View of Melbourne, 1839

Chalet in Melbourne, 1840; watercolor

Original plan of the Parliament building in Melbourne (lithography). Construction began in 1855, but slowed soon. As a result, the dome and wings above the reading room were never built.

Litography of the Royal Exhibition Center, built specifically for the World Exhibition of 1880. Later, several similar events were held in his building, as well as the opening of Australia's first parliament.

Map of Melbourne 1888

Flynders Street Train Station, at the crossroads of Flynders Street and Swenston, 1927. During this period it was the station with the largest number of passengers in the world.

Photo of Melbourne and the Yarra River, the city's main transport artery at the time, 1928

The ICI House office building, which began construction in 1955, demonstrated the city's immense desire to host the 1956 Summer Olympic Games.

The area adjacent to the Jarraa River and Port Phillip Bay, which is now Melbourne, was inhabited by the Wurungeri Aboriginal Australians before the arrival of the Europeans. It is believed that the Aboriginal people lived in this area for at least 40 thousand years. The first attempt to establish a European colony here was made by the British in 1803, when they formed a hard-line settlement in the Sullivan Bay area, but the settlement was abandoned only a few months later.

In May and June 1835, the territory now in the central and northern parts of the city was surveyed by John Batman, one of the founders of the Port Phillip Association, who concluded a contract with the eight leaders of the Wurundjeri tribe to sell 600,000 acres ( 2400 km²) of adjacent land. He chose the northern coast of Yarra for the settlement and announced that "a village will be built on this site", after which he returned to the town of Lonseston in Tasmania, then known as "Van Dymeni Land". However, when the settlers sent by the Association arrived at the site of the village, they discovered that there was already a settlement formed by a group of people led by John Pascoe Fockner, who arrived here aboard the Enterprise on 30 August 1835. Eventually, the two groups agreed on joint development. The contract that Batman signed with the Aboriginal people was soon overturned by the New South Wales administration, which then administered the entire continental Australia. This meant that the land was transferred to the Crown, but the rights of the people living there were secured and the newly formed city was given the right to exist.

In 1836, Governor Burke declared the city the administrative center of Port Phillip, a colony of New South Wales, and in 1837 approved the first city plan known as the Hoddl Plan. At the end of the same year, the city was finally named Melbourne, in honor of the British Prime Minister, William Lam, the 2nd Vicomte of Melbourne, whose ancestral estate was located in Melbourne, Derbyshire, England. Melbourne was declared a city after the announcement on June 25, 1847 of the letter of the Queen Victoria.

When Victoria became an independent colony in 1851, Melbourne became its capital. Since the discovery of gold in the state in the 1850’s and the start of the gold rush, the city has developed rapidly, providing the region with everything it needs and serving as Australia's main port in the southeast. During the turbulent development of Melbourne in the 1850s and 1860s, many of the city's most famous buildings were built, such as: Victoria Parliament, Treasury Building, State Library, Supreme Court, University, Central Post Office, Government Building, and St. Paul and St. Patrick's Cathedrals. Central urban neighborhoods were well planned, with numerous boulevards laid and gardens and parks broken. Melbourne became the country's main financial center during these years: It is home to the headquarters of several important banks. In 1861 the first stock exchange in Australia was established in the city.

By the 1880s, Melbourne's rapid development continued. The city became one of the largest cities of the British Empire, at the same time being considered one of the richest cities in the world. During these years of prosperity Melbourne received several international exhibitions in the specially built Exhibition Center for this purpose. One of the journalists who visited the city in 1885 called the city "Amazing Melbourne". This phrase has taken hold, and the city continues to call it so throughout the twentieth century. The city's turbulent construction led to a boom that culminated in 1888. During this time, real estate prices were fueled by optimistic forecasts of industrial development. As a result, a large number of high-rise buildings, offices, "coffee palaces", income houses were built. Not all of them were preserved as a result of the subsequent development of the city, the construction of modern high-rise buildings, and also after the demolition of many buildings of that era due to the tightening of fire safety rules. Despite this, however, Melbourne is still famous for its Victorian architecture. This period is also characterized by the extensive development of public transport and, in particular, the network of radial tram routes.

The period of prosperity came to an end, when in 1891 the city started a severe economic crisis, which brought urban finance to complete chaos: during this period, 16 small banks and investment communities closed in Melbourne, and 133 companies announced their liquidation. The Melbourne financial crisis triggered an all-Australia economic crisis that lasted throughout the 1990’s, as well as the Australian banking crisis of 1893. The effect of the depression on the city's economy is hard to overestimate. Although the city continued to develop slowly, the consequences of the crisis were felt during the first decades of the twentieth century.

Since Australia's establishment as an independent State on 1 January 1901, Melbourne has been declared the country's temporary capital. The first Federal Parliament began its meetings at the Royal Exhibition Center on 9 May 1901. The Australian government moved to Canberra in 1927, but Melbourne remained the residence of the Governor-General of Australia until 1930. Many of the most important state institutions remained in Melbourne throughout the twentieth century.

The city was the headquarters of a combined Allied force led by American General Douglas Macarthur at the Pacific Theater during World War II from 1942 to 1944. During the war period, the Melbourne industry received numerous military orders, making the city Australia's main industrial center. After the war, the city continued to grow at a rapid pace thanks mainly to sharply increased immigration, as well as the city's prestige as the organizer of the 1956 Summer Olympic Games. In the following decades, the network of highways was actively developed, and a significant increase in the personal automobile park allowed the development of the districts adjacent to the city. The central part of Melbourne has become more modern thanks to the implementation of numerous urban infrastructure modernization projects. The beginning of the economic recovery and development of the mining industry in the late 60s and early 70s of the XX century has had a beneficial effect on the city. The head offices of many major companies and the Australian Reserve Bank were relocated to Melbourne. The city remained Australia's financial and business capital until the late 1970s, but it gradually lost ground.

The Melbourne economy suffered a major setback in the economic downturn in Victoria between 1989 and 1992. During this period, many of the city's economic institutions ceased to exist. In 1992, a government coalition led by Jeff Kenneth came to power. The new administration launched a campaign to renew the city's economy, launched numerous investment projects, and launched a campaign to develop Melbourne as a tourist center. Many world-famous festivals and events, such as the Formula 1 stage, were held in the city. Major projects of this period were the reconstruction and construction of the Melbourne Museum, Federation Square, Melbourne Exhibitions and Meetings Center, Crown Casino, City Link (a toll road passing through the city center). Simultaneously, some of Melbourne's infrastructure facilities, including electricity and public transport systems, were privatized, as were many public sectors, including health and education.

Since 1997, Melbourne has seen a significant increase in population and jobs. Significant international investments are being made in the development of the city, especially in the industry and real estate market. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' 2006 data, Melbourne has been ranked first among Australia's largest cities in terms of economic growth and population growth since 2000.

Topography

Map of Bolshoi Melbourne

Melbourne is located on the south-eastern tip of the mainland Australia. Geologically, the city stands on the site of the confluence of the quartile lava fields in the west, the silurian argillite in the east and the holocene sandstone deposits in the south-east along the Gulf of Port Phillip.

The eastern part of Melbourne is located on the banks of the Yarra River and along its valley stretching from the coast of the Gulf of Port Phillip to the mountains of Dandenong and Jarra. In the north, the city stretches along the valley formed by the tributaries of Yarra (the rivers Muni Ponds Creek, Merry Creek and Plentie), and ends up in the remote areas of Cragiburn and Whitlsey. In the south and south-east direction, Melbourne stretches along the coast of the Gulf of Port Phillip and the mountains of Dandenong. Then the urban areas turn south along the Gulf, reaching the Patterson River and the Mornington Peninsula. Melbourne, which has grown in this direction, swallowed the city of Frankston and reached the very tip of the Mornington Peninsula in Portsey. In the west of Melbourne stretches along the valley of the River Maribirnong and its tributaries up to the foot of the mountains of Macedon, as well as the relatively level fields of frozen lava along the Melton in the west, Verribi at the foot of the volcanic hills of Yu - Yang and Jilong in the southwest.

The largest beaches of Melbourne are located along the Gulf of Port Phillip along the southeastern areas of the city, such as Port Melbourne, Albert Park, St Kilda, Ilwood, Brighton, Sandrinham Menton and Frankston, but there are beaches in the western regions of Altona and Williamstown. The nearest surfable beaches are about 85 kilometers from the central part of the city in the areas of Paradise, Sorrento and Portsi.

Climate

Melbourne is located in the temperate marine climate zone by the classification of Köppen and is known for frequent and unexpected weather changes. This is due to the fact that Melbourne is mainly located on the plain, which on the one hand is framed by the Dandenong Mountains, and on the other it borders with the waters of the Gulf of Port Phillip. This creates conditions when the air masses from the sea and mountains constantly change each other, making the weather in the city very variable. The expression "four seasons in one day" became the city's calling card.

Melbourne's winter temperatures are typically lower than those of the rest of mainland Australia's capital cities. The absolute minimum temperature was recorded in the central part of the city on July 21, 1869, when it was minus 2.8 °C. Snowfalls in Melbourne, however, are rare. The last was recorded in the city center on 10 August 1986. In the foothills in the east of Melbourne, snow is more frequent. The most recent snowfalls in the Dandenong mountain area were recorded on 10 August 2005, 15 November 2006 and 25 December 2006. More often in the city you can see inches and fog.

The spring weather in Melbourne is mostly warm, and this period of the year is characterized by low rainfall. The city is also known for its very hot and dry summer. During this time of year, temperatures often rise above 40°C. The highest temperature was 46.4°C on 7 February 2009.

Despite the fact that the climate of Melbourne is considered moderate, the city has often witnessed unusual and sometimes even extreme events of nature. In 1891, Melbourne experienced the worst flooding, during which Jarrau spilled up to 305 meters wide. In 1897, a major fire destroyed an entire city block between Flynders Street and Flynders Lane, Swanston Street and Elizabeth Street. In 1908, the city experienced a severe heat wave. On February 2, 1918, the strongest tornado ever to occur in Australia's largest cities passed through Brighton, one of the seaside regions of Melbourne. It has become known in modern Australian history as a Brighton tornado, and is regarded as a F3-class phenomenon on the Fujit scale. On January 13, 1939, the city was at a high temperature of 45.6°C, which occurred during a four-day period of intense heat throughout the country. One consequence of this was the so-called "Black Friday," during which whole villages surrounding Melbourne (now part of the city) burned down. In 1951, a snowfall was recorded in Melbourne, covering the central part of the city and the surrounding areas with a deep layer of snow. In February 1972, there was a massive flood in Melbourne, which turned Elizabeth Street into a flood. On February 8, 1983, the city was covered by a dust storm, and on February 16, 1983, Melbourne was surrounded by forest fires, considered to be the worst fires in the history of Australia in the 20th century (a phenomenon that went down in history as the "Pepple Environment"). Hurricanes of great intensity were observed in the city in January 2004 and February 2005. On December 9, 2006, the city was the most smog in the history of the city due to the forest fires around Melbourne. At this point, the visibility in the central part of Melbourne was no more than 200 meters. In 2008, Melbourne experienced another drought and related fires.

A demographic map of Melbourne. Each dot on the map represents 100 people born in Britain (dark blue), Greece (light blue), China (red), India (brown), Vietnam (yellow), Turkey (purple) Italy (light green) and (former republics) Yugoslavia (dark green). The map is based on the 2006 census data.

Number of major national Melbourne groups by birth
United Kingdom	156,457
Italy	73,801
Vietnam	57,926
China	54,726
New Zealand	52,453
Greece	52,279
India	50,686
Sri Lanka	30,594
Malaysia	29,174
Philippines	27,568
Germany	21,182
Malta	18,951
South Africa	17,317
Macedonia	17,287
Hong Kong	16,917
Poland	16,439
Croatia	15,367
Lebanon	14,645
Netherlands	14,581
Turkey	14,124
Source: Australian Bureau statistics, 2006

Modern Melbourne is a multi-ethnic and multicultural community. Almost a quarter of Victoria's population is born outside Australia, and Melbourne is home to 233 countries that speak 180 languages and preach 116 different religions. The city is home to Australia's second largest Asian community, comprising the country's largest Vietnamese, Indian, and Sri Lankan communities.

The first people inhabiting modern Melbourne were Australians, including the Banarong, Wurunjeri and Vatarong tribes. The city is now an important hub for Aboriginal people. The total number of indigenous Australians in Melbourne is over 20,000 (0.6% of the city's population).

The first European inhabitants of the city were British and Irish. These were all the first settlers to the state of Victoria during the gold rush, who constituted the majority of immigrants until the beginning of the Second World War. The discovery of gold and the beginning of the gold rush in the 1950s marked the beginning of the rapid development of Melbourne. In the first few months since the discovery of gold in Victoria, the population of Melbourne increased by almost 75%, from 25 thousand to 40 thousand. This growth continued unabated for decades to come, and by 1865 Melbourne had outnumbered Sydney in population. In the following years, the gold rush to Victoria and Melbourne began to arrive large groups of people from China, Germany and the United States.

Post-war immigration

Melbourne's Chinatown, founded in 1854, is not only one of Australia's oldest, but also the world's.

Since the end of World War II, a flood of emigrants from the Mediterranean countries, mainly from Greece and Italy, as well as from Turkey and Cyprus, has poured into Melbourne. According to the 2001 census, there were 151,785 ethnic Greeks in the Greater Melbourne territory. 47% of Australia's Greek population lives in Melbourne. The city is often called "the largest Greek city outside Greece."

The demographic situation in Melbourne is characterized by more or less equal distribution of representatives of different ethnic groups across the city's districts, but in some of them, representatives of certain groups historically have an advantage. Italians are believed to live in Carlton and Brunswick, Macedonians in Tomastown, Hindus and Sri Lankan, in the south-eastern region, Greeks in Oaklei, Northcott and Huesdale, Vietnamese in Richmond, Springwell and Futskray, Maltese in Sunshine, Serbs in St. Albans, Turks — in Koburg, Lebanese to Broudmedous, Russians to Carnegie, Spaniards - in Fitzroy, North African representatives in Flemington.

The number of Melbourne residents who were born outside Australia is 34.8% (the country average is 23.1%). The UK is home to 4.7% of the city's population, followed by Italy (2.4%), Greece (1.9%), and China (1.3%).

Religion

The 2011 census showed that 27.2% of Melbourne's population were Catholic, 23.5% non-religious, 10.8% Anglican, 5.5% Orthodox, 4.0% Buddhists , Muslims - 2.3%, Jews - 1.1%. According to statistics, four of Australia's ten Jews live in Melbourne. The city is also home to the largest number of Holocaust victims among other Australian cities.

Population density and growth

Although the overall demographic situation in Victoria varies, Melbourne's statistical services have seen a steady increase in the number of people in the city by about 50,000 per year since 2003. Melbourne is now the main destination for new immigrants from abroad, ahead of Sydney. In addition, the city is now growing with immigrants from other major Australian cities due to more affordable housing prices and relatively low cost of living. Over the past few years, population growth in Melbourne areas such as Melton, Windham, and Casey has been the highest among Australia's local municipalities. If Melbourne continues to grow at the same rate, the city is projected to become Australia's largest again by 2028.

Melbourne's population density began to decline after the Second World War, thanks to the development of new areas for residential areas, the development of public transport networks and an increase in the number of private vehicles. During these years the development of the city was mainly in the east direction. After numerous public discussions in the 1980’s and the economic downturn of the 1990’s, it was decided to develop the city westward while simultaneously increasing population density in the central areas.

Map of the central regions of Melbourne. On the north bank of Yarra, you can see the right rectangle of the streets that make up the Hoddl Plan

Melbourne was founded on the northern bank of the Yarra River in 1835 on a plot of 1.6 km by 0.8 km. The construction in the city was carried out in accordance with the Hoddle Grid, developed by Robert Hoddl, then a surveyor of the colony. All the main streets of the central part of Melbourne are still in line with this plan. The center of the city is known for its historical streets and passages, the most famous of which are Block Place and Royal Arcade, which are home to numerous shops and cafes. The central part is full of many historic and architectural buildings, such as the Royal Exhibition Center, the Victorian Parliament building, the Melbourne Central Hall. Although the place where the city was built is still considered a center, it is not a geographical center because in the twentieth century Melbourne was mainly growing eastward.

Melbourne is in many ways a typical Australian city, as its development, especially in the 20th century, was determined by the development of dormitories where the dream of each Australian family to own a separate house with a small plot of land could be realized. Most of the metropolis of Melbourne is characterized by relatively low population density. The construction of a network of radial railways and tram routes contributed to this development of the city, where people preferred to settle in areas with relatively low land prices and close to so-called "transport corridors".

Due to the vast number of parks, gardens and boulevards, Melbourne is often called a "garden city", and the state of Victoria is known as the "Garden State" since the nineteenth century. Most of the most famous gardens and parks are located in close proximity to the city center. Melbourne is home to five of Australia's six tallest buildings, the highest of which today is the Tower of Eureka.

The Melbourne administration manages the central part of the city, which includes the Central Business District and some adjacent areas. However, the head of the administration, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, is often (especially during overseas trips) seen as the representative of the Grand Melbourne, which includes the whole territory of the metropolis. In 2006, John Soe, the then mayor of Melbourne, was awarded the prestigious "World Mayor" award. In 2008, Robert Doyle was re-elected.

The rest of the territory of the Greater Melbourne is divided into 30 local municipalities. All of them have the status of city administrations, except for four districts that have the status of suburban. District administrations form councils and are responsible for a range of functions (which are transferred to them by the Victoria State Government under the Local Government Act 1989), such as urban planning and waste collection.

Most of the city-wide activities are carried out by the Victoria State Government, which sits at the Victoria State Parliament House on Spring Street. The responsibility of the Government includes: public transport, main roads, traffic management, police, education, planning and urban infrastructure management. With two-thirds of Victoria's population living in Melbourne, the state government has traditionally had a large say in urban affairs. This is not unique to Australia, as state governments in many states manage even larger metropolises.

Melbourne is home to Australia's largest seaport. Its annual trade turnover is about AUD$ 75 billion. The Melbourne seaport also accounts for 39% of the national container traffic.

Melbourne is home to most of the Australian automotive industry, represented by the Ford and Toyota assembly plants, as well as the Holden automotive engine factory. The city is also a base for many other industries, but it is also the largest financial and commercial center.

Melbourne is the center of modern technologies. Computer or information technology industries employ more than 60,000 people, the third largest sector in Australia. This industry has a turnover of AUD$ 19.8 billion, of which AUD$ 615 million is exported.

Melbourne is the largest banking center in the Asia-Pacific region. Two of the four banks in Australia's Big Four, NAB, and ANZ, have headquarters in the city. Melbourne is the largest city in Australia in terms of pension funds. It has Australia's largest pension fund, the Future Federal Fund.

Tourism is now one of the main branches of the Melbourne economy. As of 2004, the city was visited by approximately 4.6 million Australian tourists and 1.88 million foreign tourists. For the period of 2008 Melbourne selected the palm of the championship from Sydney as the main tourist center of Australia.

Melbourne is home to many of Australia's largest corporations, including the top five in the top ten (in total turnover), namely ANZ, BHP Billiton, National Australia Bank, Rio Tinto and Telstra. It is home to the parent institutions of organizations such as the Australian Business Council and the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Melbourne ranks 34th in the list of the world's top 50 financial centers according to the Mastercard World Trade Center Index and second in Australia, after Sydney only.

The city is becoming increasingly important as a center for international meetings and conferences. In February 2006, the construction of the largest conference center for 5,000 seats began. The investment cost of the project is estimated at AUD$ 1 billion.

In 2014, The Economist rated Melbourne as the sixth most expensive city in the world and the second most expensive city in Australia after Sydney.

Flynders Street Station

Bolt Bridge, part of City Link toll road

Melbourne's transport system dates back to the second half of the 19th century, when trams and trains were the main means of public transport. Since the 1950s, roads and highways have been built rapidly due to the sharp increase in the number of private cars. This trend continued over the following decades, with the number of people using public transport declining from 25% in the 1940’s to 9%. In 1999, public transport in Melbourne was privatized. In 1976, emergency telephones appeared on the Melbourne highway.

The tram network in Melbourne is considered to be the largest in the world,. The tram in Melbourne is not only a means of transportation, but also an element of cultural heritage and an important tourist attraction. Since 2015, the tram in the city center is free of charge. There are also several tram-restaurant cars.

The local train network in Melbourne consists of 17 lines. All of them are radial lines, except for a partially underground ring area passing through the Central Business District of the city. Railways are mostly electrified. The largest in the city is Flenders Street Station. In 1926 this station was considered the largest in the world in terms of the number of passengers. The railways connect Melbourne to many cities within Victoria, as well as Sydney and Adelaide. Long distance trains are sent from the Southern Cross station.

In 2012, the Melbourne Railways released a commercial called "Dumb Ways to Die," which it later banned in Russia for promoting suicide.

The Melbourne bus network consists of approximately 300 routes, which mainly serve remote suburbs and fill the gaps between the rail and tram lines.

Melbourne is highly dependent on personal transport: Only 7.1% of the population uses public transport, but this share has increased slightly recently mainly due to higher gasoline prices. Melbourne has about 3.6 million private cars and 22,320 kilometers of roads, one of the highest per capita figures in the world.

Melbourne Port is Australia's largest seaport. In 2007, about 2 million containers were transported through the port in 12 months, making it the fifth largest port in the southern hemisphere. Melbourne is Australia's most important cruise port, along with Sydney. Regular ferries connecting mainland Australia and Tasmania leave the city.

Airlines Qantas and JetStar near the passenger terminal of Melbourne International Airport

There are four airports in Melbourne. The largest is Melbourne International Airport, located in Tullimarina. The airport is home to airlines such as Jetstar Airlines and Tiger Airwais Australia, Australian Air Express and Toll Priority cargo airlines, and a major intermediary center for Qantas and Virgin Blue. Avalon Airport is located between Melbourne and Jelong and is the second largest base for Jetstar airline. Talks to make the airport a second Melbourne international airport have been going on since 2008, but it was only in 2012 that the Victorian government formally agreed. In addition, the airport is used by a number of airlines as a transportation and repair base. Murabbin Airport, located in the south-eastern part of the city, is a major center of small aviation and also receives a limited number of commercial flights. Essendon Airport, which was the main airport of Melbourne until the end of the construction of Tullimarina airport, currently receives commercial and transport flights and is a major center of small aviation.

Ormand College (1857), University of Melbourne

The education system in Melbourne, as in the entire Victoria state, is under the control of the Department of Education and Early Development of the Child (DEECD). The organization acts as an adviser to the two ministries of the State of Victoria involved in the administration of the education system, namely: Ministry of Education and Ministry of Children and Early Childhood Development.

The education system is based on a three-step scheme: primary school, secondary secondary schools and higher colleges education.

School education is compulsory for children between 6 and 15 years of age. Up to two-thirds of the students enrolled in public schools, the rest are private schools. Education in public schools up to the age of 12 is free, but it does not apply to foreign students. Regardless of which school is taught, whether public or private, students must have a certain level of knowledge at the end of their education, and prove it by passing a single examination.

The largest universities in Melbourne and at the same time some of the largest in Australia are the University of Melbourne and the University of Monash. In 2006, the University of Melbourne was named Australia's second best university. In addition, according to a study by the Times Higher Education Supplement, the University of Melbourne is ranked 22nd among the world's best educational institutions, and Monash University is ranked 38th. In the same study, Melbourne was named the world's fourth best university city after London, Boston, and Tokyo.

Melbourne is home to Australia's oldest higher education institutions, including Law School (1857), Technical School (1860), Medical School (1862), Dental School (1897), Music School (189) 1). All of them are members of the University of Melbourne, which is therefore the oldest higher education institution in Victoria and the second oldest in Australia.

The Australian Space Research Institute was also established in Melbourne in the early 1990s.

The academic year usually lasts in Melbourne, as in all of Victoria, from late January to mid-December for primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges, and from the end of February to the end of November for universities.

An important event was the XVIII International Botanical Congress, which was held in Melbourne from 24 to 30 July 2011. More than five thousand scientists took part in its work.

The Victorian government runs about 30 public hospitals and hospitals in Melbourne and 13 other health care organizations. In addition, the city has a large number of private clinics and hospitals. Melbourne is the most important center of medical science in Australia.

The complex of buildings in the Federation Square is an example of modern architecture

The building of the Princess-Seate Theater

Melbourne is Australia's cultural and sports capital. The city hosts many annual cultural events and many of Australia's largest museums and exhibitions. Local architecture is also unique.

Musical culture has deep roots in the city. Many famous Australian musicians come from Melbourne. In recent years, the city has gained popularity around the world as one of the main centers of street art. This kind of modern urban art has become so popular in Melbourne that it is reflected in the guidebooks. The city is considered to be one of the world's main centers of Victorian architecture (1837-1901), where a large number of buildings of this style have been preserved. The architectural appearance of the city is also unthinkable without the beautiful examples of modern architecture that have appeared in Melbourne since the middle of the 20th century.

Theater life in Melbourne is very diverse. The city is home to Australia's National Ballet. The Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in the city in 1853 and is Australia's oldest professional orchestra and the only one with the title "Royal". Melbourne has more theaters than any other city in Australia. The city is also the main center of Australian fashion.

Every year there are festivals of fashion, cinema, music, etc.

Melbourne Cricket Square, one of the largest sports facilities in the city

Melbourne is widely known as Australia's cultural and sports capital. Every year, it hosts a large number of national and international sports competitions. The most significant of these are considered:

• The Australian Open (tennis), this tournament is one of the stages of the Grand Slam;
• Australian Grand Prix (Formula 1);
• Melbourne Cup (horse races);
• Final of the Australian Football League season.

Melbourne also hosted the 1956 Summer Olympic Games and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In 2003, the Rugby World Cup was held in Melbourne; In 2001, Melbourne became the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to host the World Polo Championship. In 2007, the city hosted the World Water Sports Championship, in early 2008 Melbourne hosted the Asian-Pacific Games.

Melbourne is home to Australian football (a game that combines rugby and soccer elements), Australia's most popular sport in terms of the number of spectators attending the tournament. Nine of the 16 teams in the Australian Football League (AFF) are located in the city. The final of the AFLF season is considered Australia's largest domestic sporting event and takes place in the city on the last Saturday of September.

Melbourne has 29 sports facilities that can accommodate more than 10,000 people each. In 2000, the construction of Telstra Dom, the city's largest stadium, was completed, with a capacity to accommodate 56,000 people. The stadium was the world's first sports facility to host football and cricket matches under a roof.

In 2006, the London Research and Advisory Company Arxport named Melbourne the best city in the world for sports competitions. This allowed to consider Melbourne an unofficial sports capital of the world.

Melbourne's largest newspapers are Herald Sun, owned by Rupert Murdoch, The Age, owned by Fairfax, and the evening tabloid mX, also produced by Murdoch. The national newspaper The Australian is published in Melbourne as a special issue for Victoria. This newspaper also belongs to Murdoch. Murdoch News Group publishes several weekly magazines and owns more than 50% of Fairfax, so all the daily newspapers in Melbourne are part of the Murdoch empire. Australia's largest municipal media company, Leader Newspapers, produces 33 local weekly newspapers covering the districts and municipalities of Melbourne.

Melbourne is hosting 29 digital TV channels (analog television was completely shut down on December 31, 2013, throughout Australia). Most of the TV channels come with the logo of commercial (Seven, Nine and Ten) and government-funded (ABC, SBS) networks. There is also a municipal C31 channel.

A large number of radio stations (most famous: 3MBS, Triple J, Fox FM, 3AW, SEN 1116), which are mainly part of the city's three major networks: DMG Radio Australia, Austereo and Southern Cross Broadcasting.

Tourism is the most important component of the Melbourne economy. As of 2004, the city was visited by 7.6 million Australian tourists and 1.88 million foreign tourists. Due to the large number of international sports competitions held in the city, sports tourism is widely spread here. Among the tourists visiting the city, a large part are young people traveling as backpackers. In 2008, Melbourne surpassed Sydney for the first time in terms of money spent in the city by Australian tourists.

On January 30, 2019, Travel and Leisure portal published the rating of the most romantic cities in the world. The study analyzed the number of people seeking to propose a hand and a heart or marry in a particular city. It also analyzed the sexual activity of residents and the existence of favorable conditions for LGBT dating. According to the results of the study Melbourne took the tenth place in this rating.

Main attractions

Royal Exhibition Center

Captain James Cook's cottage

View of the city center with Rialto Towers, viewing area

• Victoria State Library is one of the largest libraries in Australia. The building of the library is an outstanding example of colonial classicism. It is not only a bookstore, but also an important center of cultural life of the city. There are many exhibitions, conferences and meetings with writers.
• The Flynders-Street Station building is located in the very center of the city, and is a unique calling card of the city. His image can be seen on numerous posters, postcards and icons dedicated to Melbourne. The train station is the oldest train station in Australia, is now considered an architectural monument and is protected by the Victorian government.
• The Victorian Parliament building is one of the outstanding examples of civil architecture not only in Australia, but also in the world. The Federal Parliament of Australia was located in this building from 1901 to 1927.
• Royal Exhibition Center - The building is located in Carlton Garden Park, built in 1880. A wonderful example of Victorian architecture. The building was the first in Australia to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building hosted the first meeting of the Australian Parliament on 9 May 1901, which declared Australia's independence.
• Capt. James Cook's cottage, a small stone cottage owned by Captain James Cook's family, was transferred to Melbourne from England in the first half of the 20th century. This building is Australia's national shrine and the city's most important tourist attraction.
• The Casino Crown is the largest casino and entertainment complex located on the south bank of the Yarra River. "Korona" is one of the "business cards" and the main tourist attractions of the city.
• Melbourne Aquarium - located in the heart of the city, on the banks of the Yarra River. It has an interesting collection of the sea and river life of Australia, as well as the surrounding parts of the world's ocean.
• The Melbourne Museum is the largest museum in the southern hemisphere. The museum's expositions are dedicated to the history of Australia, Victoria and Melbourne. The museum building is an interesting copy of modern architecture. In addition to museum expositions, the building includes a hall, theater, IMAX cinema.
• The memorial is one of Australia's largest monuments to soldiers, participants in all the military conflicts in which the country has participated. The legendary Mausoleum in Galikarnas, one of the seven wonders of the world, was used as an idea of the project of the main building.
• The Immigration Museum is a new enough museum dedicated to the history of immigrants who have come to Australia from all over the world.
• Michaels World-Famous Camera Museum - Museum dedicated to the history of photography
• Naberezhnaya Yarra
• Victoria National Gallery is the oldest and largest art gallery in Australia.
• The Federation Square is one of the main places of public meetings and events in the central part of the city. Famous for its modern and largely contradictory architecture. There are numerous exhibition rooms, cinematography center, restaurants, cafes, bars. The large open space of the square connects the central part of Melbourne, the Yarra embankment and adjacent parks.
• Rialto Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the city and Australia. On the 55th floor of the building, at an altitude of 234 meters, on the place of the former viewing area there is a restaurant Vue De Monde.
• Queen Victoria Market is the oldest market located in the immediate vicinity of the city center. Along with purely commercial significance, it is of great historical and tourist importance. It is one of the most visited places in the city.
• St. Paul Cathedral is the main Anglican cathedral of Melbourne. It is located in the very center of the city, forming the architectural axis of the central part of Melbourne. Famous for its organ and the highest spiel, among the Anglican churches, outside England.
• St. Patrick's Cathedral is the largest Catholic cathedral in the city. It is an outstanding example of neo-Gothic style. The cathedral is the largest church structure built in the world in the 19th century.
• Melbourne Art Center
• The Tower of Eureka is the highest skyscraper in Melbourne and one of the highest in Australia. On the 88th floor of the building at an altitude of 297 meters there is a viewing area.

A view of Melbourne at night from the new Doklends district

Melbourne has six sister cities:

• Osaka, Japan, 1978
• Tianjin, China, 1980
• Thessaloniki, Greece, 1984
• Boston, USA, 1985
• Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1989
• Milan, Italy, 2004

In addition, some city administrations have established relations with other foreign cities at the sister city level.

• Jill Mar murder (2012)

• melbourne.vic.gov.au — official site of the city of Melbourne
• Official tourist site of Melbourne (English)
• Official Tourism Board Melbourne Page - Tourism Australia