|
As the capital of
Australia's smallest mainland state - Victoria, Melbourne is one
of Australia's younger cities. The settlement that became what is now Melbourne was established in 1835. In
early 1851 the State of Victoria was created. Later that same year the discovery of gold, including the world's largest gold nugget
to that time, led to the Victorian Gold Rush. Melbourne's
population grew seven-fold in a decade. To this day Melbourne benefits
from this era in many
ways, especially in our
collection of magnificent Victoria-era buildings and gracious
gardens.
|
|
Twenty-first
century Melbourne is a modern cosmopolitan city. Often considered
the most European of Australia's cities, Melbourne is Australia's largest
port, home to Australia's automotive industry and many of
Australia's largest companies. The first Olympic host city in the
Southern Hemisphere, home to Australian Football and Cricket - Melbourne
is Australia's Sporting Capital. Galleries, theatre and the
finest in dining underline why Melbourne is also known as Australia's Cultural Capital.
|
|
Melbourne offers great
access to many out-of-town attractions. Some, like the Yarra Valley,
are only an hour from the city centre. Others like the Great Ocean Road,
the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island, the Grampians Ranges,
the Great Alpine Road and other wine regions involve more travel. But first a few facts about our city and state.
Victoria's
landmass of 228,000 square kilometres is about the size of the United
Kingdom or a little smaller than the US state of California. By
comparison, Australia's size is roughly equal to mainland USA and
a little larger than continental Europe. As a result, the distances and
travel time between places of interest may be greater than imagined. If you remember
this when making your travel plans, you shouldn't be too disappointed if you
don't see everything you might have hoped. Better still if you have
questions about distance, directions or travel plans, A Day Outdoors Touring
would be happy to provide some advice when making your booking.
Victoria's
population is drawn from some 160
different nationalities and number around 4.7 million people. Of this
state total, Melbourne's population is about 3.8 million people.
|
