GUIDES

Melbourne Guide

Melbourne - Out and About

Melbourne is the capital city of the state of Victoria. It is situated on a vast strip of coastal plain and occupies both banks of the river Yara, at the point where the river flows into Port Phillip. The second largest city in Australia, Melbourne, known for its parks and green open spaces, is referred to as the “Garden City”.

Melbourne’s art centres and cultural life are the focal point of the city. Its charm is derived from having succeeded in conserving its splendid Victorian style architecture.

Melbourne, built to a regular rectangular plan, has large, wide streets. The city has undergone a rapid economic development, which has seen Melbourne expand into a large metropolis. The city and its suburbs have grown up along Melbourne’s principal road and transport links.

Golden Mile, the city centre, is defined by Trobe Street in the north , Springs Street in the east and the river Yara to the south; this area houses Melbourne’s commercial and amministration centres and its main hotels and theatres. The city, with its simple rectangular lay-out, is easy to travel around.

Fine examples of late 19th Century and early 20th Century architecture can be seen in Collins Street and Bourke Street. Other notable buildings are: the Gothic style ANZ bank, the Rialto building and St Paul’s Cathedral, on the corner of Swanson Street and Flinders Street.

Central Square, with its mix of architectural styles, shops and cafés, is the nerve centre of the city. The square is home to numerous institutes of credit, universities and some of Australia’s best museums and theatres. Throughout the city centre it is possible to see a mix of soaring modern constructions, which stand alongside traces of the city’s historic past: Flinders Station, Parliament House and the Victoria Theatre.

The city houses a colourful Chinatown, numerous botanical gardens and a zoo. Tullamarine is the city’s main airport. The Met is the name given to Melbourne’s public transport system. The system comprises, bus, tram and train. One ticket (Metcard) is valid for all three means of transport and can be purchased from shops showing the Metcard flag, or from kiosks and automatic ticket-vending machines in the stations.

The city is divided into three transport zones. The city centre is divided into three zones and is best seen travelling by tram. The City Circle Tram is a free service that runs in both directions around the city centre. The service operates Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm, with regular departures every twenty minutes. The whole journey takes forty minutes and passes many of the principle sights of Melbourne.

Rail journeys are very long and are best suited for travel to the city suburbs. Flinders Street Station is the main departure point for this type of travel. The bus network serves those areas not covered by the tram and train service and operates a night –time service during the week-ends.

Melbourne - Not to be missed

Melbourne’s many museums include: the Natural History of Victoria Museum, which houses an extensive collection of Australian hand-made articles; the Keeping Place Aboriginal Gallery; the experimental Children’s Museum and the Old Melbourne Gaol, a prison built in 1850 and closed in 1929, a period, during which 136 prisoners were sentenced to death.

The Women in Prison section of the Gaol is particularly interesting: evening plays are performed, which combine theatrical art with the cruelness of the prison setting.

The Nautical Museum, on Polly Woodside contains old Irish sailing boats. Melbourne is the seat of the National Gallery of Victoria, that houses collections of European art from the 15th century through to the 18th Century (Flemish, Dutch, Italian, French and English), modern art (from Impressionist through Post-impressionist to Contemporary) and Australian art. The Performing Arts Museum has collections from some of the world’s major theatres.

Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens: thirty-five hectares of gardens with thousands of species of plants, gathered from Australia and the rest of the world. Melbourne Zoo, the oldest in Australia, has a fine African rain forest exibition, complete with gorillas and orang-utan, an interesting butterfly collection and various animal species typical of the Australian continent.

Visitors to Melbourne shouldn’t miss a visit to Melbourne Cricket Ground, home to the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, the Olympic Museum and the Australian Gallery of Sport.

Melbourne - Walks and tours

Philipp Island, a fascinating landscape of unspoilt nature and old-fashioned villages, is situated 90 minutes drive south-east of the city, at the entrance of Western Port Bay.

It houses a natural park and numerous other attractions, including the Penguin Parade, which takes place every evening at dusk, when the smallest penguins in the world emerge from the sea and waddles up the beach towards their nests among the sand dunes.

It is also possible to visit the Koala Conservation Centre and the Seal Rocks Sea Life Centre, home to the largest seal colony in Australia.

Bellarine Peninsula forms the western side of Port Philipp Bay and is a popular holiday destination for the inhabitants of Melbourne. The seaside town of Queenscliffe boasts some extravagant buildings, reminders of the Gold Rush Era, which today have been restored to the original splendor.

Fort Queenscliffe, built during the Crimean War to protect Melbourne from Russia invasion, now houses a Military Museum.

Travelling the scenic route from Melbourne to Ballarat, allows the visitor to stop off and to observe and walk among the animals and magnificent Australian vegetation.

Sovereign Hill is an open air museum, situated 110 km. from Melbourne. The museum tells the story of life in Ballarat during the Gold Rush Period. The streets in Sovereign Hill swarm with people dressed in period costume, busy in their daily activities, in the town’s shops, hotels and schools. Here in Sovereign Hill it is still possible for the visitor, armed with pan, to try his luck at searching for gold. The museum is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm

Melbourne - The traveller's notebook

Currency : Australian Dollar Electric supply: 240/250 volts, 60 hertz. The plug is flat three-pinned and necessitates the use of an adaptor Language : English Opening hours : Shops are open from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5:30 pm; Saturday, 9 am to Midday. Banks are open Monday to Thursday, from 9:30 am to 4 pm; Friday, from 9:30 am to 5 pm Public Offices are open from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm

Melbourne - A pocket guide

Melbourne is the country’s culinary capital, where it is possible to find quality food even in the pubs. Melbourne, the commercial capital of Australia, is also an important centre of fashion Collins Street houses famous large retail stores, such as Meyers and Waltons, while Spring Street and Swanston Street are home to the more exclusive boutiques.

The main shopping centres are The Block and Royal Arcade. It is possible to find almost everything at the century old Market: Victoria Market is open Tuesday, Saturday morning.

The Moomba Festival, held during the month of March, has interesting theatrical productions. There are many good quality theatre restaurants, including Last Laugh Theatre at 64 Smith Street and the Naughty Nineties at 675 Glenferrie Road. The city’s night life rotates around rock- pubs, such as Bombay Rock and the Station Hotel. Jazz enthusiasts should visit La Brasserie, the Victoria Hotel or the Anchor and Hope.

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