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Live in Melbourne, Victoria!

(Sources: www.melbourne.com.au, www.melbourne.vic.gov.au, www.visitmelbourne.com)

Total Metropolitan Area: 7.693 km²
Population:  3.9 million 
Telephone Area Code: 03

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Melbourne, with a population of more than three million, is Australia's second largest city. It is regarded as the cultural and fashion capital of Australia and renowned for its fine restaurants. It is a true multicultural city with more than one quarter of Melbourne's inhabitants born overseas. The city is extremely racially tolerant and very easy to work and live in. Visitors enjoy a warm and friendly reception.

Whereas Sydney is bold and brassy, Melbourne is conservative and refined and has an elegance that appeals to most visitors. The American actress Ava Gardner, while visiting Melbourne in the '60s to make the film “On the Beach” pronounced Melbourne as a great place to film the end of the world, but much has changed and Melbourne is now arguably one of the great cities of the world. Its unparalleled attractions are its gardens and parklands, food precincts, arcades, and great sporting facilities, including the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Flemington Racecourse. Most of these attractions are situated around the Central Business District or within an easy tram or train ride. There are a number of easy day walks within a few kilometres of the CBD.

Melbourne is undergoing a lifestyle revolution whereby more and more people are electing to live within a few kilometres of the CBD. This is resulting in the transformation of docklands and older inner-city areas into brash new residential areas.

Although Melbourne sprawls around much of Port Phillip, the main focus for visitors is the Yarra River, which, with its resplendent Victorian bridges, forms the southern parameter of the CBD. The river separates the city from the Southbank development and the parklands that surround the Royal Botanic Gardens. The Crown Entertainment Complex, accommodating the Southern Hemisphere's largest casino, is situated on the banks of the Yarra.

South of the Yarra River is St Kilda Road, a nine-kilometre boulevarde lined with office buildings and English plane trees. To the west of St Kilda Road is Albert Park Lake, which hosts the Australian Grand Prix. The boulevard runs up to St Kilda, a bayside suburb once the haunt of prostitutes and drug addicts. St Kilda, famous for its Acland Street cake shops, has seen a remarkable resurgence over the past 20 years and is now one of Melbourne's most fashionable areas to live and visit.

North of the CBD are the Queen Victoria Market and a host of parklands and gardens, including Fitzroy Gardens, Flagstaff Gardens and Treasury Gardens.

Although Melbourne has a good metropolitan train system, it is envied by city administrators the world over for its excellently laid out tramway system. A mix of new and old trams graces a network of tram tracks that stretch far out into the suburbs. The city even has a commercially run tramcar restaurant that runs along the more interesting tram routes.
Melbourne is home for the Australian Tennis Grand Slam every year in January.

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Climate in Melbourne

Melbourne has a well-deserved reputation for its changing weather.  Over the course of a day it can be possible to experience a little something of the four seasons.  A tip for any visitor to Melbourne is to be prepared for anything – take an umbrella and wear shorts!
As a general rule, Melbourne enjoys a temperate climate with warm to hot summers, mild and sometimes balmy spring and autumns, and cool winters.
While Melbourne has a reputation for rain, the city actually receives less rainfall than either Brisbane or Sydney.
Melbourne is an excellent place to see the seasons change.  In summer, most people head out to visit our golden beaches.  In autumn it is possible to experience the glorious foliage of the many nineteenth century European-style parks that fringe the CBD.  In winter, Melburnians enjoy the warmth of cosy cafes and bars.  Spring is a time for renewal – a great time to head back into our parks and marvel at our fantastic range of flora and fauna.
Melbourne is located in the southern hemisphere and experiences opposite seasons to those in Europe, North America, and most of Asia.

Average temperatures by month:

(Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology)

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Location and Population in Melbourne

The City of Melbourne is situated within the State of Victoria in the Country of Australia.

The City of Melbourne is made up of the city centre and a number of inner-city suburbs. Each suburb has its own distinctive flavor, with different businesses, dwellings and groups of people living and working there.

Who lives in Melbourne?

Students

A large student population lives, studies, works and plays in the city. The city has more than 30 tertiary institutions, teaching more than 70,000 students. Of all students studying in the city, 25 per cent also live here. The most popular suburbs for tertiary students are Carlton, the CBD and Parkville, where most of the city’s tertiary institutions are located. The students are often young adults, aged 20 to 35, many from Asian countries.
They are attracted to the location because of lifestyle and also proximity to educational institutions. They are an active population, engaged in social and sporting and exercise activities. They almost all have computer and Internet access.

Young professionals

Young professionals are also a significant group of the population. These residents are characterised by their relative affluence, they are likely to be employed full time in the professional or to a lesser extent managerial positions in Melbourne central business district. They are likely to be living either alone or in couple household situations, not necessarily married.
They are a highly mobile population, attracted to the location and dwelling type for lifestyle reasons primarily. They are an active, engaged population often involved in gym and exercise groups, are socially active - for example:

• nightclubbing;
• socialising with friends; and
• going to the cinema and theatre.

Some of these residents, but not large proportions, are looking to move into separate housing within five years to start families. On the whole however they are not suggesting likelihood to start families in the near future.

Empty nesters

These residents are aged 46 to 60 years and living in couple-only households. Empty nesters are particularly concentrated in the Docklands area. These residents are generally affluent, own their own home, are characterized by both household members working in managerial and professional occupations in Melbourne CBD.
This group is still highly mobile and is not necessarily planning on staying at the same address for long. They are affluent and therefore have the ability to relocate to suit changing desires or needs. This group is socially active, particularly in cultural activities. They are also physically active, often owning and using a bicycle recreationally.

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Areas Within Melbourne

(Source: www.visitmelbourne.com)

Melbourne, one of the world’s most liveable cities, is the capital city of Victoria, Australia.
With a metropolitan area covering 8,806sqkm, it is home to 3.8 million people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds.
Melbourne's economic and political centre is located within the municipal boundaries of the City of Melbourne, an area of 37.6 sq km that includes the central business district, some of Melbourne's most historic suburbs and Southbank.
Most of Melbourne's famous sporting venues and major parks and gardens are also found here.
Melbourne is a city of energy, sophistication and innovation. It is also a city of history and cultural diversity.
The City of Melbourne is made up of the city centre and a number of inner-city suburbs.
Each suburb has its own distinctive flavour, with different businesses, dwellings and groups of people living and working there.

Carlton is the traditional home of Melbourne’s Italian community and is famous for the bustling restaurants and cafes that spill on to busy Lygon Street.
Leafy Parkville is home to the University of Melbourne and major hospital, research and institutional facilities, while at East Melbourne you'll find fabulous heritage homes, two of the city's most impressive parks as well as the world-famous Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Docklands is changing the look and feel of Melbourne. Six times the size of Sydney's Circular Quay, Docklands is being developed, mostly by private sector investment, with waterfront restaurants, shops, apartments, offices, businesses, technology centres, marinas, parks and public artworks.
Southbank is the buzzing riverside promenade stretching along the south side of the Yarra River from the popular Southgate shopping and dining complex to the glittering Crown Casino. It's been a favourite spot for Melburnians to drink, dine and stroll.

While the City has approximately 15 suburbs within its border, for the purposes of reporting, the City of Melbourne has been divided into 18 small areas contained within 11 reports.

Fitzroy

Edgy fashion
Alternative dining.

Inner suburban Fitzroy is home to Melbourne’s bohemian culture. An edgy mix of alternative, artistic and trendy elements, it has a fascinating collection of young designer and retro clothes shops, bookshops, galleries, cafes and restaurants, and a vibrant nightlife.

A short walk along Brunswick Street, Fitzroy’s backbone, will give you a feel for this popular suburb. You will see quaint and quirky shops, and eclectic art on offer in nearby studios, galleries and workshops, all set off by colourful public art street benches. Pick up bargain retro and recycled fashion, arty homewares, unique locally made jewellery or just a colourful bunch of flowers. Wander through pop culture at Polyester Books or just have a browse through the alternative secondhand stores to find a bargain.
Brunswick Street’s cool cafes, restaurants and boisterous bars offer something at any time of day, serving breakfast all day and coming alive at night with crowds of locals turning up to eat, drink and enjoy themselves.

Nearby Smith Street is an interesting multicultural streetscape that is growing in popularity as an alternative to Brunswick Street. Known for its fine vegetarian and whole foods, you’ll also find plenty of budget-friendly Asian, Greek, Moroccan, and Middle Eastern eateries from which to choose.

Trading on the free-spirited alternative culture of Brunswick and Smith streets is Johnston Street. Situated between the two, Johnston Street is Melbourne’s Spanish quarter and has a range of tapas and flamenco bars.

Fitzroy is the centre of the Melbourne Fringe Festival (September-October).

Carlton

Little Italy
Shopping
Dining.

Lygon Street in Carlton is Melbourne’s own Little Italy. It is the place where the city’s famous café culture was born, with the arrival of Melbourne’s first espresso machine at one of the street’s Italian-owned cafes in the 1950s.

The street’s double-storey Victorian terraces are crammed with endless cafes and restaurants serving steaming bowls of pasta, espresso and delicious gelati. And as you walk past, charming waiters will try and entice you to step inside or take a seat for sidewalk service. There’s pizza and pasta aplenty and old favourites like Tiamo and University Café are as warm and welcoming as they are unfaddishly tasty.

Further down Lygon Street you’ll find bookshops, galleries and plenty of shops selling the latest European and Australian fashions. The crowd here is mixed – from students at the nearby university, to the literary set buying up big at Readings bookstore and older Italian men just watching the world go by. Make a bee-line for the Lygon Street Festa in October – a celebration of traditional and contemporary Italian culture and one of Australia's largest outdoor street festivals.

Richmond

Bargain shopping
Greek and Vietnamese dining

Richmond is one of the city’s earliest settlements, and is a vibrant suburb based around food and fashion. Best known for its bargain designer and seconds shopping along Bridge Road and Swan Street, Richmond is home to the factory outlets and seconds stores for many of Australia’s finest fashion and accessory designers, including Mimco and Country Road.

Also on Swan Street and Bridge Road you can find a range of eateries from restaurants to cafes, many offering a genuine taste of Greece.

Nearby Victoria Street is known as Little Saigon and is the heart of Melbourne’s Vietnamese community. The long stretch of eateries, bakeries, butchers, fishmongers and grocers starts at Hoddle Street and extends to the Yarra River in nearby Abbotsford. But don’t expect white linen tablecloths and hovering waiters – Victoria Street is about the hustle and bustle of fast, fresh and exceptional Asian food at a bargain price. Wander through the Asian groceries or stop for Vietnamese snacks including crisp rice paper rolls or a steaming bowl of pho.

Victoria Bitter and Fosters beer buffs can take a tour through the Carlton & United Breweries’ brewhouse in Abbotsford.

Prahran and South Yarra

Designer clothing
Fine and alfresco dining.

The vast mix of Australian and internationally renowned designer label and fashion boutiques, chic cafes and bars make this area an irresistible temptation for the fashion conscious, and has become the place to be seen in Melbourne. Its backbone, Chapel Street, is lined with trendy shops selling all things groovy and hip – from cutting edge fashion to funky home wares and inspiring gifts. It is also home to top Australian designers like Scanlan & Theodore, Colette Dinnigan and Bettina Liano.

The more adventurous detour to Greville Street (just off Chapel Street in Prahran) for offbeat retro clothing and streetwear, as well as eclectic gifts, jewellery and record stores. And if you’re in the area on a Sunday afternoon, make a beeline for the Greville Street Market. For fantastic fresh food and discount shopping don’t miss the Prahran Market on Commercial Road.

This area is as much about people watching as it is about fashion and where better to settle in to look than at one of the many cool bars and cafes, such as Café Domo, Pieroni and Chinois. Fashion devotees, art students, thirty-something professionals, models, techno kids and skaters are all part of the landscape here.

Nearby Toorak Road and High Street are also well-known shopping strips, offering a more understated sophistication with exclusive and specialist shops and boutiques.

St Kilda

Beachside cool
Café culture

St Kilda, once a seaside resort for genteel folk to take the sea air, is still Melbourne’s favourite playground. In the 1960s and 1970s St Kilda's faded grandeur took on a seedier edge, but today this racy atmosphere is replaced by a race to the next alfresco table.

On weekends, Melburnians flock here to walk, cycle and skate along the palm-lined foreshore or to lounge in an outdoor café or cocktail bar – and take in the panoramic views of Port Phillip Bay.

Away from the foreshore, you’ll find much of St Kilda’s activity concentrated in Fitzroy and Acland streets. Fitzroy Street is renowned for its cool cafes, restaurants and bars, with tables spilling onto the footpath, and is one of Melbourne’s most attractive eating and drinking streets. Nearby Acland Street is vibrant and bustling, with an eclectic mix of restaurants, wine bars and continental cake shops. By day the streets are lined with people drinking lattes; at night they’re buzzing with clubbers and night owls.

The second-hand stores in Acland Street are favorites for bric-a-brac shoppers and retro fashion dressers. Go treasure hunting for a stylish gift, and don’t miss the selection of independent music and book stores, as well as second-hand furniture.

Port Melbourne

Station Pier ferry terminal
Pubs and nightlife

Port Melbourne is a stylish blend of the old and the new – once a concentration of transport and manufacturing industry, today it’s a buzzing bayside suburb transformed by striking residential developments alongside restored public buildings and workers’ cottages.

Tree-lined Bay Street has a fascinating collection of old fashioned pubs, hotels and historic buildings housing specialist retailers, boutiques and contemporary eateries. You’ll also find a large number of film and recording studios, as well as publishers and production houses in the area.

Since the 1830s, Port Melbourne has been the arrival point for millions of shipping passengers. Today, Station Pier is the docking point for the Spirit of Tasmania ferry service from Devonport, Tasmania, and for international cruise ships, which are in port between November and March each year.

Year-round, walkers, runners and cyclists pound the palm-lined path that hugs the Port Melbourne foreshore, and continues all the way through St Kilda to Frankston.

South Melbourne and Albert Park

South Melbourne Market
Albert Park Lake and Grand Prix race track

South Melbourne is one of Melbourne’s oldest suburbs and boasts beautifully restored public buildings, terrace houses and stately mansions. Running through the heart of South Melbourne is cosmopolitan Clarendon Street, featuring restored Victorian shopfronts, as well as fashion, food and fabulous coffee. You’ll find characters, charm and fresh produce galore at the South Melbourne Market, a fixture of the area since 1867.

Sandwiched between South Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay is Albert Park, popular year-round for its cafés and delis and swag of leisure facilities along Bridport Street. Albert Park Lake and surrounding parklands, where Melbourne’s inner city dwellers jog, sail, cycle or row is the main drawcard, with Albert Park beach popular with beach goers in summer. Also in the neighbourhood is the Albert Park Golf Course and the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. In March, race to Albert Park for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

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Melbourne Surrounds

Phillip Island

Phillip Island is home to some of Victoria's most popular wildlife experiences. Enjoy watching hundreds of Little Penguins returning to their burrows at the famous Penguin Parade, come face-to-face with koalas dozing in their treetop homes at the Koala Conservation Centre or cruise past Australia's largest colony of fur seals.

During the warmer months, the island also offers plenty of opportunities to test the water with sheltered bay beaches on the northern side of the island and wild surf beaches on the south coast.

San Remo is the gateway to Phillip Island and an important fishing port. Drop into the popular local fishing co-op to pick up a fresh lobster and feed the pelicans or charter a fishing boat and try casting a line yourself.

The first town on the island is the small fishing village of Newhaven – a popular place for fishing from the pier, surfing one of the best surf beaches in Victoria, walking along the beautiful Cape Woolamai or exploring nearby historic Churchill Island.
On the south-east tip of the island is the quiet village of Rhyll. Wander through the Koala Conservation Centre to see koalas at close range or view birds as you walk through the famous wetlands at Rhyll Inlet.

Cowes is the main commercial centre on Phillip Island and has a wealth of charming cafes and restaurants for visitors to enjoy. Enjoy the nightly Penguin Parade at Phillip Island Nature Park or take a wildlife cruise to the large fur seal colony on Seal Rocks.

Yarra Glen

Population approximately 2,094
51 kilometres north-east of Melbourne
At the centre of the Yarra Valley wine and food region.

Yarra Glen is an agricultural and dairy town in the heart of the Yarra Valley wine and food region and is an ideal base for enjoying cellar door tastings and sampling local produce. A short distance from Melbourne, Yarra Glen is a popular weekend getaway with a host of indulgent activities and attractions.

Activities and attractions
Meet the winemaker and sample wines at the cellar door of some the state’s best known and award-winning wineries, such as Yering Station, De Bortoli and TarraWarra Estate winery, or experience the vineotherapy treatment at Natskin at Balgownie Estate
Dine on regional produce or visit the Yarra Valley Dairy for lunch and enjoy handmade cheeses, local wines, coffee, desserts and excellent views
Visit the region's only Pioneer working farm and view the most complete set of original solid timber slab constructed farm buildings in Australia. Cattle, horses, Berkshire pigs, and sheep wander the property.
Taste and purchase locally grown produce at the Yarra Valley Regional Food Group Farmers’ Market on the third Sunday of each month
Take a sunrise balloon flight over the picturesque valley
Picnic or walk the 18 kilometre trail in Sugarloaf Reservoir Park
Find handmade treasures at the Yarra Glen Craft Market on the first Sunday of each month
Indulge in a relaxing spa at the Immerse Spa and Winery
Experience the Yarra Valley Horse and Harness race meets.

Major events
The Grape Grazing Festival – February
Yarra Glen Agricultural Show – March
Melba Festival – March
The Yarra Valley Expo held at the Yarra Glen Racecourse – April

The Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road region hugs the contours of Victoria's rugged south west coast and offers visitors one of Australia's greatest and most spectacular coastal drives.

Start your journey in Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula and discover beautiful beaches, great eateries, a fascinating heritage and an enormous range of recreational opportunities from fishing and golfing to diving and surfing. Take in the colourful and lively ambience of bayside Geelong, Victoria's second largest city, or visit quaint Queenscliff and discover the town's rich maritime history, excellent restaurants and heritage hotels.
Along the coast, seaside resort towns such as Lorne and Apollo Bay are the perfect base for a seaside escape. They offer stunning beaches and water sports as well as some of Australia's best rainforest scenery in the nearby Otway Ranges.

One of the most visited stretches of the road is Port Campbell. Buffeted by wild seas and fierce winds, the coastline around Port Campbell has been sculpted over millions of years to form a series of striking rock stacks that rise out of the Southern Ocean. Known as the Twelve Apostles, they are one of the most spectacular natural attractions in Victoria.

The Great Ocean Road region also has a rich maritime past. Historic towns such as Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Portland allow you to enjoy seafaring village life, with their fishing wharves, beautifully preserved colonial buildings and maritime museums recounting the stories of ships that have foundered off the rugged shipwreck coast.

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