Melbourne is a beautiful modern city in Australia. Some people put Sydney first on their list of favorites, and some put Melbourne first but these two cities are incomparable, both are beautiful. Both are known for their distinct identity. I have already discussed Sydney City which is the first city in Australia. Let’s know more about Melbourne City.
Melbourne City
About & History: The city of Melbourne which is the capital of Victoria recently became the largest city in Australia( by urban area population). It is a port city in the southeastern part of the Australian mainland. Before the arrival of the colonizers, the area of the city was under Aboriginal Australians. However, since then, their population started to decrease as many were forced to leave the area and the constant influx of people from Europe. The city was established on 30 August 1835.
Due to the gold rush from 1850 to 1914, a large number of Europeans moved here and settled here. The city not only became the largest city in Australia recently but also the most populous after the Melton district was added to the Melbourne catchment. The current population of Melbourne is currently estimated to be about 5.1 million.
Culture: Melbourne during the 2010s was ranked as the most liveable city in the world. This is because of the fact that it is the cultural capital of Australia. It is a center of sports, music, theatre, literature, art, etc. The city is home to one of the oldest libraries of the world,” State Library of Victoria” which was founded in 1854. The library is also the fourth most visited library in the world.
Architecture: Since the settlement of the colonizers in the early 19th century, a lot of architecture is of Victorian style and this became more prominent during the gold rush. This Victorian style of architecture is still visible in Melbourne. However, with time, the style of architecture has changed as well. Currently, the 2nd tallest skyscraper in Australia – ‘Australia 108’ is located in Melbourne and there are numerous high-rise buildings as well.
Climate: The climate in Melbourne is of oceanic type as it is located near the Ocean. However, there is a huge temperature difference in the summers and winters here. Often in summer, it gets cold fronts because of its location. The winters here are dry mostly because it gets very little rainfall during that time.
Economy: The economy of the city of Melbourne is a very diverse one as its economy is supported by finance, research, education, manufacturing, IT, logistics, transportation, and tourism. The city is the headquarters of some of the most valuable companies in Australia like the National Australian Bank, Telstra, CSL, ANZ, and BHP.
Demographics: The demographic of Melbourne is a very diverse one as it is often the place where immigrants come from. These immigrants are usually from Southeast Asian countries and come to find opportunities for them. This is the reason why the population growth of the city is very constant. Moreover, many types of languages are spoken here because of the diverse population. However, English is still the most spoken language in the city.
Education: When it comes to education Melbourne is considered one of the best cities in the world. There are a number of top-level universities that attract a large number of students not only from other parts of Australia but also from other countries. Some of the most popular universities in Australia are the University of Melbourne, Victoria University, Royal Melbourne Institution of Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, etc.
Tourism: Melbourne is also a major tourist attraction as about 2.9 million tourists visited Melbourne in 2018 and almost 3 million in 2019. The number of tourists keeps on growing constantly. The major attractions of the city are Melbourne Zoo, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Observation Deck, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne Cricket Ground National Gallery of Victory, etc.
Conclusion: As of 2023, Melbourne ranks third in the list of best liveable cities in the world. Melbourne City is not only a beautiful city but also a dream to live here for some people around the world.
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