| There are quite a few fascinating cities in Australia, with
Melbourne being right up there near the top of the list. The city of
about four million has long been one of the most popular places with
Australians and visitors alike as it’s the largest city and the
capital of the state of Victoria. It’s also the second largest in
the country population-wise. The city centre is well known as the
Central Business District and the town is situated on Port Phillip,
which is a large natural bay. Melbourne was founded back in 1835,
just 47 years after European settlement of the country. The original
name of the centre was called Bearbrass, but was changed to
Melbourne in 1837 and was then officially christened as a city in
1847 by England’s Queen Victoria. Just four years later it was named
the capital of Victoria, which was then a new colony. The city hit
the jackpot during the 1850s as it was the site of a gold rush and
for awhile was known as the richest city in the world.
The Melbourne of today has transformed into a modern centre for
tourism, business, the arts, entertainment, music, and sports.
Melbourne gave birth to many of the country’s cultural institutions,
such as film, television, Australian Rules football, the
impressionist art movement, and Australian dance styles. It’s is
also considered as a main area for traditional and contemporary
Australian music. This is why Melbourne is known as the cultural
capital of the country. It’s also recognized as a Beta World City
and as a City of Literature.
Getting into Melbourne is pretty easy by road and by landing at
the city’s international airport. Once you’re there you’ll be
treated to the largest tram network in the world, which makes it
easy getting around d the city if you ever tire of walking. There
are hotels and restaurants to suit every budget and the city is
basically a treat to visit on all fronts.
There are a lot of sites to visit for a relatively new city. Some
of the most popular ones include Melbourne city centre, Flinders
Street Station, the Shrine of Remembrance, Federation Square, the
Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the Royal Exhibition Building. Sports
are huge in Melbourne and the city hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Some of the most popular ones are Australian Rules football,
cricket, rugby, soccer, motor racing, and swimming.
There are three major international sporting events held there on
an annual basis. These are the Australian Open tennis tournament,
the Melbourne Cup horse race, and the ever popular Australian Grand
Prix Formula One motor race. There is also a national sports museum
in town.
When it comes to the weather, the climate is moderate oceanic,
which means the weather can change in a hurry. It can get pretty
cool in the winter and it sometimes snows. It’s not always as hot as
many visitors think and don’t forget the seasons are reversed as
Australia’s located below the equator, down in the Southern
Hemisphere. But that’s not to say there aren’t some scorching days
in the city.
It’s a very modern place with some fine examples of architecture,
a lot of parkland, wide avenues and lively city lanes which are
great for shopping in. There are dozens of cultural events and
festivals to see each year as the town is filled with art galleries
and theatres which also feature opera and ballet.
Melbourne is basically the ultimate Australian city as it caters
to a wide variety of interests. There’s nothing you can’t find in
this vibrant centre. |
