A world-class arts scene

From cutting-edge architecture and blockbuster musicals to art exhibitions and popular festivals, Melbourne is a city where cultural pursuits are woven into the fabric of everyday life.

A 'corridor' of exciting arts and culture institutions extends across the city, from the Yarra River to the world-heritage Royal Exhibition building and Melbourne Museum in the historic Carlton Gardens. Explore on foot, starting your tour near Southbank at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in its striking building that resembles Uluru. Nearby is NGV International - the National Gallery of Victoria's headquarters,and the Victorian Arts Centre, home to theatre, opera, contemporary and classical music, ballet and visual arts.

Across the Yarra River, Federation Square is a unique and controversial public space that fuses art with architecture, exhibitions and events. It houses Australia's first major gallery devoted to Australian art, including an impressive collection of Aboriginal art - The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia - and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the world's first gallery dedicated to the moving image in all its forms.

Melbourne also has an array of fine theatres that host leading national and international arts companies.

Melbourne laneways and precincts are filled with commercial galleries, craft and design outlets, and fashion boutiques showcasing the innovation and skill of Melbourne-based artists and designers. Small theatre companies produce edgy and innovative theatre, contemporary dance and physical theatre. And the city streets are alive with buskers and public art.

Each year Melbourne hosts a range of arts and cultural festivals and events, including the annual fashion and film festivals, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Melbourne Fringe Festival, the Melbourne International Arts Festival, youth events and more.

City charm

Known as a style-setter, Melbourne is home to some of the best shopping and nightlife in Australia, a non-stop program of film and food festivals, cutting edge design and architecture, and major art exhibitions and musical extravaganzas. Whether youre searching for haute couture or vintage clothing, souvenirs or sparkling chardonnay, chic bars, clubs or jazz venues, Melbourne has it all.

The city is famous for its crowd-pleasing events from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, the Melbourne Fashion Festival and Spring Racing Carnival.

Melbourne loves its sport and every year plays host to international tournaments and grand prix events at world-class venues around the city. And in 2006 Melbourne will take its turn to host the Commonwealth Games, an event that is set to be the largest sporting and community event ever staged in the city.

With more than 3,000 restaurants, cafs and bars representing about 75 different ethnic cuisines, Melbourne is always at the forefront of food fashion. Head out in any direction for a meal and you will come across distinctive dining precincts and award-winning epicurean icons.

The wide Yarra River runs through the city, connecting parks and gardens with sports and entertainment venues and arriving at Port Phillip Bay where, at Station Pier, the Spirit of Tasmania berths between trips across Bass Strait.

Design

Melbourne takes its design, architecture and the visual arts seriously.

The tradition of architecture and innovation continues to flourish with the recent renovation of the National Gallery of Victoria building, originally designed by Roy Grounds. The beautiful new park precinct of Birrarung Marr is a gateway to Federation Square, a stunning complex that has assumed its place as the 'heart' of the city and that houses restaurants, cafs, bars and shops, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and the Ian Potter Centre National Gallery of Victoria: Australian Art.

Other new city precincts that are pushing ideas of leisure, community and building a more liveable city include the QV and GPO, sophisticated shopping and eating precincts on historic sites, the waterfront NewQuay precinct at Docklands, and the soon-to-be-completed Spencer Street station with its serpentine silver roof.

Events

Victorias calendar is packed with bumper celebrations, from international sporting events to Australias biggest cultural festival and 15 major annual and biennial events.

Melbourne is famous for its innovative event venues and is the only city in the world with five world-class sporting facilities on the fringe of its CBD. All are linked to a comprehensive public transport network. And if tickets are scarce, make your way to Federation Square in the city centre to catch all the action of major events on the live site big screen.

Melbourne is home to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Telstra Dome, Albert Park Sports and Aquatic Centre, Rod Laver Arena, Vodafone Arena and the Grand Prix circuit at Albert Park.

Australian Open Tennis Championships The international grand slam tennis season opens every January in Melbourne. See the worlds best players battle it out at the nations biggest sporting event, held at Melbourne Park. (January.

Australian International Airshow The biggest and best in aviation soar across the skies of Avalon at this biennial event, which showcases classic aeroplanes and the most innovative aircraft from around the world. (February biennial.

Fosters Australian Formula One Grand Prix See the chequered flags fly as the biggest names in international motor racing go through their paces at Albert Park. Join four days of high speed glitz and celebration. (March.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Have a laugh at one of the worlds biggest annual celebrations of humour. Feast on Australias funniest plus the finest international acts at over 200 shows in venues around the city. (MarchApril.

The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Melbourne is always at the forefront of food innovation. This three-week festival highlights Victorias quality produce and culinary talent, and includes the Worlds Longest Lunch. (MarchApril.

Australian Football League Finals Series Every September Melbourne is gripped with footy-fever as the best teams battle it out for the coveted premiership. Join the crowds and excitement of Grand Final day. (September.

Spring Racing Carnival The worlds finest thoroughbreds gather in Melbourne for this celebration of horse-racing, trackside fashion, fun and the legendary highlight: the Melbourne Cup. (OctoberNovember.

Melbourne International Arts Festival Each year Melbourne hosts one of the worlds finest cultural festivals, featuring international and Australian artists working in all art forms designed to astound and entertain. (October.

Equitana Asia Pacific The largest gathering of horse lovers in the Southern Hemisphere features 1,200 horses, Olympic gold medallists, world-class stunt riders and performers, at seven indoor arenas over four days. (November biennial.

Boxing Day Test One of Melbournes greatest sporting traditions sees fans from all walks of life flock to the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground to see Australia tackle an international cricketing opponent. (December 26 to 30.

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show Melbourne blooms each year at this event staged at the historic Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens. See over 300 exhibits created by the best of the horticulture industry. (MarchApril.

REGIONAL HALLMARKS Rip Curl Pro See surfing superstars take on the legendary Bells Beach breakers at this world championship tour event. (April.

Mt Buller World Aerials The worlds best aerial skiers compete in the opening rounds of the Freestyle World Cup season surrounded by breathtaking scenery of Victorias high country. (September.

Wangaratta Festival of Jazz Australias premier jazz event also boasts a fabulous blues program. Head to Wangaratta and surrounding wine regions to see a host of Australian and international acts. (OctoberNovember.

SKYY VODKA Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix The best riders in the business converge on the awesome Phillip Island circuit for the penultimate round of the MotoGP World Championship. Join the high-speed celebrations. (October)

Fashion

Melbourne is regarded as the fashion capital of Australia. Stylish and innovative creations by local designers are sold in unique boutiques, worn on the streets by well-dressed Melbournites, and are celebrated at the annual Melbourne Fashion Festival.

Melbourne has something for any budget or fashion inclination. For international couture, head to the 'Paris end' of Collins Street, Toorak and South Yarra or the boutiques at Crown Entertainment Complex. The outlets along Bridge Road draw bargain hunters, and the young and funky head to treasure trove retro clothes shops around Fitzroy, the hub of the student and art communities.

Melbourne CBD has recently undergone a renaissance and is no longer the domain of department and chain stores. Three exciting new shopping precincts have opened their doors to the discerning. Explore the renovated Melbourne Central, home to over 300 outlets offering a mix of leading Australian and international labels and cutting-edge street wear. QV is Melbourne's new inner city laneway shopping precinct featuring a diverse mix of high end fashion and lifestyle retailers, and the refurbished former GPO building in the heart of the city is a fashion, food and shopping precinct of serious sophistication. Covering an entire city block it houses more than 60 stores that span the spectrum of the Melbourne shopping experience.

For an undeniably Melbourne experience, explore historic arcades and hidden laneways where unique meets exotic and quirky. Small boutiques sell everything from fashion by Melbourne designers, to Russian dolls and hand-rolled lollipops.

Food and Wine

Famous for award-winning epicurean icons as well as newer venues, Melbourne is always at the forefront of food fashion. Head out in any direction for a meal and you will come across a dining precinct with a distinctive culinary offering.

Dining alfresco is popular at Southbank, where a diverse choice of restaurants fronts the Yarra. Cross the river to the bars and award-winning restaurants of the striking Federation Square, including Jacque Reymonds Arintji.

Head to the central Chinatown precinct to Australias most awarded restaurant, Flower Drum, and the iconic Mask of China and Bamboo House. And Victoria Street in Richmond is the place for pho and all things Vietnamese.

Two Italian restaurants in the CBD are the venerable Grossi Florentino and Becco. Lebanese cuisine is the specialty of Greg Maloufs MoMo, and Teague Ezard conjures original fare at adelphi. The NewQuay precinct at Docklands has outstanding new restaurants such as Live Bait.

On Fitzroy Street in St Kilda, Caf Di Stasio is a haven for pasta lovers, while the Melbourne Wine Room serves fine food at the George Hotel. Around the corner in Acland Street, Circas classic food reflects the interests of its British chefs, hopeful diners wait to be retrieved from the bar by the friendly staff at the ever-popular Cicciolina, and Donovans offers Italian fare beside the beach.

Carltons Lygon Street area is famed for kerbside Italian dining, including Jimmy Watsons and Brunetti. Vibrant Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, has the acclaimed Piraeus Blue, while Antipodes is a gem in the Greek precinct of Lonsdale Street. Alfresco eating at Williamstown, cafs in South Yarra and Prahran, and intriguing bars in city laneways make the options endless.

Melbourne is home to many markets, including the legendary Queen Victoria Market, an institution since 1878. Choose from fresh produce, seafood, jewellery, clothing and authentic Australian souvenirs.

History

When Europeans first settled the Port Philip region it was inhabited by five Aboriginal language groups that made up the Kulin Nation. To discover more about local Aboriginal culture take the Aboriginal Heritage walk or visit the Melbourne Museum with its extensive collection of indigenous art and artefacts.

In 1835 the first white settlers sailed up Port Phillip Bay, however it was not until the gold rush of the 1850s that Melbourne started to grow quickly. Those lucrative years and the ensuing land boom have left Victoria with an outstanding legacy of fine architecture, causing visitors to the region in the late nineteenth century to label the city as "marvellous Melbourne" and "the jewel of the Southern Hemisphere".

See many of the most famous buildings of that period along the Golden Mile Heritage Trail. The four-kilometre walk has brass markers describing points of interest, important buildings and other attractions so you can take a self-guided walk or if you prefer there are also guided tours available.

Among the highlights of the walk is the world heritage nominated Royal Exhibition Building, one of the world's largest and oldest exhibition pavilions, symbolising the great 19th century international exhibition movement.

The National Trust also owns and operates a number of outstanding and architecturally significant historic homes and museums. Among the best are Como house (a colonial mansion set in five acres of garden at Toorak) and Rippon Lea (the last of Australias great privately owned nineteenth century suburban estates).

Following the end of World War II immigration increased dramatically, with migrants and refugees arriving in large numbers, particularly from Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, Poland and Turkey - these days Melbourne is home to more people of Greek descent than any other city in the world apart from Athens.

Subsequent waves of immigrants from Vietnam and Cambodia have brought elements of their own culture, architecture, cuisine, entertainment and festivals to the city.