A city of trams, parks, cafes, and an upside down river thrown in for good measure. Being the home to roughly 3.2 million people, it is the second largest city in Australia after Sydney. It is a leafy, bayside city situated on the Yarra river with a mix of fanatic Footy fans, yuppies, artists, and more. It is a mecca for shopping in Australia, with interstate visitors coming with no other reason than to shop. It is also one of the very few places in the world with a public holiday to celebrate a horse race - the famous Melbourne Cup.

HISTORY

Established in 1835 by a group of Tasmanian buisnessmen, settlement did not begin until 1837. In 1840, a military surveyor named Robert Hoddle laid out the plans for the city. He envisioned a grand future with transport requiring large streets and designed the grid of the now central buisness district with this idea in mind (he had a street named after him for that). In 1840 the poulation was around 10000 and in 1851, the now state of Victoria was established as a colony with Melbourne as its capital. This was rather timely as large deposits of gold were discovered within Victoria which was to bring a large number of migrants and wealth to Melbourne and Victoria.

The History certainly wasn't without its bloodshed - Between 1834 and 1860 the Aboriginal population of Victoria plumetted from 15000 to 2000 due to massacres. Other bloodshed would fall on the hands of the authorities, for example the Eureka rebellion of 1854, a significant event in the history of Australia, saw many miners die at the hands of the corrupt government.

The discovery of gold transformed Melbourne into a boomtown, and the designation of large areas of the city for parkland (a feature the city is vehemently proud of today) led many at the time to call the growing city "Marvellous Melbourne - the Paris of the Antipodes". However, the city fell on hard times in 1890 when the first of many financial crashes crippled the city.

After the second world war, Melbourne entered a long period of conservative government. In the 1980's, the Labor party led the city into another period of incresed land value - and increased building size. This was not to last, and in 1990, the boom period crashed.

CLIMATE

Melbourne has a reputation in Australia as having four seasons in one day. First, you, the unsuspecting tourist, may decide that it would be a nice idea to walk rather than catch the tram because it is such a lovely day. Then a biting wind will slice right through you and rain will begin to dampen your day. However, just when you get your rain coat on (its always a good idea to take one in Melbourne... in fact, an umbrella is almost as important in Melbourne as a towel), the sun breaks through the clouds and you find your sweat clinging to you due to the sudden humidity. This is no joke.

On the statistical side, summers are likely to see over 35 degrees celcius, and winters around 13 degrees celcius. The average rainfall is less than Sydney. However, the number of rainy days is roughly the same.

ANATOMY

The city surrounds the north, east, and south eastern sides of Port Phillip bay. The west of the city extends into plains, the north and east into the surrounding hills, and the south east extends along the Mornington Peninsula. Around most of Port Phillip bay, there are beaches. However, do remember that this is a bay - no surf here.

Central Melbourne and South Melbourne

The central buisness district (watch out for the hook turns if you're driving here) is made up of beautiful old buildings and skyscrapers and is on the north side of the Yarra river. The city extends to the south of the Yarra river with more haphazard road plan than the central grid of the central buisness district. On this side is the beautiful Botanical gardens, Albert park lake, the performing arts centre (continuing the theme of "Paris of the Antipodes" with its Eifel tower like spire), the Victorian art gallery, the war memorial shrine, the Southbank complex, and the Crown casino complex. In the main center, can be found many hidden cafes in small alleys, Chinatown, Bourke street mall, Swanston street mall (the main artery of the central city), the State library, (state) Parliament house, the state theatre, disgruntled tram drivers, beautiful cathedrals, the Queen Victoria markets, several pubs, and the usual collection of shoppers, buisness types, tourists, and beggars. Look out for the many outdoor art works and the independednt galleries. Also, don't be put off by any small lanes - these are a haven for pubs and bars with alot of character.

Surrounding the main cetre is a ring of fascinating inner city suburbs - moving clockwise:

• North Melbourne
• Carlton
• Fitzroy
• Clollingwood
• Richmond
• South Yarra
• Prahran
• St.Kilda

I list these because I will be referring to them... now by getting down on the streets of these suburbs.

North Melbourne and Carlton

North Melbourne is an interesting suburb. Recently, an urban renewal has begun there, and currently it is an interesting mix of yuppies, junkies, students, and artists. The main center of North Melbourne is Errol street and has some interesting pubs (try the town hall pub for a great atmosphere), an art gallery, and some nice restaurants which can also be found in adjoining Victoria street. Following this road brings one to the Queen Victoria markets. Following this road brings you to Carlton.

The main street there is Lygon street. The street is mostly littered with Italian restaurants. There is a very good cinema complex called Cinema Nova which shows alot of art house and foreign films. Further back towards North Melbourne is Melbourne University which has some very interesting old (in Australian terms) architectue. A great band venue and pub is the art house. There are also a few parks and the exhibition buildings.

Fitzroy, Collingwood, and Richmond

Crossing Nicholson street, we arrive in Fitzroy. One of the best things about Fitzroy is Brunswick street. With a definate bohemian feel, this street has character oozing out of the dingy side alleys. Anywhere you go in this suburb you will experience fringe culture at its finest. Its worth while sitting on one of the many mosaic chairs to watch many interesting people pass by. There are many good live music venues, pubs, cafes, bookshops, galleries, and restaurants.

Bordering Fitzroy and Collingwood is the seedy and interesting Smith street. It has undergone somewhat of a resurgence of interest since 1999, for obvious, big-city reasons. The end closest to Central Melbourne is now full of cafes with character and pubs with presence. The town hall entertains a few good local and interstate bands from time to time, however most prefer to go to nearby Fitzroy.

Neighboring Collingwood is Richmond. It contains three streets of interest - Victoria street, Bridge road and Swan street. Bridge road is becomming more like Brunswick street in Fitzroy, Victoria street is often referred to as little Vietnam, and Swan street is closer in feel to Smith street of Collingwood (technically, one side of Smith street is in Fitzroy, whereas the street and the other side are in Collingwood). Each are worth taking a walk down. Crossing all three is Church street which has some interesting, old architecture and a couple of good galleries.

South Yarra, Prahran, and St. KIilda

As Church street, Richmond crosses the Yarra river, it becomes Chapel street, South Yarra. This is a very upmarket street packed with expensive cafes, bars, clothes shops, hairdressers, and people - not that you can pay for one here (you actually go to...). People come here to be seen - loud cars which are actually stereos on wheels patrol the streets, designer clothes being worn to be envied, mobile phones ringing at the drop of a hat with the first part of the loud conversation for the purpose of letting the other person know that the call is being made on the mobile phone.

There is a safehaven in nearby Prahran. As you continue down Chapel street, the garishness slowly diminishes into a nice, gentle suburb. There is a demarcation where this occurs - Greville street. This quiet version of the South Yarra part of Chapel street is very small, but full of character, alternative bookstores, cafes, bars, and a cheaper alternative to the Chapel street clothing stores.

Nearby St. Kilda is definately worth looking at. Once the main red-light district, it attracts many shady characters. However, due to a gradual rejuvenation (common throughout most of the inner city haunts mentioned here), there is now a more sophisticated feel. The major attractions include Fitzroy street, Acland street, Luna Park (a fun park whose sydney counterpart is all but closed down), and St. Kilda beach and its pier. You'd be hard pressed to find a bad restaurant here. Following the beach (many do on a form of transport called roller blades or in-line skates) north takes you back to Melbourne. Otherwise you could cross Albert park - home of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Save Albert park protest group (formed as a reaction against the Grand Prix).

AROUND MELBOURNE

Surrounding Melbourne is the standard suburban sprawl. Go west and you find Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula. Go north and you find the Great Dividing Range. East lies Mount Dandenong and the Yarra Valley. South east is the Mornington peninsula.

Mount Dandenong is only about an hours drive from Central Melbourne. It is certainly worth a day trip. It is covered with a temperate rainforest and has (dare I say it?!) more B and B's than you can poke a stick at. The area has a magical feel and inspired artist William Rickett to build a house in serene surroundings and create art in one of the most beautiful and alive places on Earth.

The Yarra Valley is the most acessable wine region in Victoria for those staying in Melbourne wanting a leisurely day trip of wine tastings. Most of the wineries are on three main roads which are hardly ever patrolled by police (I've never seen them...). However, should you feel like you can't drive, there are many B and B's and hotels in the region. There is also an award winning wildlife sanctuary in Healesville.

The closest surf beaches are on the Mornington peninsula. There are some wineries here, too, and some nice galleries. The surf beaches are best for beginners and intermediate surfers (mostly beginners). For better surf, try the excellent beaches near Geelong. If you follow the Nepean Highway (from Central Melbourne along the length of the Mornington peninsula) to the end, you'll find yourself in a national park.

Further from Melbourne is Phillip island. Here you can see the Fairy penguins come to shore after a day of fishing, a wildlife sanctuary, the largest population of seals in Australia at Seal Rock, and a surf beach.

LINKS

For more information on Melbourne, arts, entertainment, and eating out, check out the following pages:

• Vicnet has general information and links to many sites about Melbourne and Victoria.
• The comprehensive Melbourne Sidewalk is a good guide to whats on in Melbo
  urne.
• Festivale is an arts and entertainment webzine.
• The free weekly magazine Beat is an excellent for its interviews, reviews, and concise gig guide.
• The Melbourne Diner's Guide has help for navigating the wonderful food paradise that is Melbourne.