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Melbourne — travel, stays & events guide
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Melbourne, AustraliaOpen-Meteo forecast.
Melbourne city overview
Melbourne is a city in Australia shaped by its region, population, local economy, landmarks, climate and civic history. This overview summarizes the city itself: where it sits, what defines it, which places anchor its identity and why it matters within the wider country.
City facts
Known forMelbourne, Key city in Australia, Melbourne planning base 3, Melbourne planning base 4
Population~5.4Mcity context
RegionAustraliaAustralia
Time zoneAustralia/Melbournelocal time
Founded1835historical origin
City history
In August 1835, another group of Vandemonian settlers arrived in the area and established a settlement at the site of the current Melbourne Immigration Museum.
In 1836, Bourke declared the city the administrative capital of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales, and commissioned the first plan for its urban layout, the Hoddle Grid, in 1837.
Previously known under various informal names, the settlement was named Melbourne on 10 April 1837 by Bourke after the British Prime Minister, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, whose seat was Melbourne Hall in the.
The British Colonial Office had appointed five Aboriginal Protectors for the Aboriginal people of Victoria, in 1839, but their work was nullified by a land policy that favoured squatters who took possession of Aboriginal.
In 1840, the Superintendent of the Port Phillip District, Charles La Trobe issued a directive to banish Aboriginals from the immediate vicinity of Melbourne.
However, Aboriginal people still managed to continue living near the settlement and by January 1844 there were said to be 675 residing in squalid camps around Melbourne.
By 1845, fewer than 240 wealthy Europeans held all the pastoral licences then issued in Victoria and became a powerful political and economic force in Victoria for generations to come.
On 1 July 1851, the Port Phillip District separated from New South Wales to become the Colony of Victoria, with Melbourne as its capital. Victorian gold rush The discovery of gold in Victoria in.
With the gold rush largely over by 1860, Melbourne continued to grow on the back of continuing gold-mining, as the major port for exporting the agricultural products of Victoria (especially wool) and with a.
Melbourne quickly became a major finance centre, home to several banks, the Royal Mint, and (in 1861) Australia's first stock exchange.
The Melbourne cable tramway system opened in 1885 and became one of the world's most extensive systems by 1890.
The effects of the depression on the city were profound, with virtually no significant construction until the late 1890s. Temporary capital of Australia and World War II At the time of Australia's federation on.
That year, the settlement's general post office officially opened with that name.
Middle suburbs like Box Hill became denser as a greater proportion of Melburnians began living in apartments.
Worth seeing
Melbourne
Melbourne is a practical Melbourne planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Key city in Australia
Key city in Australia is a practical Melbourne planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Melbourne planning base 3
Melbourne planning base 3 is a practical Melbourne planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Melbourne planning base 4
Melbourne planning base 4 is a practical Melbourne planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Melbourne planning base 5
Melbourne planning base 5 is a practical Melbourne planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Melbourne planning base 6
Melbourne planning base 6 is a practical Melbourne planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Stay overview
Compare Melbourne before booking Melbourne hotels. Start with the places you will repeat most, then check airport timing, parking, nightly price and event demand before choosing the final base.
Hotels & areas
Compare accommodation options in and around Melbourne by area, not only by nightly price. A cheaper room can become expensive when airport transfers, parking, attraction routes, late arrivals or event-week demand add time and cost.
Compare stays in Melbourne, AustraliaFlights & airports
Main airport TBC arrival plan
- Melbourne airport accessMain gateway TBC.
Compare airport access against hotel location, arrival time, rental car pickup, late flights and onward driving before choosing the first night base.
Rental cars
Melbourne day-trip car use
Compare rental cars when airport arrival, day trips, parking, luggage, theme parks, coastal routes or nearby regions matter more than staying fully on transit.
Compare rental carsTravel tips
Best time to visit
Check weather, school holidays, daylight, local festivals and major event calendars before locking in hotel rates or non-refundable tickets.
Transport notes
Choose a base around the trips you will repeat most: airport, station, old town, waterfront, venue district or day-trip route.
Crowds
Prices can jump around festivals, conventions, school holidays, cruise days, ski weeks, race weekends and large sports events.
Booking detail
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