Melbourne (pop. 4,585,537; met. area pop. 4,917,750) is the second largest city of Australia. Only Sydney has more people. Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria. It is a busy seaport on Port Phillip Bay, on the southern coast of the Australian mainland. Melbourne is one of the nation’s largest ports and Victoria’s commercial, financial, and industrial center.
For thousands of years before Europeans arrived, Aboriginal peoples lived in the area where Melbourne now stands. Colonists from the British settlement on Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) founded Melbourne in 1835. The discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851 boosted Melbourne’s economy and population, making it Australia’s fastest-growing and largest city. This period of intense growth ended in the 1890’s, and by 1911, Sydney surpassed Melbourne in size. Melbourne remains one of Australia’s most important cities, with contributions in such areas as the arts, business, and politics. In addition, the city is noted for its major sporting events.
The metropolitan area
The Melbourne metropolitan area consists of a central municipality called the City of Melbourne, or simply the City, and many surrounding municipalities. For statistical purposes, the City and a large outlying area make up the Melbourne Greater Capital City Statistical Area (GCCSA), commonly called Greater Melbourne. The Melbourne GCCSA covers about 3,858 square miles (9,993 square kilometers). It includes urbanized areas, as well as some small or rural communities whose residents regularly work, shop, or pursue recreation in the capital.
The City of Melbourne
is the central part of the Melbourne metropolitan area. It covers about 14 square miles (37.7 square kilometers). It includes the Central Business District (CBD), on the north shore of the Yarra River about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Port Philip Bay, and a number of inner-city suburbs (neighborhoods). Its resident population is about 150,000 people, but thousands of other people come to the City every day for work, for recreation, or as tourists. The City forms the business, entertainment, and retail heart of Melbourne. It also includes some of the metropolitan area’s most historic residential areas, its major parks, and its cultural and sporting facilities.
Robert Hoddle, an English-born Australian surveyor, laid out the town of Melbourne in 1837. Hoddle originally designed the town as a rectangle bounded by Lonsdale Street to the north, Flinders Street to the south, Spring Street to the east, and Spencer Street to the west. This area later became the Central Business District. Since then, Melbourne’s streets and suburbs have spread in all directions.
Within the CBD, high-rise buildings give way to the older, smaller buildings of the retail area. The main shopping area of Melbourne is bounded by Collins, Elizabeth, Lonsdale, and Russell streets. A pedestrian shopping center on Bourke Street dominates this area, which also contains the city’s main department stores.
Federation Square, on the southern edge of the CBD and north of the Yarra River, is a large complex that includes public spaces, museums, shops, restaurants, and an amphitheater. Port facilities and road and rail goods terminals lie west and south of the city center.
Suburbs of Melbourne
extend more than 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Port Phillip Bay. A number of inner suburbs fall within the City of Melbourne and are governed by the Melbourne City Council. Melbourne’s old inner suburbs include Carlton, Collingwood, Fitzroy, North Melbourne, Prahran, Richmond, South Melbourne, and South Yarra. Many of these densely settled residential areas are characterized by a Victorian style of architecture and an economy based on service industries. Carlton is known for the many Italian restaurants along Lygon Street. In Fitzroy, Brunswick Street has an artistic atmosphere, while Johnston Street is a center of Hispanic culture. Victoria Street in Richmond has many Vietnamese restaurants and shops. Southbank, which lies across the Yarra from the CBD, includes the Southgate development area, with high-rise residences, shops, and restaurants. Crown Casino and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre are also in Southbank.
More distant suburbs are governed by other cities or shires that are part of the Melbourne metropolitan area. The seaside suburbs of St. Kilda and Williamstown are a short distance from the City. Williamstown lies southwest of Melbourne and is part of the City of Hobsons Bay. St. Kilda, south of the City on Port Phillip Bay, is a lively night spot. Metropolitan Melbourne also includes the older rural settlements of Belgrave, Ferntree Gully, and Lilydale, to the east; Berwick and Cranbourne, to the southeast; Melton, to the west; and Werribee, to the southwest.
Historic buildings.
Melbourne has maintained many of its historic public buildings, some of which date from the 1800’s. These structures include the Old Treasury, Parliament House, the former Royal Mint, the Old Customs House, and the Town Hall. The old Melbourne prison is famous as the place where Ned Kelly, an Australian bushranger (outlaw), was hanged in 1880. Built in stages from 1841 to 1862, the building is now a museum. Until 1958, no city building exceeded a 132-foot (40 meter) height limit. Since then, however, high-rise buildings have replaced many of the older structures.
The Royal Exhibition Building was completed for the Great Exhibition of 1880. From 1901 until 1927, the building housed Victoria’s Parliament, while Parliament House was being used by the Commonwealth Parliament. The building now functions as an exhibition hall, under the custodianship of the Melbourne Museum. It stands in Carlton Gardens, just north of the city center.
Melbourne has two cathedrals. St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral was consecrated in 1892. Construction on St. Patrick’s Cathedral began in 1858, and the building was consecrated in 1897. St. Patrick’s is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The spires of both cathedrals were added in the early 1930’s.
The inner suburbs of Melbourne retain many Edwardian and Victorian brick buildings. These include single-story and two-story terraced houses with ornate iron veranda railings.
People
Ethnic groups.
Melbourne is a multicultural city. Large numbers of Greeks, Italians, and other Europeans arrived in Australia after World War II (1939-1945).
About two-fifths of Melbourne’s residents were born outside of Australia. Of this number, the largest population groups include people from China, India, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom. Today, people from virtually every region of the world live in Melbourne. Many students from Asia travel to Melbourne to study. The city also attracts large numbers of tourists from Asia, Europe, New Zealand, and the United States.
Education.
The state provides free primary and secondary education. Children from 6 to 15 years of age must attend school. There are six primary and six secondary grades. In addition to state schools, Melbourne has a variety of private schools run by church and independent organizations.
Melbourne has seven main universities. They are Deakin University; La Trobe University; Monash University; the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology; Swinburne University of Technology; the University of Melbourne, which includes the Victorian College of the Arts; and Victoria University.
The Australian Catholic University has a campus in Melbourne. In addition, there are several Technical and Further Education (TAFE) colleges around Melbourne that provide adult education, vocational education, and training programs. The city is also home to the Australian Ballet School.
Cultural life
Arts.
Melbourne is home to the Australian Ballet, the Melbourne Theatre Company, the Malthouse Theatre, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and many other performing arts companies. Opera Australia performs in the city several months each year. The city provides several major facilities for the performing arts. Arts Centre Melbourne, south of the Yarra River, includes the State Theatre, the Playhouse, and Hamer Hall, a concert hall.
The city hosts several arts festivals annually. In late March to early April, the city hosts the International Comedy Festival. In July and August, an international film festival features motion pictures from Australia and other countries. The Melbourne International Arts Festival, in October, is the city’s main arts event. Its program includes theater, opera, dance, and musical performances at several indoor and outdoor facilities. The Moomba Festival lasts for several days in March and includes live music, outdoor films, water sports, a street parade, and other events on and near the Yarra River.
Libraries and museums.
Melbourne’s main research library is the State Library of Victoria. A large reinforced concrete dome tops the library’s octagonal Reading Room. The library houses an important collection of Australian and rare books.
Museums Victoria operates several institutions. They include the Melbourne Museum, in the center of the Carlton Gardens; Scienceworks, a museum and planetarium in Spotswood; and the Immigration Museum, in Melbourne’s Old Customs House. The collection of the National Gallery of Victoria is divided between two locations. The main gallery, on St. Kilda Road, houses international art. The Ian Potter Centre, at Federation Square, houses the museum’s Australian art. Federation Square also includes the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.
Recreation.
Melbourne has many parks and gardens that lie mainly to the north, east, and south of the city center. Kings Domain is a large park south of the river. The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is in the northern section of the park. The Shrine of Remembrance, a war memorial, is in the western area of the park. Government House, the governor’s residence, is nearby. The Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria lies to the south. The botanic gardens are surrounded by The Tan, a popular track for walking and jogging. The Tan was at one time used to exercise horses.
Northeast of Kings Domain and north of the river are the National Tennis Centre, in Melbourne Park, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in Yarra Park. Southwest of Kings Domain and built around a large lake is Albert Park. A short walk east of the city center are the Fitzroy Gardens, featuring avenues of oak, elm, and Moreton Bay fig trees.
Melbourne is the original home of Australian Rules football, a contact sport somewhat similar to rugby. The city hosts several major sporting events each year. They include the Australian Open tennis championship and the Australian Formula One Grand Prix. Melbourne also hosts Australia’s most popular horse race, the Melbourne Cup, held on the first Tuesday of November each year at Flemington Racecourse. The race day is a public holiday in the Melbourne metropolitan area, and the race is popular with viewers worldwide.
Economy
Melbourne is Victoria’s commercial and administrative center. It is the main port and the hub of the state’s road and rail and communications network. Many of the nation’s largest companies and financial institutions have their headquarters in the city.
Manufacturing
is a major economic activity in metropolitan Melbourne. Heavy industry, such as car and aircraft assembly plants and oil refineries, is primarily concentrated near the port facilities in South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, and Williamstown. Small factories operate throughout the inner suburbs and in industrial zones in the outer suburbs. Chief manufactured products include automotive equipment, clothing, coal, machinery, metal, paper, petroleum products, shoes, and textiles.
Technology
has become an increasingly important part of Melbourne’s economy. The City Council is encouraging the establishment of research and development facilities.
Other major economic activities
in Melbourne include the building and construction industry, commercial and financial organizations, education, health services, the transport industry, and the wholesale and retail industries.
Transportation.
Melbourne has an extensive system of trams (streetcars). The city’s first cable tram began operation in 1885. The city’s tram and light rail service is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Used extensively by Melbourne residents, the trams are also popular with tourists. The City Circle Tram provides free service in the city center.
An extensive electric rail service connects the center of Melbourne with its suburbs. It runs underground in a loop beneath the Melbourne Central Business District. The main city station, Flinders Street Station, originally was built in 1854 and is the oldest train station in Australia. Its existing main building was built from 1905 to 1910. Intercity and interstate train service operates from Southern Cross Station.
The CityLink toll road connects the center of Melbourne with the city’s main motorways. Melbourne also has private bus services, primarily serving routes not covered by the tram network. Riverboats and water taxis operate on the Yarra River. There is also a 62-mile (100-kilometer) network of bicycle tracks, including a popular path along the banks of the Yarra.
Melbourne’s international airport opened 1970 and has since undergone substantial expansion. Located about 14 miles (22 kilometers) northwest of the CBD, it is connected to the city by a motorway and the CityLink toll road. Light aircraft use the much smaller Essendon Airport.
Melbourne is one of Australia’s largest general cargo ports. Melbourne handles much of the cargo from South Australia and Tasmania. The Victorian Ports Corporation-Melbourne administers the harbor.
Communication.
Melbourne’s chief daily newspapers are The Age and the Herald Sun. Melbourne has many AM and FM radio stations and several free television channels. Melbourne residents also have a choice of pay television providers.
Government
Melbourne is the oldest city in Victoria. It was incorporated as a town in 1842 and became a city in 1847. The City of Melbourne has an elected lord mayor, deputy lord mayor, and nine-member city council. Metropolitan Melbourne also includes a number of other local government areas. Elected councils administer each of these areas. The councils maintain local roads and provide a variety of public services, including hospitals and schools. Council responsibilities also include economic and land use planning and building permits.
History
The area in and near Melbourne is part of the traditional country of the people of five Aboriginal language groups. These groups together are known today as the Kulin peoples, or the Kulin Nation. Among the Kulin peoples, the Melbourne area is known as Naarm.
In February 1802, John Murray, a British officer, explored Port Phillip’s southern reaches. He claimed the area for the United Kingdom and named the bay Port King after Philip Gridley King, who was then governor of New South Wales. However, King renamed the bay Port Phillip after Arthur Phillip, the first governor of New South Wales. Shortly after Murray left, Matthew Flinders, sailing the Investigator from England to New South Wales, reached the bay and explored it.
In 1803, Charles Grimes, surveyor general of New South Wales, explored the upper reaches of the bay and the lower Yarra River, which he called the Freshwater River. Later in the year, an attempted settlement at the southern end of the bay, near what is now Sorrento, failed due to lack of water.
In May 1835, John Batman, a livestock farmer, crossed from Launceston, in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania), to investigate sheep-grazing prospects. At the site of present-day Melbourne, he purchased about 600,000 acres (243,000 hectares) of grassland from the local Aboriginal peoples. In exchange, he paid them with such goods as blankets, flour, knives, and tomahawks, plus the promise of yearly payments.
In mid-June, Batman left a small group behind at Indented Head, on Port Phillip Bay, and returned to Van Diemen’s Land. There, he organized the transfer of settlers, animals, and goods to the newly-claimed territory.
In August, a rival Launceston group organized by John Pascoe Fawkner settled on the shore of the Yarra River, where Melbourne now stands. Batman’s group soon discovered Fawkner’s group and shifted its settlement to the same location. Fawkner himself arrived in October, and Batman returned in November.
Bitter disputes arose between the groups. Settlers and livestock continued to arrive. In 1836, the colonial government named the region, which included the site of present-day Melbourne, the Port Phillip District of New South Wales. That year, Captain William Lonsdale arrived to serve as chief magistrate of the region.
In 1837, Sir Richard Bourke, the colonial governor, visited the Port Phillip District. He named Melbourne—then known by several names, including Dutigalla and Bearbrass—after Lord Melbourne, the British prime minister. The population of the district had reached about 500. The new senior surveyor, Robert Hoddle, laid out the town and organized the first land sales by the government. Officials chose Melbourne as the administrative center for the district.
Within five years, livestock farmers were scattered throughout nearly all the land south of the Murray River, which lies north of Melbourne. The town served as the supply base and shipment center for their wool. In 1841, the population was more than 4,000. In 1842, Melbourne was incorporated as a borough and gained an elected council. It became a city in 1847. Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops took up posts in Melbourne in 1848.
In July 1851, the Port Phillip District became the colony of Victoria, with its own legislature. Charles Joseph La Trobe, who had been superintendent of the district since 1839, became the first lieutenant governor.
Prospectors discovered gold in Victoria in 1851. Gold attracted many people and laid the foundation for economic growth. Before the discovery of gold, the population of Melbourne and its suburbs was about 29,000. By 1861, the population had reached about 140,000, and Melbourne had become Australia’s largest city.
Mining in Victoria declined in the 1860’s. But manufacturing, encouraged by tariffs (taxes on imported goods) and the growing local market, offset the decline. Melbourne’s growth continued. City officials constructed many public buildings and developed new suburbs. Railways extended wheat farming across the Wimmera River. Officials developed port facilities to handle increasing exports of wool and grain. Melbourne had become the commercial and financial capital of Australia.
In the 1880’s, continuing suburban growth triggered a land boom, and, by 1891, the population had reached about 491,000. Then the boom collapsed. Investors and speculators lost heavily, and recovery was slow.
In 1901, Melbourne became the capital of the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia. New federal establishments did much to revive the economy. But by 1911, Sydney had overtaken Melbourne in population.
In 1927, federal officials transferred the federal Parliament to Canberra. This transfer and the worldwide trade slump of the 1930’s called the Great Depression halted the city’s economic growth. However, several factors during World War II (1939-1945) boosted the economy. Melbourne’s industries faced a great demand for supplies and equipment for the war efforts. A strict limit on imports also stimulated industrial development. The population of Melbourne reached 1,226,000 by 1947, when a flood of postwar immigration began. From World War II to the 1980’s, the population of the city more than doubled.
In 1956, Melbourne hosted the Summer Olympic Games. It was the first time the Olympics were held in the Southern Hemisphere. Building and redevelopment projects since the 1960’s have changed the city skyline, improved transportation, and added to Melbourne’s cultural life. The National Gallery of Victoria opened in 1968. The Theatres Building of the Arts Centre Melbourne opened in 1984, and the center’s spectacular spire was completed in 1996. Federation Square, built with a futuristic design, opened in 2002. The 91-story Eureka Tower was completed in 2006. Also in 2006, Melbourne hosted the Commonwealth Games, a multi-sport event held every four years.
New development has continued during the 2000’s. The 100-story Australia 108, topped out in 2019, is one of the world’s tallest residential buildings. Also in 2019, tunneling began for the Metro Tunnel project, a new metropolitan railway line scheduled for completion in about 2025. The line is expected to feature a railway tunnel 6 miles (9 kilometers) long, cutting across Melbourne’s Central Business District, and five new underground stations.
In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic (worldwide epidemic) reached Australia. Australian governments took action to limit the spread of the disease and to ease the financial hardships it caused. Government actions were strongest in crowded metropolitan areas, where the disease could spread most easily. During 2020 and 2021, Melbourne experienced six lockdown periods totaling 262 days, one of the longest periods of restriction in the world. The tight lockdown policy eased in late 2021 as the vaccination rate in the state rose above 70 percent.
