlets, as is the area around Victoria Market (recommended for breakfast). Cafes can also be found in abundance in all other shopping precincts, such as in Prahran and South Yarra.
Chinese
Even the Chinese themselves agree that Melbourne has some of the best Chinese food, thanks to the many migrants from Hong Kong and mainland China. Most of the food on offer will be from the Southern (Cantonese) school of cooking, although northern favourites like dumplings are also available. Eating dim sum, which is consumed either during breakfast or lunch (called yum cha or "drinking tea" in Cantonese) is now an extremely popular Sunday pastime for Australians of all ethnic backgrounds. Restaurants are concentrated in Melbourne's Chinatown on Little Bourke Street in the City Centre, although interesting and good Chinese restaurants can be found in virtually every corner of Melbourne.
Ethiopian
Footscray is the place to go for Ethiopian food, and there is also one restaurant in Fitzroy. The broth or curry dishes are served on a large pancake in the middle of the table. Everyone eats with their hands which is messy but fun!
Greek
As they say, Melbourne is the third largest Greek city in the world after Athens and Thesaloniki, and has its fair share of Greek coffee outlets and restaurants. Lonsdale Stree in the City Center is Melbourne's Greek prescinct, which is known as much for their sweets and coffee as their meals. Good Greek restaurants and food outlets can also be found in Southbank and other suburbs.
Indian
Indian restaurants can be found throughout Melbourne, particularly in the city, North Melbourne, and inner eastern suburbs such as Richmond and Hawthorn. There are also numerous Indian snack bars in the city that serve cheap but tasty curries and samosas, cafeteria-style.
Nepalese food is also popular in Melbourne, and some restaurants feature both Nepalese and Indian cuisine on their menus. An increasing number of Indian restaurants offer home delivery.
Indonesian
For Indonesian who want to have Indonesian food, there are many Indonesian restourants in Melbourne. One of the most famous Indonesian restourant is Blok M, it is located on Commercial road, Prahran. This restourant is one of must visited for Indonesian. Many famous Indonesian have eaten there. Another popular restourant is Nelayan on Swanston street, Bali Bagus on Franklin street, and Bali Bowl on Flinders lane.
There is Warung Gudeg, Javanese specific cuisine on Caufield.
Italian
Having one of the largest Italian population outside Italy, Melbourne has countless Italian restaurants, mostly offering food from the southern regions of the Italian peninsular. Pizza outlets are now very much part of the Melbourne landscape. However, the gravity center for Italian food still has to be Lygon Street in Carlton just north of the city centre. Lygon Street is where Melbourne's coffee culture originated.
Japanese
Jewish
East St Kilda and Caulfield are home to vibrant Jewish communities and kosher bakeries and cafes abound. Nearby Acland St in St. Kilda is noteworthy for both felafel and cakes.
Malaysian
Malaysians and Singaporeans feeling homesick need not worry as there is a host of restaurants and even foodcourt outlets offering favourites like roti canai/paratha, nasi lemak, prawn noodles, laksa and the like. The City Center is a good place to start, although there are Malaysian restaurants scattered throughout the whole of Melbourne.
Middle Eastern
You can choose from Lebanese, Moroccan, Arab and Turkish. The place with the most number of restaurants to choose from is along Sydney Road in Brunswick to the north of the city center.
Seafood
Thai
Thai restaurants are ubiquitous in Melbourne: even dining precincts mostly known for Italian or Vietnamese food boast Thai restaurants. Prices range from affordable to exorbitant. A useful rule of thumb is that an ostentatious-looking Thai restaurant will usually be expensive, but its food is not necessarily as good as its less luxurious rivals.
Vegetarian
Vegetarian food is widely available in Melbourne, and you can expect every restaurant or cafe to have a few vegetarian or vegan options. There are also many vegetarian restaurants: Vegie Bar in Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Gopals in Swanston St and Shakahari in Lygon St, Carlton are just some of the options.
Vietnamese
Melbourne's Little Vietnams are in Footscray, North Richmond and Springvale out in the far eastern suburbs. The streets in these areas are lined with pho (noodle) shops and restaurants offering other Vietnamese favourites. One or two outlets have also appeared along Swanston Street in the City Center.
Others
Spanish, Argentinian, Burmese and Polish restaurants can be found in the Richmond/Collingwood/Prahran area.
Melbourne has some Cajun/Creole restaurants and one or two faux-American 'diners', but US cuisine is otherwise absent: delicacies such as Southern-style barbecue or clam chowder are virtually unknown here.
There are several Korean restaurants in the city centre.
Drink
Coffee
Caffeine lovers rejoice, for Melbourne is a city of cafes. Fuelled by the passion of Italian migrants arriving in the aftermath of World War II, Melbourne's lauded cafe culture makes it one of the few cities in the world where an espresso is never more than a few metres away. Thousands of cafes, ranging from the bohemian and cool of Fitzroy to the Euro-chic glamour of Collins Street or the traditional coffee houses of Carlton, are waiting to dispense half-froth decaf-a-chinos, soy lattes, or just a high-fuel espresso. All caffeine addicts have to fear in Melbourne is a case of the jitters. Warning: There is plenty of bad coffee in Melbourne too and if all you want is an ordinary cup of filtered coffee, rather than a cappuccino, espresso, late, etc, your best bet is Mcdonald's or Starbucks. Travellers from North America who are used to paying 75 cents for a cup of coffee should beware that a coffee in Melbourne is generally in the $3-$5 range (except at McDonald's) and that if you'd like to go out for a coffee in the evening that virtually all coffee shops, at least in the suburbs, are closed for the day by 5pm!
The blog Melbourne Coffee Review is well worth a read.
Bars
The past decade has seen a revival of Melbourne's inner-city bar scene, with dozens of weird and wonderful watering holes opening up within forgotten alleyways and anonymous lanes of the City Center (CBD). Melbourne also has its fair share of stylish places to drink, although the better ones can be hard to find. The theory seems to be: the harder your bar is to find, the more people will talk about it. Secrets are tucked around areas like Prahran, South Yarra and many other areas.
Australian licensing laws are very similar to those in the UK, i.e. you are not allowed to be drunk on licensed premises. In practice though, Melbourne venues and bouncers draw the line very low. If have a British enthusiasm for drink, you might be in for a surprise here.
Melburnians often draw a distinction between 'bars', meaning the small watering holes described above, and 'pubs' which are larger establishments in the usual Australian or British sense of the word. Melbourne's pubs, particularly those in the city and inner suburbs, usually serve restaurant-standard food and a wide range of local and imported beers. Pubs usually offer lunch from approximately midday to 2pm, and reopen their kitchens for dinner from approximately 6pm to 9pm.
Sleep
Budget
Melbourne's budget accommodation options can be found in two main areas, namely in the City Center and in ths seaside suburb of St Kilda. However, outside these two areas, there are also several popular budget options in bohemian Fitzroy, South Melbourne, and Windsor
Please note that around the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix (early March) and other international events, hostel accommodation is booked out and some hostels raise their prices. Be sure to book ahead.
Mid-range
Accommodation in this price bracket can mostly be found in the city center. There are however options scattered throughout the suburbs.
Splurge
The City Center remains the main area for this category of accommodation.
Contact
Post
After a fire gutted the original building in 2001, most of Melbourne's grand General Post Office (250 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne; Phone: 13 13 18; Fax: 9203 3078; Mon-Fri 8.30am to 5.30pm, Sat 9am to 4pm, Sun 10am to 4pm; australiapost.com.au) has now been turned into an upmarket retail precinct, but it still has a range of postal services including post restante.
Phone
Telstra payphones are easily found through the city, but many are being phased out due to growing mobile phone ownership. These phones are coin-operated or use prepaid Telstra Phonecards, which are available from most convenience stores or newsagents. International calling cards are also available at these outlets.
Mobile phone coverage within the CBD and surrounds is usually good-to-excellent. Melbourne's area code is 03.
Internet
Internet cafes are dotted throughout the city, especially near the backpacker enclaves of St Kilda and Flinders Street. Speeds are usually excellent and rates range from $2.50 - $12 per hour, the cheapest usually found in combination market/internet cafes in the Asian parts of town. Some of the best include:
Stay safe
Australia has a relatively high crime rate. According to the web site, Nationmaster, Australia has the highest car theft rate in the world, the highest burglary rate, the third highest rate of sexual assault and one of the highest assault rate.
Melbourne is a relatively safe city, but the usual precautions still apply as for any large city, including keeping valuables hidden, and travelling with a friend or companion on the street or a train late at night, if possible. Certain areas which are fine during the day can be unsafe at night if you are alone, including the Collingwood and Footscray areas.
Melbourne's red-light districts include King Street in the CBD and Grey Street, St Kilda, but you're more likely to face drunken revelers and unwelcome approaches from street walkers than any major threat. Melbourne City Council has also recently established all-night "Safe City" taxi ranks with security guards on King Street, outside Flinders Street Station and on Bourke Street.
If traveling by train at night, travel in the front carriage close to the driver's area and note emergency buttons. If a problem occurs, push emergency buttons on the train or railway station to attract attention. Stay in Safety Zones while on stations at night. These are marked with yellow lines and are usually well lit and have emergency buttons as well as about 4 cameras pointed at the area. Robbery does happen on the train system, especially at night, though, no more frequently than expected with most big cities. Railway police patrol most services.
If you are driving your own car or rented automobile, car theft or break-in is possible. Avoid temptation by hiding valuables out of sight, and always lock the car and leave the windows up before you leave. If you are waiting in your car, it is only sensible to lock the car as well. A police officer will always show ID before asking you to open your door or window.
Pickpocketing is uncommon in Melbourne, but be aware of your belongings out the front of Flinders Street station and the first block of Swanston Street (between Flinders and Collins Streets).
Beggars frequent the southern ends of Elizabeth and Swanston Streets, Bourke Street Mall, and the intersection of Bourke and Russell Streets. Very rarely are they threatening or aggressive however.
Although scams are rare in Melbourne, be wary of real estate agents (especially if you have newly arrived and plan to stay only for the short term). There have been many cases of real estate agents preying upon overseas students in particular. Common scams include charging tenants for costs that don't exist (eg. charges for 'advertising' when tenants move out) and deducting costs for non-existent reparations and cleaning from the bond. Be sure to consult the and know your rights when you are charged for anything and move in and out.
As with any large metropolis, be vigilant but not paranoid, as Melbourne is generally a very safe city.
Get out
Melbourne is more-or-less centrally located on the coast of Victoria, and there are many natural and manmade attractions close enough to easily visit in a day's return drive. Another way to visit regional Victoria is utilising the VicLink public transport system. Regular train journeys leave from Southern Cross station. Regional attractions include:
Melbourne Area (less than an hour's drive each way)
Northern Victoria
Southern Victoria
Eastern Victoria
Western Victoria
Melbourne (pronounced ) is the second most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3.74 million (2006 estimate).
Located around Port Phillip Bay in the country's south-east, Melbourne is the state capital of Victoria.
Melbourne is a major centre of commerce, industry and cultural activity.
The city is often referred to as Australia's "sporting and cultural capital"
and it is home to many of the nation's most significant cultural and sporting events and institutions.
Melbourne is notable for its mix of Victorian and contemporary architecture, its extensive tram network and Victorian parks and gardens, and its diverse, multicultural society.
It was the host city of the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Melbourne was founded by free settlers in 1835, 47 years after the first European settlement of Australia, as a small pastoral settlement situated around the Yarra River.
History
The area of the Yarra River and Port Phillip that is now Melbourne was first settled by the British in 1835. These settlers came from Launceston, Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land). The area was already inhabited by the indigenous Kulin people. A transaction was negotiated for 600,000 acres (2,400 km²) of land from eight Wurundjeri chiefs; this was later annulled by the New South Wales government (then governing all of eastern mainland Australia), which compensated the settlers.
In 1836, Governor Bourke declared the city the administrative capital of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales, and commissioned the first plan for the Hoddle Grid in 1837. The settlement was named Melbourne in the same year after the British Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, who resided in the village of Melbourne in Derbyshire. Melbourne was declared a city by Queen Victoria on 25 June 1847.
The state of Victoria was established as a separate colony in 1851 with Melbourne as its capital. With the discovery of gold in Victoria in the 1850s, leading to the Victorian gold rush, Melbourne grew rapidly, providing the majority of service industries and serving as the major port for the region. The city became a major finance centre, home to several banks and to Australia's first stock exchange (founded in 1861). During the 1880s Melbourne was one of the largest cities in the British Empire. This period saw the construction of many high-rise Victorian buildings, Coffee Palaces, terrace housing, grand boulevards and gardens throughout the city. Examples of this Victorian architecture still abound in Melbourne. So impressed was journalist George Augustus Henry Sala during his visit in 1885 that he coined the phrase "Marvellous Melbourne" to describe the booming city, a phrase which stuck and is used by its locals and the media to this day.
The brash boosterism which typified Melbourne during this time came to a halt in 1891 when a world economic depression hit the city's economy, sending the finance and property industries into chaos. The effects of the depression on the city were profound, although it did continue to grow slowly during the early 20th century.
At the time of Australia's Federation on 1 January 1901, Melbourne was specified as the temporary seat of government and remained the national capital until 1927, when the Federal parliament was moved to the planned city of Canberra. The first Federal parliament was convened on 9 May 1901 in the Royal Exhibition Building.
Melbourne was the Allied Pacific Headquarters from 1942 to 1944 as General Douglas MacArthur established Australia as a launch base for Pacific operations. During World War II, Melbourne industries thrived on wartime production and the city became Australia's leading manufacturing centre. After the war, Melbourne expanded rapidly, with its growth boosted by an influx of immigrants and the prestige of hosting the Olympic Games. Australia's mining boom between 1969 and 1970 proved beneficial to Melbourne, with the headquarters of many of the major companies (BHP, Rio Tinto and many others) based in the city. Nauru's booming mineral economy fuelled several ambitious investments in Melbourne such as Nauru House. Melbourne remained Australia's business and finance capital until the late 1970s, when it began to lose this primacy to Sydney.
Melbourne experienced the worst of Victoria's economic slump between 1989 to 1992. In 1992, a newly elected Victorian government began a campaign to restore the economy with an aggressive development campaign of public works and major events centred on Melbourne and the promotion of the city as a tourist destination. Major projects included the Melbourne Museum, Federation Square, the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Crown Casino and CityLink tollway. Other strategies included the privatisation of some of Melbourne's services including power and public transport, and a reduction in funding to public services such as health and education.
Since 1997, Melbourne has maintained significant population and employment growth. There has been substantial international investment in the city's industries and property market, and 2006 figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that since 2000 Melbourne has sustained the highest population and economic growth rate of any Australian capital city.
Geography
Melbourne is located in the south-eastern part of mainland Australia. Geologically it is built on the confluence of Quaternary lava flows to the west, Silurian mudstones to the east and Holocene sand accumulation to the southeast along Port Phillip. The city's suburbs extend along the Yarra Valley toward the Yarra and Dandenong Ranges to the east, down towards the Mornington Peninsula and the city of Frankston, along the Maribyrnong River and its tributaries north towards the foothills of the Macedon Ranges, and along the flat volcanic plain country towards Werribee and Geelong to the south-west.
The original city (known today as the central business district or CBD) is laid out in the mile-by-half-a-mile Hoddle Grid, its southern edge fronting onto the Yarra.
Melbourne is typical of Australian capital cities in that it was built with the underlying notion of a "quarter acre home and garden" for every family, often referred to locally as the Australian Dream. Much of metropolitan Melbourne is accordingly characterised by low density sprawl. The provision of an extensive railway and tram service in the earlier years of development encouraged this low density development, mostly in radial lines along the transport corridors.
Melbourne is often referred to as Australia's garden city, and the state of Victoria was once known as "the garden state". There is an abundance of parks and gardens in Melbourne, many close to the CBD with a variety of common and rare plant species amid landscaped vistas, pedestrian pathways and tree-lined avenues. There are also many parks in the surrounding suburbs of Melbourne, such as in the municipalities of Stonnington, Boroondara and Port Phillip, south east of the CBD.
Climate
Melbourne has a moderate oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). Melbourne's climate is notable for its changeable weather conditions. This is due in part to the city's flat topography, its situation on Port Phillip Bay, and the presence of the Dandenong Ranges to the east, a combination that creates weather systems that often circle the bay. The phrase "four seasons in one day" is part of popular culture and observed by many visitors to the city.
Melbourne is colder than most other Australian capital cities in winter. The lowest maximum on record is 4.4 degrees Celsius, on July 4, 1901. However, snowfalls are extremely rare: the most recent occurrence of sleet in the CBD was on July 25, 1986 and the most recent snowfalls in the Dandenongs were on August 10, 2005 and November 15, 2006. There has not been a major snowfall in Melbourne since 1951, when moderate cover was recorded in both the CBD and suburbs. More commonly, Melbourne experiences frosts and fog in winter.
During the spring, Melbourne commonly enjoys extended periods of mild weather and clear skies. Melbourne is also known to have hot, dry summers, with maximum temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. The hottest temperature on record was 45.6 degrees Celsius on 13 January 1939 during a four-day nationwide heat wave.
In 2006, Melbourne, like most of Australia, experienced one of the worst droughts on record. 2006 was among the driest years on record with virtually no rainfall in September and October, despite October being on average the wettest month of the year. Higher than average temperatures were recorded.
In a very rare occurrence, it actually snowed in more elevated parts of the metropolitan area on 25 December 2006, in the early stages of the Southern Hemisphere summer.
It was officially announced on May 15, 2007 that the previous 12 months had seen a record low rainfall. The official results of 316mm from May 16 2006 to May 15 2007 show the lowest amount of rainfall since records began in 1855. The normal average rainfall is 653.2mm. Because of this record low rainfall, Melbourne has experienced ever increasing levels of water restrictions for over 9 months.
In terms of religion, Christianity is the most professed faith in Melbourne with 2,097,493 followers accounting for 62.3 per cent of residents. Catholicism — 981,974 (29.2 per cent) — Anglicanism — 458,848 (13.6 per cent) and primarily Greek Orthodoxy — 206,877 (6.2 per cent) — were the most numerous Christian sects. According to further census data there were 106,570 Buddhists (3.2 per cent), 87,755 Muslims (2.6 per cent), 37,779 Jews (1.1 per cent) and 23,334 Hindus (0.7 per cent) resident in the city. Melbourne is home to the largest Jewish community in Oceania: four out of ten of Australia's Jews (40.4 per cent) live in the metropolitan area. Melbourne also has the largest number of Holocaust survivors of any Australian city, and the highest per capita concentration of survivors anywhere in the world except Israel.
Although Brisbane and Perth are growing faster in percentage terms, and Victoria's net interstate migration has fluctuated, the Melbourne statistical division has grown by approximately 50,000 people a year since 2003, more than any other Australian city. Attraction of a large proportion of overseas immigrants and interstate migration from Sydney due to more affordable housing are two recent key factors. In recent years, Melton, Wyndham and Casey, part of the Melbourne statistical division, have recorded the highest growth rate of all local government areas in Australia.
Melbourne's population density declined following World War II, with the private motor car and the lures of space and property ownership causing an exodus to the suburbs, mainly to the east. After much discussion (both at general public and planning levels) in the 1980s, the decline has been reversed since the recession of the early 1990s, and the city has seen increased density in the inner and western suburbs. Since the 1970s, Victorian Government planning blueprints such as Postcode 3000 and Melbourne 2030 have aimed to curtail the urban sprawl.
Education
Melbourne is home to some of the nation's oldest educational institutions, including the oldest Law (1857), Engineering (1860), Medical (1862), Dental (1897) and Music (1891) schools, all at the University of Melbourne. The University of Melbourne is also the oldest university in Victoria and the second oldest university in Australia. St. Mary's Primary School, Williamstown, is the oldest school in Victoria and Scotch College (1851) is the oldest secondary school. Ormiston House, the junior school of Camberwell Anglican Girls Grammar School, established in 1848, is the oldest girls' primary school on the Australian mainland. Melbourne is home to the largest secondary school in Australia, Haileybury College.
Melbourne's two largest and most prestigious tertiary institutions are the University of Melbourne and Monash University. Both are members of the Group of Eight. Melbourne University ranked second among Australian universities in the 2006 THES international rankings. The Times Higher Education Supplement also includes Monash University in its top 40. Monash University is said to be Australia's largest University, based on student numbers. Other universities located in Melbourne include La Trobe University, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria University and the St Patrick's campus of the Australian Catholic University. Deakin University maintains two major campuses in Melbourne and Geelong, and is the third largest university in Victoria. In recent years, the number of international students at Melbourne's universities has risen rapidly, a result of an increasing number of places being made available to full fee paying students.
Although non-tertiary public education is free, 35% of students attend a private primary or secondary school. The most numerous private schools are Catholic, and the rest are independent (see Public and Private Education in Australia). The most prestigious independent schools are members of the Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS) or the Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria (AGSV). The main purpose of these two groups is sporting competition.
Private schools achieve better results on average in the VCE (the final year certificate) than public schools. The exceptions to this rule are the two academically selective public high schools, Melbourne High School and MacRobertson Girls High School. Because of this, private school students dominate admissions into tertiary institutions.
Most high schools in Melbourne are called 'Secondary Colleges', a remnant of the Kirner Labor government. There are two selective public schools in Melbourne (mentioned above), but all public schools may restrict entry to students living in their regional 'zone'.
Culture
Melbourne is known as an Australian Culture capital.
It has thrice shared top position in a survey by The Economist of the World's Most Livable Cities on the basis of its primpy attributes, climate, cost of living, and social conditions such as crime rates and health care, in 2002, 2004 and 2005.
The city celebrates a wide variety of annual cultural events, performing arts and architecture.
Infrastructure
Health
The Government of Victoria's Department of Health Services oversees approximately 30 public hospitals in the Melbourne metropolitan region, and 13 health services organisations. The major public hospitals are the Royal Melbourne Hospital, The Alfred Hospital and Austin Hospital, while major private hospitals include Epworth Hospital and St Vincent's. The city is also home to major medical and biotechnology research centres such as St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, the Burnet Institute, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Baker Heart Institute and the Australian Synchrotron.
Transport
Melbourne has an integrated public transport system known as Metlink, originally laid out late in the 19th century when trains and trams were the primary methods of travelling to the suburbs. The 1950s saw an increase in private vehicles and freeway construction. This trend has continued with successive governments despite relentless traffic congestion. The result has been a significant drop in public transport modeshare from the 1940s level of around 25% to the current level of around 9%. Melbourne's public transport system was privatised in 1999.
Melbourne's tram network is both one of the world's most extensive and the only one comprising more than a single line remaining in Australia, a distinctive feature of the city.
Trams are not only a form of transport, but a tourist icon of Melbourne.
Visitors are served by a zero-fare City Circle Tram, taking in many tourist sights and there is also a fleet of restaurant trams, the first of its kind in the world.
There are almost 300 bus routes and a mostly-electric train system with more than 15 lines.
Flinders Street Station is a prominent Melbourne landmark and meeting place.
In 1926 it was the world's busiest passenger station.
The city has rail connections with several regional cities in the state, as well as interstate rail services to Sydney and Adelaide, which depart from Melbourne's other major rail terminus, Southern Cross Station.
Melbourne has a high dependency on private cars for transport, with 7.1% of trips made by public transport.
Melbourne has a total of 3.6 million private vehicles using 22,320 km of road, and one of the highest lengths of road per capita.
Major highways feeding into the city include the Eastern Freeway, Monash Freeway and West Gate Freeway (which spans the spectacular Westgate Bridge), whilst other road systems include CityLink and the Western Ring Road, Calder Freeway, Tullamarine Freeway (main airport link) and the Hume Freeway which links Melbourne to Sydney.
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's largest container and general cargo port and also its busiest. In 2007, the port handled two million shipping containers in a 12 month perior, making it one of the top five ports in the Southern Hemisphere. Station Pier in Port Phillip Bay handles cruise ships and the Spirit of Tasmania ferries which cross Bass Strait to Tasmania.
Melbourne has four airports. Melbourne International Airport located at Tullamarine is the city's main international and domestic (Qantas and Virgin Blue and Jetstar) gateway. Tullamarine is the headquarters for low cost airlines Jetstar and Tiger Airways Australia. Avalon Airport, located between Melbourne and Geelong, is a secondary hub of Jetstar. It is also used as a freight and maintenance facility. Moorabbin Airport is a significant general aviation airport in the city's south east. Essendon Airport, which was once the city's main airport before the construction of the airport at Tullamarine, handles general aviation and some cargo flights.
Utilities
Water storage and supply for Melbourne is managed by Melbourne Water, which is owned by the Victorian Government. The organisation is also responsible for management of sewerage and the major water catchments in the region.
Water is mainly stored in the largest dam, the Thomson River Dam which is capable of holding around 60% of Melbourne's water capacity, while smaller dams such as the Upper Yarra Dam and the Cardinia Reservoir carry secondary supplies. Water restrictions are in place and the state government has considered water recycling schemes for the city.
Melbourne's water supplies have been continually decreasing and approaching dangerously low levels due to drought and as a result of this, in June 2007, the Bracks government announced a $4.9 billion water emergency plan to secure the future of water supplies in Melbourne. The centerpiece of the plan will be the construction of a $3.1 billion desalination plant to be built on Victoria's south-east coast, capable of providing 150 billion litres of water per year to Melbourne, Geelong and Victoria's south eastern region. The desalination plant will be one of the world's largest and Australia's largest and is expected to be completed by 2011. Other projects included in this package is a 70 km pipeline from the Goulburn area in Victoria's north to Melbourne and a new water pipeline linking Melbourne and Geelong.
The main natural gas and electricity to Melbourne are Origin Energy, AGL and Energy Australia. Numerous telecommunications companies operate in Melbourne providing terrestrial and mobile telecommunications services. Electricity for Melbourne is primarily sourced from the coal power stations of Latrobe City.
Sister cities
Melbourne has six sister cities. They are:
See also
External links
