A plan for Melbourne

History

The British settlement of Melbourne commenced in 1835 when settlers from Tasmania led by John Batman "purchased" land on Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River from the local Aboriginal people. The streets of central Melbourne were carefully laid out in 1837, with some streets 30 metres wide. Initially dubbed Batmania after its founder, the settlement was soon renamed Melbourne after William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, the British Prime Minister at that time. The first British lieutenant-governor, Charles La Trobe, arrived in 1839 – his Cottage still stands and can be visited in the Kings Domain.

1851 was a landmark for Melbourne — the colony of Victoria was separated from New South Wales and very soon after, gold was discovered in Victoria, sparking a huge gold rush. The gold rush history can be seen at the Gold Treasury Museum, housed in the Treasury Building built in 1858. Gold was the catalyst for several decades of prosperity lasting through to the late 1880s and examples of the ornate Victorian-era structures built during this time still stand. Throughout the gold and building booms, Melbourne managed to retain its many spacious parks and gardens that remain to this day. In 1888, the boom collapsed and Victoria suffered through the depression of the 1890s.

Melbourne is a great city for arts, culture, dining, and events. Visitors frequently comment on the "good vibe" of the city, which can only be understood by experiencing it for yourself. There are a wide and varied assortment of attractions and sights, with something for every traveller. Most are in the CBD, in close reach of public transport. Melbourne is also a good base for experiencing the other attractions of Victoria, most of which can be reached on day trips.

Melbourne is Australia's best city for street art – refer to street art in Melbourne for more information.

Sights & museums

Melbourne's museums are generally well-regarded and worth a visit if you have time to spare. The Melbourne Museum and National Gallery of Victoria often have interesting temporary exhibitions.

Visit the State Library of Victoria, and its magnificent reading halls. The La Trobe Reading Room boasts a large domed study area with an art gallery featuring temporary exhibitions on its balconies.

Visit one of Melbourne's many arcade and laneways, tucked away from the main city streets and avenues. One of these, the Cathedral Arcade, forms a narrow laneway, connecting Swanston Street to Flinders Lane in the central business district. It is a T-shaped arcade, however one of the laneways terminates inside the Nicholas building.

Visit the Eureka Skydeck for the best view of the city on level 88 of the Eureka Tower. Or indulge in fine dining by making a reservation at level 89 of the Eureka Tower.

Visit any or all of the three amazing zoos. At the Melbourne Zoo, visitors have the additional opportunities to interact, pet, and take close-up photography with a number of the animals, including kangaroos, meerkats, lemurs, and others.

Take a free tram ride around the city on the free city circle line (Route 35).

Food & coffee

Visit the Queen Victoria Market – it stretches over two blocks and holds the title of the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere.

Walk along Swanston Street to find a wide variety of eateries of all types, from Vietnamese to Italian.

Kick back at one of Melbourne's fantastic cafes in the CBD (Degraves St, The Causeway, and other laneways are fantastic for this), South Yarra (Chapel Street) or Fitzroy (Brunswick Street, Smith Street).

For upmarket restaurants, visit Flinders Lane and select from more expensive, sit-down food and drink.

Cinemas, music & entertainment

See interesting films at the Art Deco-styled Astor Theatre in St Kilda. There are several moonlight cinema programs in summer. The Melbourne International Film Festival is on in August.

Alternately, visit the Cinema Nova on Lygon Street (tram 1 or 8) on a Monday for $6 films before 4PM.

The Comic's Lounge has comedy shows and dinner.

Melbourne has an exceptionally vibrant live music scene. Many bars and pubs will have copies of the free magazines "Beat" and "Inpress" which provide local gig guides. Fitzroy, Collingwood and St. Kilda are generally your best bets for seeing some of the great local talent Melbourne has to offer. Venues where you generally can't go wrong include: "The Evelyn", Hotel Esplanade aka "The Espy", The Corner Hotel in Richmond & The Northcote Social Club.

Have a laugh at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in March/April each year

Visit one of Melbourne's outdoor cinemas in the warmer months of the year (November to April)

Outdoor activity

Visit the beach (St Kilda, Brighton, or Frankston on the east side. Williamstown or Altona on the west side.)

If you have the gear, go snorkelling. Melbourne has a surprising number and variety of snorkelling spots all around the bay. For inspiration see this interactive map.

Go hiking on scenic Mt Dandenong -Challenge yourself physically on the 1000 steps, or visit the cute towns of Sassafras or Olinda, or take a ride on the century-old Puffing Billy steam train

For the culinary traveller, Melbourne is one of the best destinations in the world. There is an abundance of affordable, high-quality restaurants representing almost every cuisine. Eating out is cheaper than in Western Europe but not as affordable as North America. The service in Australian restaurants may be more discreet than many North Americans may be used to. Service staff in Australia are paid considerably more than their North American counterparts so tipping is not customary, though you may choose to give a tip if the service was exemplary.

Excellent eateries can be found sprinkled throughout all of the inner (and some outer) suburbs, while certain neighbourhoods have become magnets for residents and restaurants of particular countries. A large range of restaurants and cafes offering high-quality food, and representing various cultures and countries, are scattered throughout the Central City, Southbank, Carlton (mostly Italian and touristy), Victoria Street in Richmond (many low cost popular Vietnamese and South East Asian restaurants), Docklands, South Yarra and Prahran. In Central City, the Queen Victoria Market's prepared-food stalls are also popular places to grab a quick breakfast or lunch. Sydney Road in Brunswick and Coburg is known for its many Middle Eastern, Lebanese, Greek and Turkish restaurants. The popular tourist area of St Kilda offers a large range of good quality restaurants and cafes, especially on Acland Street, and Fitzroy Street.

Melbournians often draw a distinction between 'bars', meaning the small watering holes described above, and 'pubs', which are larger establishments in the usual Australian or British sense of the word. Melbourne's pubs, particularly those in the city and inner suburbs, usually serve restaurant-standard food and a wide range of local and imported beers. Pubs usually offer lunch from approximately noon to 2PM, and reopen their kitchens for dinner from approximately 6-10PM.

Pubs

Gay, lesbian and transgender party goers are welcome everywhere as Melbournians are on the whole very tolerant and welcoming people. Perhaps the one bad thing is that nothing really starts happening until midnight!

The CBD has a number of pubs, the most famous being the Young and Jackson. Melbourne is also famous for its many trendy bars in the CBD. Most of these, however, are down narrow alleys and streets, and are therefore hard to find unless you know where you are going.

The inner northern suburbs, such as Collingwood and Fitzroy cater for the young, laid-back, and bohemian crowd. Here you will find lots of live music, cheaper prices, and a relaxed atmosphere. Head for Brunswick and Gertrude Streets in Fitzroy and Smith Street, Collingwood for cafes, bars and live music, while Lygon Street, Carlton has a range of Italian restaurants and cafes with a student vibe, as it's located near the University of Melbourne. Victoria Street, North Richmond is the heart of Melbourne's Vietnamese community, with many cheap and cheerful restaurants serving good food.

Bars and clubs

Melbourne nightlife is 24 hours, loud, colourful and anything goes. Door policies can be strict but once inside high quality entertainment is guaranteed. DJ's, live music, artists and beautiful people can be found. There truly is something for everyone and every taste. It has a massive live music scene, with many inner-suburbs pubs catering to many genres, with drink and food specials all week. The key is to find one you like the most!

Melbourne's CBD is laid out in an orderly grid system, similar to Manhattan, meaning that navigating the CBD is easy. Melbourne has a comprehensive public transport system consisting of trams, trains, and buses. Trams criss-cross the city, trains extend to the outer suburbs, and buses cover the remaining destinations.

By public transport

Transport Victoria coordinates all train, tram and bus services within the state. The website and app provide a journey planner, timetables, maps and disruption information. Apple Maps and Google Maps also provide a journey planner and disruption information. Services generally operate between 5AM and midnight Monday–Saturday and after 8AM Sunday. A Night Network operates after midnight Friday–Saturday. Most of the train and bus network is wheelchair and pram accessible. Trams are only accessible via a low floor tram at accessible stops, mostly in the CBD and St Kilda.

Fares

There are three ways to pay for your journey:

A myki card. The card is available to purchase and top up with credit at Melbourne Airport, many train stations and tram stops, some retail stores such as 7-Eleven, and online. The adult card costs $6, the concession card costs $3, and the youth card costs $5. The card can be refunded at Southern Cross train station.

A Mobile myki card. The card is available to download and top up with credit via the Google Wallet app.

A Mastercard or Visa card.

Your fare is deducted from your card as you touch on and touch off each mode of transport. Trains have fare gates or distinctive green validators to touch before you board and after you alight. Trams and buses have validators to touch as you board and alight. Touching off on a tram is optional and not recommended in the CBD.

The fare you pay is determined by where you travel, how long you travel, and whether you’re eligible for discounted or free travel.

The Australia-wide emergency number is 000, with the ambulance service, fire department and police being available through this number.

Walking

It is important to take care around tram lines. Trams are heavy and it can take over 100 metres for a tram to safely stop. Even if a tram has passed, look carefully both ways, as trams will often run nose-to-tail on busy corridors like Swanston Street. Many tram stops further from the CBD often require walking on to the road. There is often traffic around trams, so be careful crossing if running to catch a tram.

Driving

Driving in Melbourne can be nerve-wracking due to the presence of trams. You may have heard of the infamous "hook turn" that requires you to turn right from the left lane. These turns are predominantly in the CBD and become rarer as you head towards the suburbs. If driving, it is illegal to U-turn across tram tracks or pass a tram while the doors are open, and passengers are disembarking. Toll roads will be marked by blue signs with gold text indicating that you will be charged. Any electronic toll collection tag in Australia works on toll roads in Melbourne.

Public transport

Areas near major public transport stations, such as Flinders Street and Southern Cross, can sometimes become gathering spots for homeless individuals and those affected by drugs or alcohol. Locations like the intersection of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street tend to have a higher presence of such individuals. While these areas are generally safe, it is advisable to remain vigilant, as disturbances can occasionally occur.

Protective Services Officers (PSOs) patrol Melbourne's railway stations from 5PM to the last train, with all stations possessing a 'safety zone' with increased lighting, CCTV cameras and easy access to the red emergency button. Trains also contain buttons in the case of an emergency, while it's a good idea to sit close to the driver while on a train, tram or bus late at night. The public transport network is generally safe, although drug or alcohol affected travellers occasionally give other commuters grief. Areas around railway stations tend to be hang-outs for youth gangs in parts of outer Melbourne, particularly at night. Stay in company, and don't engage.