Sightseeing OverviewMelbourne has a wealth of places to visit throughout the metropolitan area and is also an ideal city for visitors to stroll around, savouring the ambience and lifestyle.
The central business district has a stunning skyline with some intriguing modern architecture. One of the latest examples of this is the enormous and controversial civic hub
Federation Square, with its rolling paved courtyard, wacky design, galleries, bars and restaurants.
However, aficionados of Australian colonial history will only have to walk through the city to discover
many examples of Victorian buildings nestling among the skyscrapers or dotted throughout the suburbs.
The intricate ironwork decorating the mansions and business houses testifies to the affluence brought to the city during the gold rush. Many examples can be found along
Collins Street - number 333, an imposing building that opened in 1891, is famous for its sublime domed ceiling and equally as extravagant interior, which reflects Melbourne’s golden heyday.
The
Block Arcade shopping center, also on Collins Street, is a gracious Victorian building and the
Old Royal Mint, on William Street, is also a particularly fine example. Close to Bourke Street Mall and Swanston Walk are eclectic narrow lanes and arcades with a mix of colorful bars, chic clubs, aromatic coffee houses and elegant arcades.
Melbourne’s parks and gardens largely reflect their British heritage. A perfect example is
Fitzroy Gardens, laid out to represent the Union Jack. Close by, the delightful
Treasury Gardens are home to the
Old Treasury Building, while to the north is
Parliament House, which is open to the public when parliament is not in session.
Carlton Gardens is home to the
Melbourne Museum and the adjacent
Royal Exhibition Building, built for the 1880 Great Exhibition and based on Crystal Palace in London. This is where Australia’s parliament sat from 1901 until 1927.
Kings Domain, south of Yarra River, is a pleasant park housing the
Sidney Myer Music Bowl,
Government House,
the
Old Melbourne Observatory and
Latrobe’s Cottage.
Further afield, the colonial mansions of
Como House, in South Yarra, and
Werribee Park, in Werribee, both have pretty formal gardens - the latter contains the Victoria State Rose Garden.
Chinatown is located at the eastern end of Little Bourke Street and has been situated there since the start of the gold rush. The narrow lanes are packed with Chinese restaurants and supermarkets. The
Chinese Museum, Cohen Place, is worth a visit to learn about the contribution the Chinese community has made to the growth of Melbourne.
Tourist InformationMelbourne Visitor Center Federation Square, corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Street
Tel: (03) 9658 9658.
Website:
www.visitmelbourne.com Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800. The Melbourne Visitor Center also operates an information booth in Bourke Street Mall.
PassesThe
See Melbourne & Beyond Smartvisit Card (tel: 1300 661 711, in Australia only; website:
www.seemelbournecard.com) offers free admission to over 60 attractions in and around Melbourne. One-, two- and three-day passes are available either online or from the Melbourne Visitor Center.
Key Attractions:Old Melbourne Gaol The Old Melbourne Gaol was established in 1841 and expanded rapidly during the gold rush. The jail was the setting for 136 hangings, most famously for that of Ned Kelly in 1880. Exhibits include a collection of death masks, the scaffold where Ned Kelly was hung, his gun, and a suit of armour worn by a member of his gang. The jail closed its gates to inmates in 1929.
Russell Street
Tel: (03) 8663 7228.
Website:
www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700.
Admission charge.
Eureka Skydeck 88 Eureka Tower is the world’s highest apartment building with a staggering 92 storys. Its 88th floor, known as Eureka Skydeck 88, is a stunning observatory deck (open to the public) which boasts breathtaking 360-degree views of the city and its environs.
7 Riverside Quay, Southbank
Tel: (03) 9693 8888.
Website:
www.skydeck.com.au Opening hours: Daily 1000-2130.
Admission charge.
Federation Square Designed as an architectural icon in a city that loves modern architecture, Federation Square is a complete new city block, bringing together social, cultural and commercial activities. Highlights include
The Ian Potter Center: NGV Australia, which showcases works of art by Australian artists (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art), and the
Australian Center for the Moving Image (ACMI). The odd-looking geometric-designed buildings and the extensive rolling-hill paved plaza are attractions in themselves though.
Corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Street (opposite Flinders Street Station)
Tel: (03) 9655 1900.
Website:
www.federationsquare.com.au Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Free admission.
Royal Botanic Gardens The Royal Botanic Gardens, located just 2km (1.2 miles) south of the city, off St Kilda Road are among the best gardens in Australia. There are more than 40 hectares (99 acres) of careful plantings, native and foreign trees and shrubs, a delightful herb garden, and plenty of chirping birds. Free guided walks are conducted Tuesday to Sunday at 1100 and 1400, each taking between 60 to 90 minutes.
Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra
Tel: (03) 9252 2300.
Website:
www.rbg.vic.gov.au Opening hours: Daily 0730-1800 (Apr, Sep and Oct); daily 0730-1730 (May-Aug ); daily 0730-2030 (Nov-Mar).
Free admission.
Melbourne Observation DeckAlthough no longer offering the highest observation point in Melbourne (that honor now goes to Eureka Tower’s Skydeck 88, described above) this is still a top spot to peer over the city. Located on level 55 of one of the tallest office buildings in the southern hemisphere, the Melbourne Observation Deck offers 360-degree panoramic views of Melbourne and the surrounding areas. The facilities also include a licensed cafe-bar. A 20-minute film about the city is included with admission.
525 Collins Street
Tel: (03) 9629 8222.
Website:
www.melbournedeck.com.au Opening hours: Daily 1000-2200.
Admission charge.
National Gallery of Victoria International NGV International showcases Australia’s finest collection of international art. Among the paintings usually on display here are offerings by Gainsborough, Constable, Bonnard, Delacroix, Monet and Rembrandt. There are also excellent temporary exhibitions (see website for current details). The building is a work of art in itself.
180 St Kilda Road
Tel: (03) 8620 2222.
Website:
www.ngv.vic.gov.au Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1000-1700, closed Tues.
Free admission.
Melbourne Museum Australia’s largest museum boasts an indoor rainforest, a giant Rubik’s-cube-shaped Children’s Museum, the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Center, and assorted displays featuring dinosaurs, insects and much, much more. The museum has both permanent and temporary exhibitions (see website for details). The stuffed horse in the glass case is Phar Lap, Australia’s most famous racing horse.
11 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Tel: (03) 8341 7777
or 1300 130 152, in Australia only.
Website:
http://melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground, or MCG, is the world-famous venue for numerous national and international cricket matches. It also hosts many Aussie Rules (Australian Football League; AFL) games, including the Grand Final in September. The ground is open for guided tours and contains the
Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and
National Sports Museum.Yarra Park, Jolimont
Tel: (03) 9657 8888.
Website:
www.mcg.org.au Opening hours: Guided tours available daily 1000-1500 half-hourly, except on match days.
Admission charge.
Melbourne Zoo The award-winning
Melbourne Zoo, Australia’s oldest zoo, houses more than 300 animal species from within and beyond Australia. There is an African rainforest with gorillas, orangutans, hippos and big cats, as well as a particularly impressive butterfly house and a bushland exhibit, which is home to many of Australia’s native wildlife species.
Elliot Avenue, Parkville
Tel: (03) 9285 9300.
Website:
www.zoo.org.au Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission charge.
Rippon Lea Estate Designed in 1868, this is the last of Australia’s great privately owned 19th-century suburban estates. The mansion boasts opulent interiors, including elaborate embossed wallpaper and beautiful stained glass, and has lovely landscaped gardens, which include a conservatory, lake, orchard, and extensive flowerbeds and shrubbery.
192 Hotham Street, Elsternwick
Tel: (03) 9523 6095.
Website:
www.ripponleaestate.com.au Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
Further Distractions:Heide Museum of Modern Art The former home of John and Sunday Reed, patrons of the Melbourne art scene, was turned into the Museum of Modern Art, following their deaths. Their home now houses admirable exhibitions of contemporary Australian art. The sculpture park, in the museum’s grounds, is particularly impressive.
7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen
Tel: (03) 9850 1500.
Website:
www.heide.com.au Admission charge.
Melbourne AquariumExpect a Barrier Reef-style exhibit at this cheerful aquarium, with lots of colorful fish, captivating jellyfish displays, and a giant walk-through tank holding large fish, massive grey nurse sharks and huge rays. You can dive with the sharks too - and you don’t need any previous diving experience.
Corner of Flinders Street and King Street
Tel: (03) 9620 0999.
Website:
www.melbourneaquarium.com.au Admission charge.
William Ricketts Sanctuary Located in a mountain ash forest in the leafy Dandenong Ranges, tranquil William Ricketts Sanctuary is the location where sculptor William Ricketts positioned his mystical kiln-fired clay sculptures of Aboriginal figures among the rocks and ferns.
Dandenong Ranges
Tel: (03) 9751 1300.
Website:
www.parkweb.vic.gov.au Admission charge.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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