Melbourne Australian |
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Melbourne Australian |
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Shopping &
Fashion
Melbourne has long been recognised as Australia’s shopping and fashion capital. If it’s fashion you’re seeking then Melbourne has it covered. The city’s funky laneways and tree-lined streets are a haven for small boutiques specialising in Australian designers, jewellery, accessories and international fashion. Those seeking out leading international fashion labels can stroll down Collins Street, home to Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, Bvlgari and Louis Vuitton, as well as Melbourne icons Miss Louise and Le Louvre. Nearby, Little Collins Street has a great selection of cutting-edge and sartorial menswear including Kenzo, Declic, Chiodo, Roy, Arthur Galan and D. Inc. All fashion tastes are catered for by flagship department stores, David Jones and Myer, both in Bourke Street Mall. For a wide range of designers and retailers under the one roof you can’t go past retail centres such as GPO Melbourne, Melbourne Central, QV, Collinstwo3four, Australia on Collins and Collins Place. Got a hobby or special interest? Whatever your 'thing' you'll find it right in the heart of the city. The network of lanes and arcades are host to some of Melbourne’s most intriguing shops, which sell everything from coins to spells and antique books to model trains. The city is also a great place for buying fresh food. Queen Victoria Market is the largest open air market in the southern hemisphere and considered a mecca for foodies. For the gourmet traveller, David Jones Food Hall is a must while chocoholics will be torn between Haighs, Max Brenner, Koko Black and The Chocolate Box. Most stores are open seven days, and many stay open late on Friday. As a general rule, trading hours for the City shops are: Saturday to Wednesday: 10.00am - 5.00pm Thursday: 10.00am - 7.00pm Friday: 10.00am - 9.00pm  Sports
These quality facilities attract a wide range of significant national and international sporting events to Melbourne, including the Australian Open (tennis), FORMULA ONE™ Fosters Australian Grand Prix, Australian Football League Grand Final, Melbourne Cup (horse racing), Boxing Day Test Match (cricket) and in 2006 Commonwealth Games. And if all of these great
sporting events inspire you, the City is also home to an extensive array
of sporting facilities and clubs available to the general public.
Wander the city’s
broad boulevards and narrow lanes and you’ll discover a wealth of places
in which to drink, catch-up with friends or dance until dawn. Once-forgotten
warehouses and obscure laneways have emerged as designer-cool caves for
patrons’ drinking pleasure.
 A vibrant cosmopolitan city, located on the magnificent Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne is the state capital and cultural heart of Victoria. The locals' claim that it is 'the best city in the world to live in' may rankle their rivals in Sydney, but few would dispute that it is a fascinating place to visit. In fact, the traditional rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney, which covers every sphere of life from business to sport and culture, has resulted in a proud, dynamic city that strives to be the best in all things. All state roads lead into the city and Victoria's unique geography means that it is possible to spend the morning on the coast, ski in the afternoon in the Victorian Alps and enjoy an aperitif at a winery before returning to Melbourne to take in a show at one of the many theatres. The banks of the Yarra River, home to Aborigines for thousands of years, attracted British settlers who founded Port Phillip Bay in 1835. The settlement rapidly expanded and by 1851 the city, named after Queen Victoria's Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, was born. In the same year, gold was discovered near Ballarat and Bendigo, to the west of Melbourne, and the ensuing gold rush turned the city into a powerful financial centre as well as the first political capital until Canberra was established in 1927. Numerous gardens and parks give a pleasant, open feel to the city, whose skyline mixes elegant spires with dazzling modern skyscrapers, which dwarf the elegant Victorian-era buildings dotted along leafy streets. However, the city is defined more by its diverse population than by its architecture. Immigration at the end of World War II transformed Melbourne into a thriving cultural melting pot, totalling over three million people, with sizeable Italian, Greek and Chinese communities each carving out their own quarter. In fact, large-scale immigration has made Melbourne home to the largest Greek community outside Greece, and the influx of Vietnamese and Lebanese has contributed to Melbourne's claim to be the cultural capital of Australia. The introduction of European and Asian communities has resulted in an eclectic and energetic blend of theatre, music, art and literature. The international population has also brought a wealth of different cuisines, served up in a wide range of restaurants, from the outdoor cafés along the Crown Promenade overlooking the Yarra River, to the pizzerias in Carlton, the Chinese banquet halls in Chinatown and the fine seafood restaurants in trendy St Kilda Beach. One topic that is guaranteed to be discussed over dinner is the weather. The city has four distinct seasons, and usually enjoys a temperate climate of mild temperatures. However, not only can winters get chilly, summers usually see some swelteringly hot days. Sometimes, all four seasons occur in one day. The ever-optimistic locals joke that if you don't like the weather you just have to wait ten minutes and it will change.  Region : Victoria Country : Australia Continent : Australia National Status : Federal Nation National Population : 18,838,000 (2000 estimate, Source: United Nations Population Division, 1996) City Population : 3,188,000 (2000 estimate, Source: United Nations Population Division, 1996) National Capital : Canberra Local Time : GMT+10 (GMT +11 from October to March) Official Language : English Currency : Australian Dollar (AUD) =100 cents Religion : 75% Christian, Aboriginal beliefs, Jewish minority.
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