Melbourne Overview

By Laura Granfortuna

Melbourne, most populous Australian city after Sydney, is the arts and culture capital of the continent. It´s lacking Australia´s most famous cultural landmark, the Sydney Opera House, but the army of galleries, museums, theatres, concerts and year-round events more than compensate. The city government is strongly dedicated to keeping culture alive and growing, which also includes the fundamental Aussie fanaticism for sport.

Melbourne was founded in 1835, a small, speculative settlement beneath the authority of New South Wales. By the start of the 1850s the population had ballooned to tens of thousands, spurred by a gold rush that at its peak brought in 90,000 hopefuls a year from across the globe. Thus, in 1951 Victoria became its own province with Melbourne as its capital.

Although the Melbourne of today is a highly sophisticated modern city, its pervasive colonial history creates a feeling of small-town intimacy that penetrates to its heart. Wandering through the maze of city suburbs, you could easily think you were in Europe (the first tip-off that you are not, in fact, in Europe would probably be the widespread Asian influence). The beautiful old architecture, streets lined with bakeries and cafes, and profusion of and trees, flowers and parks defy that databank of images that come to mind when you hear the word “Australia.”

Melbourne is formally divided into 11 different suburbs, and informally into 15 precincts. Precincts are designated based on the character of a certain area, such as the street that makes up Chinatown. It’s a good idea to look over the description of each precinct on the City of Melbourne’s website: http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au.

Here is my own synopsis of some hot spots around town:

Carlton

Carlton, in the northern inner-city, is one of Melbourne’s most heavily visited suburbs. Its main points of interest include Little Italy, the University of Melbourne, the Carlton Gardens, Queen Victoria Market and the delicious, locally brewed Carlton Draught.

Chinatown

Melbourne’s Chinatown is located on Little Bourke Street, close to the center of downtown. It was founded during the gold rush in the early 1950s, which makes it one of the oldest in the world.

Downtown and Federation Square

Swanston Street cuts through the heart of downtown, and for the most part, this is where all the action is: museums, shopping malls, hotels, bars, etc. The street ends when it runs into the Yarra river between Flinders Street Station, where you can catch a train to the outlying cities and suburbs, and Federation Square. Fed Square is the locus of downtown activity and nightlife, and many of the city’s special festivals and events take place here. It is also home to Melbourne’s well-equipped visitor’s center, the ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) and a handful of trendy café bars. From here you are just a stone’s throw from several major theatres and art museums, as well everything that lies around the Yarra.

Around the Yarra

When you reach river coming from Federation Square…

If you go West: Cross under the Princes Bridge and take a stroll on the promenade. Stop at any of the upscale restaurants and cafes along the way, and watch the other people walk along the river while you enjoy your meal in the open air. Or, continue all the way to the Crown Casino Entertainment Complex, which inside has a shopping mall, food court, and several casinos. Once you get here you could also cross the Kings bridge and visit the Melbourne Aquarium.

If you go East: Just beyond the Princes Bridge is an enormous complex of gardens - Alexandra Gardens, Queen Victoria Gardens, Kings Doman and the Royal Botanic Gardens. If you continue across the river at the Swan St. Bridge, you’ll encounter Melbourne Park, Vodafone Arena, Olympic Park, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Yarra Park.

St. Kilda Beach

A roughly 30 minute tram ride from the middle of the city will drop you in St. Kilda Beach. This is a pretty typical beach area, with a variety of restaurants and shops clustered around the water. It is generally clean and fine for swimming any time of the year. The Coney Island of Melbourne – Luna Park – is located here at St. Kilda’s. Hard to miss because of the enormous sun/moon-man whose open mouth forms the entrance. A couple of the streets nearby have a distinctly more university hang-out vibe, particularly Acland Street. Record shops, novelty items, clothes for hipsters and hippies, and pizza parlors line the block. Interestingly, this is also the spot to go for incredible Greek pastries, as well as falafels and other tasty vegetarian options. St. Kilda’s also has a botanical garden and park area with lovely rose gardens and playground equipment for kids.