Introduction
Capital of the State of Victoria and second largest city in Australia, Melbourne is situated on the southern coast of the country. The city of Melbourne is famous for its sporting extravaganzas, exciting nightlife, great shopping experiences, and a vibrating cultural life. This sprawling cosmopolitan city has changed its face a lot in the last century though the basic character has remained same. The city is not only a capital city or tourist destination, but also a buzzing business destination that offer a lot of opportunities to the entrepreneurs and job seekers alike.

What to do
Melbourne is a city that has in store indulgence options for everybody. Right from a good morning walk in some of the best maintained parks in the world to dining in some of the best multicuisine restaurants, your day is going to be full of activities. Spend your daytime appreciating the beauty of architectural splendours and evenings shopping at some of the biggest shopping malls in Asia – Pacific. If you do not want to indulge in these regular activities look outside the city limits and explore the wealth of natural beauty and architectural splendour scattered all around.

City at a Glance

Latitude 37° 49' S Longitude 144° 58' E Population 3,371,300 Language English Religion Christianity Telephone Code 03

History
The foundations of the city of Melbourne was made on a land bought from the aboriginal tribes in 1836. Before this, the region was inhabited by five different groups of Aboriginal tribes belonging to Kulin Nation. The city was named after then British Prime Minister Lord Melbourne in 1837 and by the year 1842 it had a population of about 10,000 people. By the year 1861, Melbourne became the largest city in Australia more because of the gold boom that started in 1850's at Ballarat. The gold boom ended in 1881 and with that started a devastating depression leading to the closure of many business. Between the year 1901 and 1927, Melbourne worked as the capital of Australia while Canberra was built. There has not been much change in the character of the city except that it has expanded a lot, offers multitude of opportunities, and has successfully competed with the changes in modern world.

Weather and Best Season to Visit
Melbourne has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons and no extremes. Maximum temperature during the summers can touch 30ēC while in the winters it averages around 15ēC. The daily temperature is unpredictable and you can experience frequent climatic changes in one day itself. It is difficult to pick one season to visit Melbourne as the place can be visited any time of the year.

HIGHLIGHTS
City Centre
The city centre of Melbourne houses some of the major landmarks of Melbourne like Flinders St Station and neo – Gothic St Paul's Cathedral. Some other important structures include the city square, the boom – year's Town Hall, State Libraries, and the city baths.

The National Gallery
Situated on the south bank of Yarra, The National gallery houses finest collections of traditional paintings and contemporary Koorie art.

The Arts Centre
The Arts Centre of Melbourne is situated on the South Bank and its theatre building is considered as one of the most famous landmarks of the city. The centre is known for its state – of- the – arts facilities and acoustics.

Queen Victoria Markets
Situated at a distance of around one km north of Central Business District, Queen Victoria Markets is one of the oldest areas in the city. Originated in 1857, many of its buildings have been classified by the National Trust. You can also take a short ferry ride from here to Royal Botanical Gardens and have a look on one of the best collection of plants in the world.

Suburbs
Fitzroy, Richmond, and Carlton are some of the inner suburbs in the city famous for architecture, eating joints, and laid – back atmosphere. While Carlton is the Italian centre, Victoria Street in Richmond unfolds vibrant Vietnamese lifestyle.

Important Festivals and Exhibitions
Melbourne is the city of festivals and events and the calendar remains full throughout the year. The city is famous for some spectacular sporting events like football grand final, world championship tennis, Formula 1 Grand Prix, and Motorcycle Grand Prix. The city celebrates three – week Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in the top restaurants. Some of the other important festivals include Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne Festival, and Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

SHOPPING
he city of Melbourne provides shopping options that suit every taste, choice and style. Shopping tours are popular in Melbourne with lot of surprises and bargains in the markets. Swanston Street in the city centre is the main shopping mall of Melbourne while Bourke and Collins Streets are other two major shopping centres in the city that fulfill every wish of the travellers.

WHERE TO STAY
The city provides a wide range of accommodation options that starts from no frills simple accommodation to super luxurious five star hotels. City centre is the best bet for top end and bottom end options while bread and breakfast, apartment blocks, and some middle range accommodation can be searched in the suburbs of the city.

WHERE TO EAT

Melbourne serves an array of regional delicacies from around the world in its numerous restaurants, cafes, and five – star hotels. The cuisine varies from Chinese, Greek, South East Asian, Vietnamese, Italian, French, to the Middle Eastern.

TRANSPORT RESOURCES
Air Travel Resources
From Melbourne Tullamrine Airport it takes around 20 minutes to reach the city centre by bus or taxi. The airport is connected to a great number of destinations in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa.

Land & Water
Melbourne is connected to all the major cities in Australia with road and rail. Highways connect most of the places in Highland Victoria with Melbourne though the bus services are a bit boring because of long distances and not much to do in the way. Though not many cities outside Victoria are connected to Melbourne by train but inside the state, train is a comfortable and fast communication medium connected to many places.

Local Transport
Melbourne has an excellent and friendly transport system that helps you in moving around the city. The transport system include regular trams, trains, and bus services and single ticketing system is applicable for all of three. You can also hire a limousine, taxis, or a push bike and that should make you understand the city better than anything else.