Melbourne, Australia
The city that lost the capital, kept the argument and won on the details
Melbourne is a grid on the Yarra by Port Phillip Bay, around five million people in the metro and, by one measure since 2023, Australia's largest city. It is the country's capital of coffee, sport, art and complaining about the weather, and it is right about the coffee.
The Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin nation lived around the bay for tens of thousands of years before John Batman rowed up the Yarra in 1835, signed a treaty the governor promptly voided, and John Pascoe Fawkner's party started building. The settlement was named for the British prime minister in 1837 and laid out on Robert Hoddle's grid. The 1851 gold rush made it, within thirty years, one of the richest cities in the world — Marvellous Melbourne, all cast iron and boulevards — until the 1890s bust. It served as Australia's capital from 1901 until Canberra was ready in 1927, hosted the 1956 Olympics, and took in the post-war migration from Greece, Italy and Malta, then Vietnam, China, India and everywhere else. The factories closed from the 1980s, the city rebuilt itself on services and education, sat through some of the world's longest lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, and came out of them still growing faster than anywhere else in the country.
The CBD is the Hoddle Grid north of the Yarra, with Flinders Street station and Federation Square at its foot, the laneways and arcades inside it, Chinatown on Little Bourke Street and the Queen Victoria Market at the top. Across the river, Southbank is the arts precinct and the casino; Docklands is the newer office and stadium quarter to the west. The inner north — Fitzroy, Collingwood, Carlton, Brunswick, Northcote — is where the city's idea of itself lives: terraces, pubs, Lygon Street's Italians, Sydney Road's Middle East. The inner south is South Yarra and Prahran's Chapel Street, Toorak's money and St Kilda's beach and faded glamour. Richmond has Victoria Street's Vietnamese and the MCG; Footscray, across the Maribyrnong to the west, is Vietnamese, Ethiopian and now expensive. Beyond the inner ring the suburbs run for forty kilometres in every direction but south, where the bay is, to the Dandenongs in the east and the growth corridors north and west.
Sport is not a hobby here, it is the calendar: the Australian Open in January, the Grand Prix at Albert Park in March, the AFL season with nine Melbourne clubs and the grand final at the MCG in September, the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November — a public holiday — and the Boxing Day Test. The rest is art: the NGV, ACMI, the comedy festival in April, the fringe, a small-venue live music scene that claims to be the densest in the world, and street art in Hosier Lane that changes every week. The coffee is a serious matter and the flat white is claimed as a local invention; brunch is a competitive sport. The food is the migration: Vietnamese in Footscray and Richmond, Greek on Lonsdale Street and in Oakleigh, Chinese, Indian, Italian, and a restaurant scene that Sydney grudgingly rates. The tone is dry, ironic and left-leaning, and the city holds these things to be self-evident.
The hard parts are housing — cheaper than Sydney and still out of reach for many, with the sprawl that follows — and the weather, which does four seasons in a day: grey, cold winters of ten degrees, forty-degree northerlies in summer, and the bushfire smoke that comes with them. The trams are superb in the inner suburbs and the trains thin beyond, the airport still has no rail link, and the state is heavily in debt from building the Metro Tunnel and the Suburban Rail Loop. The CBD has not fully recovered from the lockdowns. Victoria's treaty process with First Peoples, the country's first, is both a landmark and a political fight. What it offers is a city that repeatedly tops liveability rankings without being smug about it: the best coffee, food and music in the country, a beach and a wine region within an hour, parks everywhere, and a civic culture that reads, argues and turns up.
Where People Live
CBD & the Laneways
The Hoddle Grid: Flinders Street station, Federation Square, Degraves and Hosier Lanes, the Block and Royal arcades, Chinatown, the State Library and the Queen Victoria Market. Free trams inside the zone.
Southbank & Docklands
Across the Yarra: the NGV, the Arts Centre spire, Hamer Hall and the casino along the promenade; Docklands to the west has Marvel Stadium, offices and apartment towers that never quite came alive.
Fitzroy & Collingwood
The inner north's bohemian core, now expensive: Brunswick and Gertrude Streets' bars, galleries and vintage, Smith Street's restaurants, live music on every block, and the Edinburgh Gardens on Sundays.
Carlton & Brunswick
Lygon Street's Italian restaurants and the University of Melbourne, then north along Sydney Road's Lebanese, Turkish and Greek shops to Brunswick's warehouses, breweries and the Upfield bike path.
Richmond
Victoria Street's Vietnamese restaurants and grocers, Swan Street's bars, Bridge Road's outlets, the MCG and Melbourne Park at its edge and the Yarra trail. Where the city goes to the footy.
South Yarra, Prahran & Windsor
Chapel Street's long strip of fashion, bars and the Prahran Market, the Royal Botanic Gardens at the northern end, and Toorak's mansions to the east. Old money and new.
St Kilda
The bayside suburb: the beach, the pier and its penguins, Luna Park, Acland Street's cake shops, the Esplanade market and the Espy pub. Faded, revived, slightly seedy and loved.
Footscray & the West
Across the Maribyrnong: Footscray's Vietnamese and East African food and market, Yarraville's village, Williamstown's harbour and the industrial west turning residential fast. The best value left in inner Melbourne.
Where to stay
Crown Melbourne
Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia
Eat & drink
Maven by Morgan
Restaurant — 402 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Restaurants & places to go
Ms Collins
melbourne nightclubs, lounges · . BRB Ms Collins is currently self - isolating Sign up to her emails to be the first to hear when she’s back 💋 · mscollins.com.au
Akaiito Restaurant
. ‘é‹å‘½ã®èµ¤ã„糸’ | The Red Thread of Fate | #AKAIITO Japanese Robatayaki charcoal grill restaurant | DOWNSTAIRS @redthreadmelb DELIVERY ORDERS:… · akaiitorestaurant.com.au
Fancy Hanks
BBQ restaurants, barbecue restaurants · fancyhanks.com
Spearmint Rhino Melbourne
strip clubs, stripclubs, gentlemens clubs, strippers, exotic dancers · 14 King Street, Melbourne, Australia · spearmintrhino.com.au
Whisky + Alement
whisky bars, whiskey bars, whiskys, whiskeys, whiskies, restaurants · whiskyandale.com.au
Conversatory Crown Melbourne
fine dining restaurants
Airports
Melbourne Airport (MEL) 34 km to the centre
Melbourne, VIC, AU — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 33 airlines (Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar Airways, Tiger Airways Australia…) · direct flights to 55 destinations incl. Auckland, Singapore, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 33 airlines, 55 direct destinations
- Qantas QF (737-800, A330-200, A330-300, Dash 8-400, Dash 8-300, A380…) · 27 routes: Adelaide, Alice Springs, Auckland, Brisbane, Broome, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Denpasar*, Devonport*, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City*, Hobart, Hong Kong, Honolulu*, Karratha, Kuala Lumpur*, Launceston*, Los Angeles, Mildura*, Nandi*, Perth, Port Hedland, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Wellington
- Virgin Australia VA (737-800, Embraer 190, A320, 777-300ER, 777-300, 737-700…) · 24 routes: Abu Dhabi*, Adelaide*, Auckland*, Brisbane*, Cairns*, Canberra*, Christchurch, Coff's Harbour*, Coolangatta*, Darwin*, Denpasar, Hamilton Island, Hobart*, Kalgoorlie*, Launceston*, Los Angeles, Maroochydore*, Mildura*, Nandi*, Newcastle*, Perth*, Singapore*, Sydney*, Wellington
- Jetstar Airways JQ (A320, A321, A330-200, 787-8) · 23 routes: Adelaide, Auckland, Ballina Byron Bay, Bangkok, Brisbane, Cairns, Christchurch, Coolangatta, Darwin, Denpasar, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Honolulu, Launceston, Maroochydore, Newcastle, Perth, Phuket, Queenstown International, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Townsville
- Tiger Airways Australia TT (A320) · 10 routes: Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Cairns, Coolangatta, Hobart, Mackay, Maroochydore, Perth, Sydney
- Regional Express ZL (Saab 340) · 7 routes: Albury, Burnie, King Island, Merimbula, Mildura, Mount Gambier, Wagga Wagga
- American Airlines AA (737, 330, 380, 767-300) · 6 routes: Adelaide*, Brisbane*, Canberra*, Los Angeles*, Perth*, Sydney*
- Emirates EK (A380, 777-300ER, 737-800) · 5 routes: Auckland, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Wellington*
- Air New Zealand NZ (A320, 330, 777-300) · 4 routes: Auckland, Christchurch, Shanghai*, Wellington
- China Eastern Airlines MU (737-800, A330-200, A330-300) · 4 routes: Auckland*, Shanghai, Singapore*, Wellington*
- Air India Limited AI (787-8) · 2 routes: Delhi, Sydney
- Garuda Indonesia GA (A330-200, A330-300) · 2 routes: Denpasar, Jakarta
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (A320, A330-300, A380, 777-300, 777-300ER) · 2 routes: Christchurch*, Singapore
- Air China CA (330) · 1 route: Shanghai
- Air Pacific FJ (737-800) · 1 route: Nandi
- Air Tahiti Nui TN (737-800) · 1 route: Auckland*
- AirAsia X D7 (330) · 1 route: Kuala Lumpur
- Alitalia AZ (777-300ER) · 1 route: Abu Dhabi*
- Cathay Pacific CX (A330-300) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- China Southern Airlines CZ (A330-300) · 1 route: Guangzhou
- Delta Air Lines DL (777-300ER) · 1 route: Los Angeles*
- Ethiopian Airlines ET (A380) · 1 route: Singapore
- Etihad Airways EY (777-300ER) · 1 route: Abu Dhabi
- Finnair AY (A330-300) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- Malaysia Airlines MH (A330-300, 777-200) · 1 route: Kuala Lumpur
- Philippine Airlines PR (A340-300) · 1 route: Manila
- Qatar Airways QR (777-300ER) · 1 route: Doha
- Royal Brunei Airlines BI (787) · 1 route: Bandar Seri Begawan
- Sichuan Airlines 3U (330) · 1 route: Chengdu
- Thai Airways International TG (777-300, 777) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Turkish Airlines TK (777-300, 777) · 1 route: Bangkok*
- United Airlines UA (777) · 1 route: Sydney
- US Airways US (777-300) · 1 route: Auckland*
- Vietnam Airlines VN (330) · 1 route: Ho Chi Minh City
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Melbourne Avalon International Airport (AVV) 58 km to the centre
Geelong/Melbourne, VIC, AU — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 1 airline (Jetstar Airways) · direct flights to 1 destination incl. Sydney (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 1 direct destination
- Jetstar Airways JQ (A320) · 1 route: Sydney
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Melbourne Essendon Airport (MEB) 25 km to the centre
Essendon Fields, VIC, AU — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 1 airline (Sharp Airlines) · direct flights to 1 destination incl. Flinders Island (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 1 direct destination
- Sharp Airlines SH (SWM) · 1 route: Flinders Island
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Melbourne Moorabbin Airport (MBW) 9.4 km to the centre
Melbourne, VIC, AU — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
RAAF Williams, Point Cook Base 31 km to the centre
Point Cook, VIC, AU
Lilydale Airport 33 km to the centre
VIC, AU
Getting there by ferry
Herring Island Pier
Ferry terminal · 11 km from the centre · Parks Victoria
Como Landing
Ferry terminal · 11 km from the centre · Parks Victoria
St Kilda - Williamstown Ferry
Ferry terminal · 12 km from the centre
Berth 5
Ferry terminal · 14 km from the centre
Berth 4
Ferry terminal · 14 km from the centre
Berth 3
Ferry terminal · 14 km from the centre
Herring Island Punt
Ferry route · Parks Victoria
St Kilda - Williamstown
Ferry route · St Kilda Ferry
Southgate-Gem Pier
Ferry route · Williamstown Ferries
Local transit
PTV
Train, tram, bus · Melbourne's trains, the world's largest tram network, and buses. · Fares: myki card · Airport: SkyBus from Tullamarine to Southern Cross
Trains & rail
Metro Trains Melbourne
Rail operator
V/Line
Rail operator
VicTrack
Rail operator
NSW TrainLink
National rail
Coaches & shuttles
Greyhound Australia → Sydney, Australia
Overnight coach up the Hume Highway, about 12 hours. · Sydney, Australia guide →
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Executive Jet Management Australia
Charter, management · Managed fleet · Sydney-based charter and management.
Air Charter Service
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
ExecuJet
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Flexjet
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Global Jet
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Tours & experiences
Jack The Ripper Self-Guided Walking Tour
Walking Tour
Living Here
Getting about
- Public Transport Victoria runs the trams — the largest network in the world — the Metro trains through the City Loop and the new Metro Tunnel, and the buses; a myki card or, increasingly, a contactless bank card is tapped on and off, and the Free Tram Zone covers the CBD.
- Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine is about 25 kilometres north-west: the SkyBus reaches Southern Cross station in 30 to 40 minutes, and there is still no train. Avalon, an hour south-west, takes some Jetstar flights. V/Line trains from Southern Cross reach Geelong in an hour and Ballarat and Bendigo in about ninety minutes.
- The inner city is flat and easy to cycle, with paths along the Yarra and the Merri Creek and the Capital City Trail looping the centre. Walking the CBD is quick; hook turns at tram intersections are the one traffic rule that alarms newcomers.
- A car is useful in the outer suburbs and a nuisance inside the ring; CityLink and EastLink are tolled, and parking in the CBD is dear. Sydney is a ninety-minute flight or eleven hours by train.
Health
- Dial 000 (112 also works from mobiles). The Royal Melbourne, the Alfred (the state's trauma centre), St Vincent's and the Royal Children's in Parkville are the main hospitals; Nurse-on-Call on 1300 60 60 24 gives advice around the clock.
- Medicare covers residents; visitors from the UK, New Zealand and a few European countries have reciprocal cover, and everyone else needs insurance — international students must hold OSHC. Ambulances are not free; Ambulance Victoria membership is cheap and worth it.
- GPs vary between bulk-billing (free) and a gap fee; pharmacies (Chemist Warehouse, Priceline) are everywhere. Sun protection is a health matter here — the UV is severe from October to March.
Work & study
- The University of Melbourne (1853) is the country's top-ranked; Monash is its largest, RMIT the design and technology school, with Deakin, La Trobe and Swinburne behind. Education is one of Victoria's biggest exports, and international students fill the inner north.
- Finance and superannuation (ANZ and NAB are headquartered here), health and biomedical research around the Parkville precinct (CSL, the Doherty Institute), construction, professional services, tech, the universities, the arts and sport administration — the AFL, Tennis Australia and Cricket Australia are all here.
- A tax file number and a bank account come first; employers add 12% superannuation on top of pay, and the minimum wage is among the world's highest. Offices are informal, first-name and start with coffee.
Money & manners
- Australian dollars; tap-to-pay is universal and cash is rare. Tipping is not expected — round up or 10% for good table service — and GST (10%) is in the price. Card surcharges of 1 to 2% are common and disliked.
- Melburnians are informal, egalitarian and dry; first names for everyone, no fuss, no tall poppies. Be ready to be asked which footy team you follow, and pick one. BYO restaurants, coffee snobbery and the weather as small talk are all sincere.
- Seasons are reversed: summer (December to February) brings 40-degree days between mild ones, winter (June to August) is grey and around 6 to 14 degrees, and autumn is the best of it. Daylight runs from about nine and a half hours in June to fourteen and a half in December.