Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria and it’s a fantastic place to live, work and study. If you though t you knew everything there was to know about Melbourne, think again. Here are our 18 most marvellous facts about Melbourne!
- Melbourne used to be called Batmania
No, Melbourne is nothing like Gotham City and it certainly isn’t home to a caped crusader (that we know of!). After arriving in 1835, John Batman decided that the land by the Yarra River would be the perfect “place for a village”. Hence, the settlement was briefly named Batmania after its founder. Queen Victoria later changed the name by dedicating the city to her friend Lord Melbourne.
2. It used to be the capital of Australia
For 26 years from 1901 to 1927, Melbourne was Australia’s capital, not Canberra. Due to rivalries between Melbourne and Sydney, it was decided in 1899 that the capital should lie between the two. However, until this new site could be established, Melbourne was used as the capital.
3. Melbourne has the highest number of restaurants and cafes per number of people than any other city in the world!
Melbournians’ love of food and drink has catapulted it to the forefront of the food scene. The coffee in Melbourne is rated as some of the best in the world and the restaurants offer everything from top notch street food to Michelin starred feasts.
4. It’s massively mulitcultural
As of the year 2013, around 38% of Melbourne’s residents were born overseas. There are also over 100 languages spoken in the city. No matter where you’re from, Melbourne welcomes you with open arms.
5. The weather is unpredictable
The maximum temperature ever recorded in Melbourne was 46.4 degrees Celsius (115.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in 2009, while the minimum was -2.8 degrees Celsius (28.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in 1869. Melbourne is also renowned for having four seasons in a day: the morning could bring you sweltering heat while the afternoon could bring you a cool change and torrential rain.
6. Melbourne is sports mad!
Melbourne is considered Australia’s unofficial sporting capital. It is the home of Aussie Rules Football (AFL) and it’s the only city in the world with five international standard sporting facilities. In addition to football, Melbourne hosts the Australian Open, The Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, the MotoGP and the Spring Racing Carnival. The city even has a public holiday for the Melbourne Cup.
7. Flinders Street Station was intended for Mumbai
Reportedly, the firm that designed Melbourne and Mumbai’s train stations accidentally switched the plans before construction. The result? Melbourne has an East-Indian inspired station and Mumbai has the Gothic style Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
8. Melbourne is only 2 hours from one of the world’s most incredible driving routes
The Great Ocean Road is a beautiful route that extends 243km from Torquay along the southern coast. With glorious views out to sea and winding roads that cut through the Otways rainforest, drivers can get an incredible glimpse at Victoria’s diverse landscape.
Returning soldiers built the road after WWI and the GOR is the world’s longest war memorial.
9. Australia’s first and only LGBTI community radio station has been broadcasting since 1993 from Melbourne
Victoria’s capital is proud of its reputation for diversity and inclusion. Joy radio is a thriving station that is out, loud and proud. Joy is powered by over 300 volunteers and it proudly informs, entertains and empowers rainbow communities across Australia.
10. In 1880, after the Victorian Gold Rush, Melbourne became the wealthiest city in the world.
Following gold discoveries in Clunes, Warrandyte and Ballarat, wealth-hungry miners flocked to Victoria eager to get a piece of the action. Melbourne’s gold rush was similar to Californian rush and at its peak, two tonnes of precious metal were being excavated per week.
The gold rush meant that Melbourne became the world’s richest city with Bendigo producing the most gold in the world. The gold removed from Bendigo alone would be worth 9 billion dollars today.
Fun fact: One gold nugget removed from Moliagul (60km from Bendigo) was so large that there were no scales big enough to weigh it! Measuring 30x60cm, the nugget had to be broken into smaller pieces. The total weight came in at 69kg and would be worth over $1million today!
11. The Traditional Custodians of the land are the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation
The land on which Melbourne sits was occupied for at least 40,000 years before the arrival of the British. Colonialization had a terrible impact on Aboriginal culture and the City of Melbourne acknowledges the Aboriginal people who were the original inhabitants. You can learn more about the original inhabitants at the Melbourne Museum. We thoroughly recommend a visit.
Did you know? Researchers have found the original names of Melbourne Suburbs at the Melbourne museum:
Fitzroy (Ngár-go)
Richmond (Quo-yung)
Collingwood (Yálla-birr-ang)
Brunswick (Bulleke-bek)
12. Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world.
Melbourne’s tram network is impressive: it has almost 500 trams travelling along 250km of track and stopping at over 1,700 tram stops. During the Melbourne International Arts Festival, several artists turn their talents to the trams and use the carriages as a canvas for their art.
Melbourne top tip: Unlike on the buses and trains, you do not need to tap off your Myki (travel card) on a tram.
13. Melbourne is the home of Vegemite
In 1922, Dr. Cyril P Callister (a chemist) developed one of the most controversial food items in the world – Vegemite. Love it or hate it, this savoury spread is an Aussie institution and Melbourne is proud to be its birthplace.
14. The Eureka Tower has the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere
At 984.3ft (300 metres), the Eureka Skydeck has breathtaking views across Melbourne. The building is also the world’s tallest residential structure.
The Eureka Tower’s elevators are also incredibly impressive. They take only 38 seconds to travel from the ground to the 88th floor and they ascend at 9 metres per second!
If you wanted to take the stairs, then you’re looking at a 3,680 step workout. Or, if you would like more of a challenge, you can race up 1,642 of the steps during the annual Eureka Climb.
15. Melbournians have set a lot of Guinness World Records
Melbourne currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most people doing chest bumps, largest gathering of tall people, fastest 50m by a human wheelbarrow, and the oldest professional chorus line (among others!).
16. It’s one of the world’s most liveable cities
From 2011 to 2017, Melbourne ranked in first place as the world’s most liveable city. Despite falling from the top spot, Victoria’s capital is the second most liveable city after Vienna. Second place isn’t so bad, right?
The Economist Intelligence Unit (a sister company of The Economist) uses an annual index with five categories to rank global cities. The five categories are stability, health care, culture and environment, and education and infrastructure. In 2019, Melbourne scored an impressive 98.4 out of 100 across the five categories, falling just short of Vienna’s 99.1.
17. Toto’s pizza was Australia’s first pizzeria – and it’s still open today!
For a taste of Australia’s delicious Italian history, you can grab a slice at Toto’s Pizza house at 101 Lygon Street, Carlton.
18. Melbourne was nicknamed Smellbourne
In the 1880s the Yarra River was a cesspool, so people nicknamed Melbourne, Smellbourne. Luckily, the Metropolitan Board of Works constructed a sewerage system that ensured Melbourne thrived as a healthy (and smell-free) city.
If you’d like to study in Melbourne, Central Australian College has several fantastic courses to help you succeed. Contact us today to find out more!
