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Melbourne

Description: Melbourne is the second most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3.7 ... more

Melbourne ... million (2006 estimate). Located in the country's south-east, Melbourne is the state capital of Victoria and is home to over 70% of all Victorians. Founded by free-settlers in 1835, 47 years after the first European settlement of Australia, Melbourne was transformed from a small pastoral settlement situated around the Yarra River into a growing metropolis by the Victorian gold rush in the 1850s. By 1865, "Marvellous Melbourne" was Australia's most populous and important city. It served as the temporary national capital from the Federation of Australia in 1901 until the construction of Canberra in 1927. Today, Melbourne is a major centre of commerce, industry and cultural activity. Often referred to as both the "cultural and sporting capital of Australia" it is home to many of Australia's major annual sporting and cultural events, and was the host of the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Melbourne is renowned for its Victorian architecture including the World Heritage Royal Exhibition Building as well as its notable landmarks which include the iconic Flinders Street Station, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the extensive tram network, the third largest in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Melbourne has tied with other cities as the World's Most Liveable City on a number of occasions.

Newest Review: ... more than 2 million visitors. The Victorian Parliament Building is also one of Melbourne's well known landmarks. The colonnade and portico facade on the west side of the building portray an aura of strength. The construction of the Parliament Building started in 1855 and it took 40 years to its full completion today. Flinders Street Station which is located next to the Yarra River is the ... more

... best known railway station in Australia. Built in 1910, the giant dome and clock tower was the winning design of railway employees, J.W. Fawcett and H.P.C Ashworth. The station was refurbished in 1984 and is listed in the Victorian Heritage Registrar. St...more

Read Reviews for Melbourne

Melbourne: one, two, three.....twleve apostles (941 words)
by - written on 18/04/09 (Very useful, 104 readings)
Rating:

Whenever I talk about my favourite Australian city, Sydney, I am always told that Melbourne is a nicer place to visit. Hence, together with a friend, we decided to find out for ourselves about Melbourne. Melbourne is definitely different from Sydney; the city centre is smaller and there is a nostalgic feeling of old world and tranquillity that is not usually found in a cosmopolitan city. Melbourne is the capital of the State of Victoria and is the second biggest city in Australia. The city sits on the Yarra River, which extend along the Yarra, a popular wine producing region and around the shores of Port Phillip Bay. Though we did not experience the ... Read the complete review

Down under fun in Melbourne (180 words)
by - written on 03/01/09 (5 readings)
Rating:

Melbourne's just a quick plane ride from Sydney and is a great little city for a backpacker to visit. St Kilda offer's beaches and funfairs and a break away from the city, whilst at the city you can visit attractions such as the Sky Observatory which offers panoramic views over the city. Or if you're a soap opera fan you can book a trip to the set of Neighbours. Neighbours tour: The neighbours tour leaves from downtown Melbourne and on the Neighbours bus you're taken to the suburb where it's filmed. On the trip I went on, I visited Ramsey Street and the high school, if they're on location you can be lucky to watch them film. An option ... Read the complete review

Melbourne: ... A Great Place To Be ... (1530 words)
by - written on 28/11/05 (Very useful, 455 readings)
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I went to Melbourne not for the Neighbours connection as many people do, but for the gymnastics. The weekend I went saw the 2005 World Championships taking place at the Rod Laver Arena in the city, and I had a ticket to the Women’s All Round Finals on Friday night so decided to make a weekend of it. Melbourne’s a 70 – 90 minute flight from Sydney, and you can fly there and back for about $150 if you book at the right time, so many visitors over in the east make the trip either for a long weekend or on a stop over from or to Tasmania or Adelaide or Perth. I liked Melbourne, and would go so far as to say I would choose to live there over Sydney if I ever goback ... Read the complete review

G'Day Mate. Welcome to Melbourne, a city of many culture ... (2946 words)
by - written on 06/01/04 (Very useful, 172 readings)
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Melbourne. The capital city of Victoria, way down south in Australia. I never would have gone there had it not been for my son choosing to marry a Melbourne girl, and us having to fly over 15,000 miles for the wedding! Having tasted it, and the surrounding area just a little, I will definitely be going back, although not for a while yet! We spent just 2 weeks in and around Melbourne. I wish it could have been more, as we really only scratched the surface, but as I teach, and was already playing hooky for those 2 weeks, we couldn't push our luck too much! Next time though, it will be for much longer. To go all that way for just 2 weeks is not exactly a waste ... Read the complete review

Five Months in Melbourne: On a Budget (422 words)
by - written on 28/08/03 (Very useful, 83 readings)
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After writing a general opinion on my travelling in OZ!, I had a couple of requests to do a more detailed Melbourne guide...so here we go. The first thing to say is that the hostel I stayed in was clean and well equipped and in a wonderful location (The Greenhouse Backpackers on Flinders). You can arrange to do a few trips from this hostel if you are new to Melbourne. I did the Ramsey Street tour which was good value, and the meet the Neighbours night. Think extreme cheese, but you get to meet the likes of Dr Karl and toadfish so who's complaining? I then worked as an Au Pair as a result of replying to an ad in the hostel, but I did also drop ... Read the complete review