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![Matthew Clarke's Melbourne Art Tram](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Matthew_Clarke%27s_Melbourne_Art_Tram_.jpg)
The culture of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, the capital of the Australian state of
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
, encompasses the city's artistic, culinary, literary, musical, political and social elements. Since its founding as a British settlement in 1835, Melbourne has been culturally influenced by
European culture
The culture of Europe is rooted in its art, architecture, film, different types of music, economics, literature, and philosophy. European culture is largely rooted in what is often referred to as its "common cultural heritage".
Definition ...
, particularly that of the British Isles. During the 1850s
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony, and an influx of population growth and financial capit ...
and in the decades the immediately followed, immigrants from many other parts of the world, notably China and the Americas, helped shape Melbourne's culture. Over time, Melbourne has become the birthplace of a number of unique cultural traits and institutions, and today it is one of the world's most multicultural cities.
Traditionally acclaimed as Australia's "cultural capital", Melbourne topped the
Economist Intelligence Unit
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is the research and analysis division of the Economist Group, providing forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis, such as monthly country reports, five-year country economic forecasts, ...
's
annual ranking of the world's
most liveable cities throughout much of the 2010s, based in part on its cultural attributes.
Overview
Melbourne hosts and supports many cultural institutions, such as museums, galleries, events, festivals, public/
street art,
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
, live music, film,
independent music
Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...
and literary talks,
independent film and fashion. The city celebrates a wide variety of major annual cultural events, including local, national and international events. A number of cultural hubs also exist in the city, including the
Victorian Arts Precinct, with its distinctive spire, and
Federation Square
Federation Square (colloquially Fed Square) is a venue for arts, culture and public events on the edge of the Melbourne central business district. It covers an area of at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston Streets built above busy ra ...
, one of the city's main cultural hubs and tourist centres that celebrated its ten-year anniversary in 2012. Federation Square's distinctive architecture, large digital screen and public space attracts congregations, rallies and public audiences for sporting events.
Arts
Architecture
![Rialto architecture Melbourne](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Rialto_architecture_Melbourne.jpg)
Melbourne's buildings and structures feature a wide variety of
architectural designs, and the city is home to the Royal Exhibition Building, the first Australian building to be listed on the World Heritage Register.
Australia's second oldest architectural firm, and one of the world's oldest,
Bates Smart
Bates Smart is an architectural firm with studios in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1853 by Joseph Reed, it is known as one of Australia's oldest architectural firms. Over the decades, the firm's multidisciplinary practices involv ...
, is based in Melbourne.
Some of Australia's most prolific architects have originated from Melbourne, including
Joseph Reed,
William Wardell,
John James Clark
John James Clark (23 January 1838 – 25 June 1915), an Australian architect, was born in Liverpool, England. Clark's 30 years in public service, in combination with 33 in private practice, produced some of Australia's most notable public buildin ...
,
Charles D'Ebro,
Charles Webb,
William Pitt,
Nahum Barnet,
Harry Norris
Harry Norris (12 June 1888 – 15 December 1966) was an Australian architect, one of the more prolific and successful in Melbourne in the interwar period, best known for his 1930s Art Deco commercial work in the Melbourne CBD.
His designs were ...
,
Sir Roy Grounds and
Robin Boyd. In recent years, Melbourne has produced internationally recognised architectural firms, including
Denton Corker Marshall
Denton Corker Marshall is an international architecture practice based in Melbourne, Australia.
History
Denton Corker Marshall was established in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1972. It was founded by architects John Denton, Bill Corker, and Barrie ...
,
Fender Katsalidis,
Daryl Jackson
Daryl Sanders Jackson AO (born 7 February 1937) is an Australian architect and the owner of an international architecture firm, Jackson Architecture. Jackson also became the associate professor of the University of Melbourne and Deakin Univers ...
and
Peddle Thorp
Peddle Thorp is an Australian-based architecture, interior design, and urban planning firm, with offices located in Melbourne, Victoria, in Asia and in the Middle East. The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo inspired from "The Underwater Paradise ...
, as well as local award-winning trendsetters,
Edmund & Corrigan,
Ashton Raggatt McDougall
ARM Architecture or Ashton Raggatt McDougall is an architectural firm with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide, Australia. The firm was founded in 1988 and has completed internationally renowned design work. ARM's founding directors wer ...
and
Wood Marsh.
Literature
![State Library of Victoria La Trobe Reading room 5th floor view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/State_Library_of_Victoria_La_Trobe_Reading_room_5th_floor_view.jpg)
Melbourne's literary history is rich and diverse. The
State Library of Victoria was the first major cultural institution to be established in Melbourne since its founding in 1854, and is one of Australia's oldest cultural institutions. The library holds more than two million books and 16,000 serials, and is a part of an extensive network of public and university libraries across the city. A wide range of independent bookstores also exist in the city, as well as a variety of larger bookstore chains, and in 1960, the first children's bookstore in Australia, The Little Bookroom, was opened. The
Foreign Language Bookshop is the oldest and largest language bookshop in
Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...
, established in 1938 in Bourke Street as a free lending library. The primary aim of the business was to reduce migrant isolation, particularly for European migrants disembarking from ships into Australia.
![Adam Lindsay Gordon statue Melbourne](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Adam_Lindsay_Gordon_statue_Melbourne.jpg)
In the decades following the gold rush, Melbourne was Australia's undisputed literary capital, famously referred to by
Henry Kendall as "that wild bleak Bohemia south of the
Murray". During this time, Melbourne-based writers and poets
Adam Lindsay Gordon
Adam Lindsay Gordon (19 October 1833 – 24 June 1870) was a British-Australian poet, horseman, police officer and politician. He was the first Australian poet to gain considerable recognition overseas, and according to his contemporary, write ...
,
Marcus Clarke
Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke (24 April 1846 – 2 August 1881) was an English-born Australian novelist, journalist, poet, editor, librarian, and playwright. He is best known for his 1874 novel '' For the Term of His Natural Life'', about the c ...
, and
Rolf Boldrewood
Thomas Alexander Browne (born Brown, 6 August 1826 – 11 March 1915) was an Australian author who published many of his works under the pseudonym Rolf Boldrewood. He is best known for his 1882 bushranging novel '' Robbery Under Arms''.
Biog ...
produced classic visions of colonial life and created a nascent national literature.
Melbourne's literary publishing sector is the largest in Australia, including the largest number of independent publishers, and presents two of Australia's most significant literary awards: the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards and the Melbourne Prize for Literature. Melbourne is the setting of many significant novels including
Fergus Hume
Ferguson Wright Hume (8 July 1859 – 12 July 1932), known as Fergus Hume, was a prolific English novelist, known for his detective fiction, thrillers and mysteries.
Early life
Hume was born in Powick, Worcestershire, England, the second ...
's ''
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab'' (1886),
George Johnston's ''
My Brother Jack'' (1964),
Helen Garner's ''
Monkey Grip'' (1977) and
Christos Tsiolkas
Christos Tsiolkas is an Australian author, playwright, and screenwriter. He is especially known for '' The Slap'', which was both well-received critically and highly successful commercially. Several of his books have been adapted for film and t ...
’ ''
The Slap'' (2008). ''The Mystery of a Hanson Cab'' was the best-selling detective novel of the 19th century. Garner's seminal 1977 novel ''Monkey Grip'' achieved notability for capturing Melbourne's burgeoning
counter-culture
A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...
and Bohemia scene, as well as the lives of communal single-mothers, junkies and artists living in sharehouses in the inner city neighbourhoods of
Fitzroy and
Carlton. It is now considered one of Australia's earliest and most important contemporary novels, with the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
selecting it as one of "100 stories that shaped the world" – the only Australian novel on the list. Other contemporary writers from Melbourne include
Kerry Greenwood
Kerry Isabelle Greenwood (born 1954) is an Australian author and lawyer. She has written many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher, which was adapted as the popular tele ...
,
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer (; born 29 January 1939) is an Australian writer and public intellectual, regarded as one of the major voices of the radical feminist movement in the latter half of the 20th century.
Specializing in English and women's literat ...
,
Stephanie Alexander,
Tony Birch and
Barry Dickins
Barry Dickins (born 6 November 1949) is a prolific Australian playwright, author, artist, actor, educator and journalist, probably best known for his historical dramas and his reminisces about growing up and living in working class Melbourne. H ...
.
The
Melbourne Writers Festival
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) is an annual literary festival held in the Australian city of Melbourne, a UNESCO City of Literature. The Festival runs during early September each year. Melbourne Writers Festival is part of the Word Alliance, ...
was founded in 1986 and is an annual, two-week literary festival that hosts keynotes, panels and workshops by a wide range of local and international guests. Since beginning as a one-day zine fair in 2004, the Emerging Writers' Festival has expanded to ten days of events, workshops, and panel discussions that are focused on the development of writers. Annually across Melbourne there are many local writers’ festivals including the Bayside Literary Festival, Williamstown Literary Festival and Glen Eira Storytelling Festival. In addition to book readings by local authors, many of these events provide opportunities for local writers to develop their skills via workshops and short-story competitions.
In August 2008, Melbourne was the second city in the world to be recognised as a
City of Literature
UNESCO's City of Literature programme is part of the wider Creative Cities Network.
The ''Network'' was launched in 2004, and now has member cities in seven creative fields. The other creative fields are: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gas ...
by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
—the
Wheeler Centre
The Wheeler Centre, originally Centre of Books, Writing and Ideas, is a literary and publishing centre founded as part of Melbourne's bid to be a Unesco Creative City of Literature, which designation it earned in 2008. It is named after its pat ...
for Books, Writing and Ideas is a literary and publishing centre founded as part of Melbourne's successful bid. As well as programming literary events, debates and awards, the Wheeler Centre hosts literary organisations such as the Melbourne Writers’ Festival, Emerging Writers’ Festival, SPUNC, Australian Poetry,
Express Media, Writers Victoria and the Melbourne City of Literature Office.
Opera and theatre
![Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Australia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Princess_Theatre%2C_Melbourne%2C_Australia.jpg)
The
Australian Ballet Company is based in Melbourne and the National Theatre in
St Kilda is the oldest
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
school in Australia. Ballet is a regular feature at the
Victorian Arts Centre
Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly called the Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central ...
and National Theatre venues. Melbourne is the second home of
Opera Australia
Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder ...
after it merged with Victoria State Opera in 1996. The
Victorian Opera held its inaugural season in 2006 and operates in various Melbourne venues.
The
Royal Melbourne Philharmonic was formed in 1853, making it Australia's oldest musical organisation and the only orchestra in Australia to be bestowed "royal" status. The Victoria Orchestra, based in Melbourne, was Australia's first professional orchestra and performed during the period from 1888 to 1891. The
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008.
The MSO relies on f ...
, first assembled in 1906, is now the city's premier orchestra and tours internationally.
There are more theatres and performance venues in Melbourne than any other city in Australia. In
Southbank, Victoria
Southbank is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1 km south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Port Phillip local government areas. Southbank recorded a population of 2 ...
, the
Arts Centre Melbourne
Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly called the Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central ...
is a hub of performing arts venues and is the cornerstone of the
Melbourne Arts Precinct which also includes the
Melbourne Recital Centre
Melbourne Recital Centre is a venue for live music in Melbourne and welcomes over 200,000 visitors each year. The organisation programs and presents more than 500 concerts and events a year across diverse range of musical genres including classi ...
and Southbank Theatre, home of the
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...
. In the city's
East End Theatre District, notable theatres include the
Princess Theatre,
Regent Theatre,
Forum Theatre,
Comedy Theatre
The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011, ; the
Athenaeum
Athenaeum may refer to:
Books and periodicals
* ''Athenaeum'' (German magazine), a journal of German Romanticism, established 1798
* ''Athenaeum'' (British magazine), a weekly London literary magazine 1828–1921
* ''The Athenaeum'' (Acadia U ...
, and
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...
. The
Palais Theatre
The Palais Theatre (originally Palais Pictures) is a historic picture palace located in St Kilda, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. With a capacity of nearly 3,000 people, it is the largest seated theatre in Australia.
Repl ...
is a significant music venue in nearby St Kilda.
Several professional theatre companies operate in Melbourne, of which the
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...
, the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, has the most institutional support of any in Australia. There is also a range of smaller professional theatre companies in Melbourne, including the Malthouse,
La Mama
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...
in Carlton, Cariad Productions, the Red Stitch Actors Theatre and Theatreworks in St Kilda. An array of amateur companies also exist, such as OXAGEN Productions, the Malvern Theatre Company, CLOC, Catchment Players of Darebin, MLOC Productions, Theatrical Incorporated,
Altona City Theatre, Windmill Theatre Company and Dandenong Theatre Company.
Comedy
![Melbourne Town Hall St Pauls](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Melbourne_Town_Hall_St_Pauls.jpg)
Melbourne is known throughout both Australia and the world as a centre of comedy, with the
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is the largest stand-alone comedy festival and the second-largest international comedy festival in the world. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks, typicall ...
listed as one of the three largest
stand-up comedy festivals in the world. The city has also produced many of Australia's top-rating comedy television and radio shows, and many of the country's leading comedians either come from the city or
have relocated to Melbourne.
![Comedy Theatre in December 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Comedy_Theatre_in_December_2012.jpg)
Melbourne-born satirist
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He is best known for writing and playing his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He is also a film pr ...
created his main character, "
Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna Everage, often known simply as Dame Edna, is a character created and performed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, known for her lilac-coloured ("wisteria hue") hair and cat eye glasses ("face furniture"); her favourite flower, t ...
", as a comic version of a suburban
homemaker
Homemaking is mainly an American and Canadian term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, housewifery or household management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational, day-to-day operations of a hous ...
. Through Everage, Humphries has written and performed cutting odes to Melbourne
mores
Mores (, sometimes ; , plural form of singular , meaning "manner, custom, usage, or habit") are social norms that are widely observed within a particular society or culture. Mores determine what is considered morally acceptable or unacceptable ...
and the
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...
suburbs of
Moonee Ponds
Moonee Ponds is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Moonee Ponds recorded a population of 16,224 at the 2 ...
and
Highett, among others. The character was retired in mid-2012 during the ''Eat Pray Laugh'' farewell tour.
Dance events
Melbourne also hosted the 2008 World Latin American Dance Championships. The competition was held in the Vodafone Arena and immediately following the Australian Dancesport Championships. The Australian Dancesport championships will commence on 10 December 2008 and the World Latin Championships will be held on 14 December 2008.
Visual arts
![Arthur Streeton - Golden summer, Eaglemont - Google Art Project](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Arthur_Streeton_-_Golden_summer%2C_Eaglemont_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
The Melbourne arts scene is vibrant and the city hosts the annual
Melbourne International Arts Festival
Melbourne International Arts Festival, formerly Spoleto Festival Melbourne – Festival of the Three Worlds, then Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, becoming commonly known as Melbourne Festival, was a major international arts festi ...
as a celebration of its artistic tradition.
In the 1880s, a group of Melbourne artists formed the first distinctive Australian school of painting. Named the
Heidelberg School
The Heidelberg School was an Australian art movement of the late 19th century. It has latterly been described as Australian impressionism.
Melbourne art critic Sidney Dickinson coined the term in an 1891 review of works by Arthur Streeton and ...
, and latterly described as
Australian Impressionism
The Heidelberg School was an Australian art movement of the late 19th century. It has latterly been described as Australian impressionism.
Melbourne art critic Sidney Dickinson coined the term in an 1891 review of works by Arthur Streeton and ...
, the movement's four principle artists were
Tom Roberts
Thomas William Roberts (8 March 185614 September 1931) was an English-born Australian artist and a key member of the Heidelberg School art movement, also known as Australian impressionism.
After studying in Melbourne, he travelled to Europe ...
,
Arthur Streeton
Sir Arthur Ernest Streeton (8 April 1867 – 1 September 1943) was an Australian landscape painter and a leading member of the Heidelberg School, also known as Australian Impressionism.
Early life
Streeton was born in Mt Moriac, Victoria, sou ...
,
Charles Conder
Charles Edward Conder (24 October 1868 – 9 February 1909) was an English-born painter, lithographer and designer. He emigrated to Australia and was a key figure in the Heidelberg School, arguably the beginning of a distinctively Australi ...
and
Frederick McCubbin
Frederick McCubbin (25 February 1855 – 20 December 1917) was an Australian artist, art teacher and prominent member of the Heidelberg School art movement, also known as Australian impressionism.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria, McCubb ...
. Together they painted ''
en plein air
''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors.
This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...
'' at artists' camps set up around Melbourne's rural suburbs, including
Box Hill and
Heidelberg
Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...
, allowing them to capture the unique light, colour and atmosphere of the
Australian bush
"The bush" is a term mostly used in the English vernacular of Australia and New Zealand where it is largely synonymous with ''wikt:backwoods, backwoods'' or ''hinterland'', referring to a natural undeveloped area. The fauna and flora containe ...
. Many of the group's most famous works from this period are large-scale sunlit landscapes and pastoral figure subjects, however they also explored Melbourne's urban scenery, local history (including pioneer and
bushranger themes), beaches (often along
Port Phillip Bay
Port Phillip ( Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, narrow channel known as The Rip, and is compl ...
at
Mentone,
Sandringham and
Beaumaris
Beaumaris ( ; cy, Biwmares ) is a town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, of which it is the former county town of Anglesey. It is located at the eastern entrance to the Menai Strait, the tidal waterway separating Anglesey from th ...
), and did portraits of wealthy Melburnians from their inner-city studios. In 1889 they staged the
9 by 5 Impression Exhibition
The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition was an art exhibition in Melbourne, Australia. It opened on 17 August 1889 at Buxton's Rooms on Swanston Street and featured 183 works, the majority of which were painted by Charles Conder, Tom Roberts and Arthur ...
opposite the
Melbourne Town Hall
Melbourne Town Hall is the central city town hall of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and is a historic building in the state of Victoria since 1867. Located in the central business district on the northeast corner of the intersection between ...
. It is regarded as a landmark event in Australian art history.
Modernist
John Brack
John Brack (10 May 1920 – 11 February 1999) was an Australian painter, and a member of the Antipodeans group. According to one critic, Brack's early works captured the idiosyncrasies of their time "more powerfully and succinctly than any Aust ...
captured the idiosyncrasies of daily life in Melbourne. His most iconic painting, ''
Collins Street., 5 pm'' (1955), shows grim-faced pedestrians moving in unison down
Collins Street. It was voted by patrons in 2011 as the
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and most visited art museum.
The NGV houses an encyclopedic art collection across two ...
's most popular work.
![Len French ceiling National Gallery of Victoria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Len_French_ceiling_National_Gallery_of_Victoria.jpg)
There are more than 100 galleries in Melbourne. In the city
NGV International th
Ian Potter Centreand
Ian Potter Museum of Art, the
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Flinders Lane Gallery, Anna Schwartz Gallery, McCulloch Gallery, and the
Australian Centre for the Moving Image — an organisation dedicated to the moving image in all its forms, from film and
animation, to
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
s and television — have been established. The
Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces
Gertrude Contemporary is a contemporary art complex located in Melbourne, Australia.
The organisation was founded in 1985 and is located at 21-31 High St, Preston South. It also has a satellite exhibition space, Gertrude Glasshouse, at 44 Glassho ...
and the
Centre for Contemporary Photography, both based in
Fitzroy, are examples of galleries in the inner-city. Suburban venues also exist, such as
Heidelberg
Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...
's
Heide Museum of Modern Art
The Heide Museum of Modern Art, also known as Heide, is an art museum in Bulleen, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1981, the museum houses modern and contemporary art across three distinct exhibition buildings and is s ...
, located in the north-eastern region of the city. The ''Art Almanac'' website, promoting itself as "Australia's Monthly Briefing on Art", publishes a monthly list of activities for Melbourne's galleries and art services, in addition to the other Australian states, covering more than 550 art galleries throughout the entire nation; the organisation also publishes a hard copy almanac each month.
![Hosier Lane Melbourne](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Hosier_Lane_Melbourne._%2825242293926%29.jpg)
Melbourne is home to a large array of public artworks, statues and sculptures.
Sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
s such as
Deborah Halpern have played a large part in enhancing many of the city's public spaces with their iconic and larger-than-life works. In more modern times, the city has become well known for
stencil graffiti
Stencil graffiti is a form of graffiti that makes use of stencils made out of paper, cardboard, or other media to create an image or text that is easily reproducible. The desired design is cut out of the selected medium and then the image is trans ...
,
public art
Public art is art in any media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and physically acce ...
that appears in the city's numerous laneways.
The city has major
film festival
A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...
s including the
Melbourne International Film Festival,
Melbourne Queer Film Festival,
Melbourne Underground Film Festival
The Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF) is an Austalian independent film festival featuring mostly genre, controversial, transgressive and avant garde material.
History
The Melbourne Underground Film Festival was formed out of disagreeme ...
and
Melbourne International Animation Festival, featuring several of the city's major cinemas. The Central City Studios in Melbourne Docklands, constructed in 2005, has seen the production of several big budget films.
Melbourne is also known for
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion i ...
. The city, once a leader in the
textile industry
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of yarn, cloth and clothing. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry.
Industry process
Cotton manufacturi ...
, retains a small manufacturing base, but has diversified into the more creative areas of the fashion industry. The
Melbourne Fashion Festival is one of the city's annual events, while the
Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival The Spring Racing Carnival is the name of an Australian Thoroughbred horse racing series held annually in Melbourne during October and November.
The Carnival and its status in the wider community
Although racing in Australia is held every day excep ...
, the
Logies and the
Brownlow Medal
The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as "Charlie"), is awarded to the "best and fairest" player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by t ...
dinner are three of the biggest annual
red carpet
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.
History
The earliest known reference ...
events in the country.
Street Art in Melbourne is internationally recognised.
International artists, such as
Banksy
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigram ...
, have painted work in Melbourne.
Music
![Melba Rupert Bunny](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Melba_Rupert_Bunny.jpg)
Melbourne has one of the most highly regarded live music scenes in the world. In terms of the quality and number of venues, arguably, it is comparable with cities such as
Austin. Hundreds of venues throughout Melbourne host live music, some of which host live music every night of the week.
Operatic soprano
Dame Nellie Melba
Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic dramatic coloratura soprano (three octaves). She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th centur ...
, one of the late
Victorian Era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
's most famous singers, took her stage name from her native Melbourne, her stage name also being the source of the term ‘
melba toast
Melba toast is a dry, crisp and thinly sliced toast, often served with soup and salad or topped with either melted cheese or pâté. It is named after Dame Nellie Melba, the stage name of Australian opera singer Helen Porter Mitchell. Its name i ...
’.
In 1934 Clement Williams recorded ''Let’s Take a Trip to Melbourne'', written by Jack O'Hagan. Singer
Paul Kelly has written several well-known songs about aspects of the city close to the heart of many Melburnians, notably "
Leaps And Bounds" and "
From St Kilda to King's Cross", while
Skyhooks also wrote some more tongue-in-cheek songs about Melbourne. "Balwyn Calling", "Carlton (Lygon Street Limbo)" and "Toorak Cowboy" are examples. Melbourne-originated indie-rock band
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian punk rockabilly band from Melbourne, formed in 1994. Since 2002, the line-up consists of Chris Cheney (vocals, guitar), Scott Owen (double bass, vocals), and Andy Strachan (drums). The band rose to fame in 199 ...
wrote the song "West End Riot" about differences between eastern and western suburbs in Melbourne's inner city.
![George Hotel Crystal Ballroom St Kilda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/George_Hotel_Crystal_Ballroom_St_Kilda.jpg)
Melbourne's
independent music
Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...
scene flourished in the 1970s and 1980s with strong support from local venues, street press, community radio stations, and numerous record labels. Several distinct
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
scenes emerged in the inner suburbs, each sharing a
DIY ethic
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
and a passion for experimentation. Led by the
Primitive Calculators, the
Fitzroy-based
little band scene gave rise to groups such as
Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance are an Australian music duo first established in Melbourne. Currently composed of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, the group formed in 1981. They relocated to London the following year. Australian music historian Ian McFarlane des ...
and
Hunters & Collectors. In
Clifton Hill, collaborations occurred between conceptual composers, such as
David Chesworth
David Chesworth (born 1958, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom) is an Australian-based interdisciplinary artist and composer. Known for his experimental and at times minimalist music, he has worked solo, in post-punk groups (Essendon Airport, Whadya ...
and
Philip Brophy, and experimental punk outfits, namely
Tsk Tsk Tsk
→ ↑ → (pronounced as three clicks, often written incorrectly as Tsk Tsk Tsk or Tch Tch Tch) was an Australian music, art and performance group, best known for their experimental music. They formed in Melbourne in 1977 and were l ...
,
Essendon Airport
Essendon Fields Airport , colloquially known by its former name Essendon Airport, is a public airport serving scheduled commercial, corporate-jet, charter and general aviation flights. It is located next to the intersection of the Tullamarin ...
, and the
funk-tinged
I'm Talking
I'm Talking are an Australian funk-pop rock band, which featured vocalists Kate Ceberano and Zan Abeyratne. They formed in 1983 in Melbourne and provided top ten hit singles " Trust Me", " Do You Wanna Be?" and " Holy Word" and a top fifteen ...
, which launched the career of
Kate Ceberano
Catherine Yvette Ceberano ( or , born 17 November 1966) is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the soul, jazz, and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. Her song "Pash" received a gold sa ...
. St Kilda's
Crystal Ballroom became the stomping ground for darker, noisier punk groups, including
The Moodists,
Crime and the City Solution, and
Nick Cave's
The Birthday Party.
Cave and Birthday Party bandmate
Mick Harvey
Michael John Harvey (born 29 August 1958) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his long-term collaborations with Nick Cave, with whom he formed The ...
went on to form one of Australia's most acclaimed rock bands,
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, whose evolving multinational lineup has included Melbourne musicians
JG Thirlwell (known for his project
Foetus
A fetus or foetus (; plural fetuses, feti, foetuses, or foeti) is the unborn offspring that develops from an animal embryo. Following embryonic development the fetal stage of development takes place. In human prenatal development, fetal develo ...
),
Hugo Race
Hugo Justin Race (born 23 May 1963) is an Australian rock musician and record producer who had been based in Europe from 1989 to 2011. He was a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1983–85), and The Wreckery (1984–89) with Nick Barker ...
, and
Dirty Three violinist
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...
.
Many independent artists from Melbourne have become internationally notable and regularly tour abroad, including:
The Temper Trap
The Temper Trap are an Australian indie rock band formed in 2005 by Dougy Mandagi, Jonathon Aherne, and Toby Dundas. In 2008, the group relocated from Melbourne to London. The band released their debut album '' Conditions'' in June 2009 to favou ...
,
Cut Copy
Cut Copy (sometimes stylised as Cut/Copy) are an Australian synth-pop band formed in 2001 by Dan Whitford (vocals, keyboards and guitar). Originally a home-recording project, the band now includes Tim Hoey (guitars), Ben Browning (bass guitar), ...
,
Architecture in Helsinki
Architecture in Helsinki were an Australian indie pop band which consisted of Cameron Bird, Gus Franklin, Jamie Mildren, Sam Perry, and Kellie Sutherland. The band released five studio albums before going on hiatus: '' Fingers Crossed'' (2003), ...
,
The Drones,
Grinderman
Grinderman was an Australian-American rock band that formed in London, England, in 2006. The band included Nick Cave (vocals, guitar, organ, piano), Warren Ellis (tenor guitar, electric mandolin, violin, viola, guitar, backing vocals), Martyn ...
,
Augie March
Augie (sometimes spelled Auggie) is a nickname for variations of the name August, which derives from the Latin name Augustus. It may refer to:
People
* Augie Auer (1940–2007), meteorologist
* Augie Galan (1912–1993), Major League Baseball p ...
,
New Buffalo,
The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire are an Australian jazz/funk band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1999. For most of the band's duration, the core members were Felix Riebl (lead vocals, percussion), Harry James Angus (trumpet, vocals), Will Hull-Brown (drums), ...
,
Dirty Three,
Muscles
Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of musc ...
,
The Lucksmiths
The Lucksmiths were an Australian indie pop band formed in March 1993 by Marty Donald on guitar, Mark Monnone on bass guitar and Tali White on drums and lead vocals. Louis Richter (ex-Mid State Orange) joined on guitar in 2005. They released ei ...
,
Ned Collette,
The Crayon Fields,
Love of Diagrams,
Midnight Juggernauts
Midnight Juggernauts were an Australian band from Melbourne, composed of Andrew Szekeres, Vincent Vendetta (Vincent Heimann), and Daniel Stricker. The band has been described as anything from 'prog dance meets cosmic film scores', to 'slasher-fl ...
,
Gotye
Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known by his stage name Gotye ( ), is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier", the French cognat ...
,
Courtney Barnett
Courtney Melba Barnett (born 3 November 1987) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. Known for her deadpan singing style and witty, rambling lyrics, she attracted attention with the release of her debut EP ''I've Got a Friend Call ...
,
Alex Lahey,
G Flip
Georgia Claire Flipo, known professionally as G Flip, is an Australian singer, songwriter, producer, drummer, and musician from Melbourne, Victoria. They released their debut studio album, '' About Us'', on 30 August 2019.
Early life and educ ...
and
The Avalanches
The Avalanches are an Australian electronic music group formed in Melbourne in 1997. They are known for their studio albums '' Since I Left You'' (2000), ''Wildflower'' (2016), and '' We Will Always Love You'' (2020), as well as their live and ...
amongst others.
Melbourne's lively rock and pop music scene has fostered many internationally renowned artists and musicians. The 1960s gave rise to many performers including
Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
,
John Farnham,
Graeme Bell
Graeme Emerson Bell, AO, MBE (7 September 191413 June 2012) was an Australian Dixieland and classical jazz pianist, composer and band leader. According to ''The Age'', his "band's music was hailed for its distinctive Australian edge, which he ...
, and folk group
The Seekers
The Seekers were an Australian folk-influenced pop quartet, originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States. They were ...
. The 1970s and 1980s saw many acts getting their first big breaks on Melbourne's
Countdown
A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
, including the Little River Band and
Crowded House who later wrote a song about the city of Melbourne called
Four Seasons In One Day
"Four Seasons in One Day" is a song by rock group Crowded House, released as a single in June 1992. It was co-written by Neil Finn and brother Tim Finn, originally intended for their debut ''Finn Brothers'' album; however, it was moved onto the ...
. Successful Melbourne artists include
Flea
Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...
(of the
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...
),
Weddings Parties Anything
Weddings, Parties, Anything. was an Australian folk rock band formed in 1984 in Melbourne and continuing until 1999. Their name came from The Clash song "Revolution Rock". Musicologist Billy Pinnell described their first album as the best Austr ...
,
TISM
TISM (an acronym of This Is Serious Mum) are a seven-piece anonymous alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia on 30 December 1982 by vocalist/drummer Humphrey B. Flaubert, bassist/vocalist Jock Cheese and keyboardist/vocalist Eug ...
,
Snog,
Jet and
Something for Kate. Melbourne is also the home of rock "guru" journalist
Ian "Molly" Meldrum.
More recent notable Melbourne acts include
Rogue Traders
Rogue Traders is an Australian electronic rock band formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 2002 by mainstay James Ash on keyboards. In 1989, Ash met fellow original member Steve Davis in London while both were working as DJs. Before forming Rogue Tr ...
,
Taxiride,
Missy Higgins,
Madison Avenue,
Anthony Callea and
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian punk rockabilly band from Melbourne, formed in 1994. Since 2002, the line-up consists of Chris Cheney (vocals, guitar), Scott Owen (double bass, vocals), and Andy Strachan (drums). The band rose to fame in 199 ...
. Melbourne-based television shows ''
Young Talent Time
''Young Talent Time'' is an Australian television variety program produced by Lewis-Young Productions and screened on Network Ten. The original series ran from 1971 until 1988 and was hosted by singer-songwriter and record producer Johnny You ...
'' and ''
Neighbours'' gave many singers a launching pad to international success. Local talents to come from these shows include
Kylie Minogue,
Dannii Minogue,
Tina Arena
Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actress and record producer. She is one of Australia's highest-selling artists and has sold over 10 million records worldwid ...
,
Jamie Redfern and
Jason Donovan. Another Music TV show that began in Melbourne was
Turn It Up! It was first shown on Melbourne's
Channel 31 and then relayed via satellite and rebroadcast terrestrially to major TV networks in over 22 countries. The show had the second largest viewing audience around the world, beaten only by the audience of
American Bandstand. In one episode, the show presented Melbournes annual festival
Moomba
Moomba (also known as the Moomba Festival) is held annually in Melbourne, Australia. Run by the City of Melbourne, it is Australia's largest free community festival. The Melburnian tradition is celebrated over four days, incorporating the La ...
to a world audience.
Media
![Federation Square (SBS Building)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Federation_Square_%28SBS_Building%29.jpg)
Melbourne has two major daily newspapers,
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
's ''
Herald Sun'' and the
Fairfax owned ''
The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory ...
''. A national ''
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
'' newspaper has a Victorian issue and is also published by Murdoch. Several weekly magazines are published by Murdochs' News Corp. As News Corp holds over 50 million shares in Fairfax,
there is no daily newspaper in Melbourne free of Rupert Murdoch's media empire. There are three commercial television networks:
Seven,
Nine
9 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
9 or nine may also refer to:
Dates
* AD 9, the ninth year of the AD era
* 9 BC, the ninth year before the AD era
* 9, numerical symbol for the month of September
Places
* Nine, Portugal, a parish in the ...
and
Ten; and three public: the
ABC,
SBS and a
community television
Community television is a form of mass media in which a television station is owned, operated or programmed by a community group to provide television programs of local interest known as local programming.
Community television stations are most c ...
channel,
C31. Leader Newspapers is Australia's largest publisher of community newspapers, distributing 33 local papers across Melbourne suburbs. More community newspapers are published by Fairfax Community Newspapers, and the
Star News Group.
Melbourne's commercial
radio industry is dominated by the
DMG Radio Australia
NOVA Entertainment is an Australian entertainment company that operates commercial radio networks (and associated digital brands) in metropolitan and regional areas of Australia.
NOVA Entertainment is owned by Lachlan Murdoch's Illyria Pty Lt ...
,
Austereo
Austereo was an Australian mass media company based in Melbourne. It was founded in 1980 by Paul Thompson, and operated 16 radio stations in metropolitan and regional Australia under the Today Network and Triple M brands. In 2011, the compan ...
and
Southern Cross Broadcasting
Southern Cross Broadcasting (Australia) Limited was a diversified Australian media company, that owned and operated a variety of media businesses, primarily in radio and television.
History
Tony Bell was managing director of the business betwe ...
networks – all Melbourne-based.
DMG Radio Australia
NOVA Entertainment is an Australian entertainment company that operates commercial radio networks (and associated digital brands) in metropolitan and regional areas of Australia.
NOVA Entertainment is owned by Lachlan Murdoch's Illyria Pty Lt ...
stations include
Nova 100
Nova 100 (call sign: 3MEL) is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, broadcasting on 100.3 MHz.
The station is owned by NOVA Entertainment along with sister station, smoothfm 91.5.
History
Nova 100 commenced on th ...
and
Classic Rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...
, Austereo stations include
FOX FM and
Triple M
Triple M is an Australian commercial radio network owned and operated by Southern Cross Austereo. The network consists of 40 radio stations broadcasting a mainstream rock music format and 5 digital radio stations.
The network dates back to ...
.
3AW is consistently the city's highest-rating
commercial radio
Commercial broadcasting (also called private broadcasting) is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship. It was the United States′ first model of radio (a ...
station. Melbourne also boasts a number of
community radio
Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popula ...
stations, of which the best known are
3RRR
3RRR (pronounced "Three Triple R", or simply "Triple R") is an Australian community radio station, based in Melbourne.
3RRR first commenced broadcasting in 1976 from the studios of 3ST, the student radio station of the Royal Melbourne Institut ...
,
3PBS,
3CR,
SYN, and
JOY
The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness.
Dictionary definitions
Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...
, the first Australian full-time
gay and lesbian radio station. Public broadcasters include the multilingual
SBS, and the ABC's
Radio National
Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2.
History
1937: Predecessors a ...
,
NewsRadio
''NewsRadio'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from March 21, 1995 to May 4, 1999, focusing on the work lives of the staff of a New York City AM news radio station. It had an ensemble cast featuring Dave Foley, Steph ...
, and
774 ABC Melbourne
ABC Radio Melbourne (official callsign: 3LO) is an ABC Local Radio station in Melbourne, Australia. It began transmission on 13 October 1924, and was Melbourne's second licensed radio station after 3AR.
Most Local Radio stations in Victoria sim ...
.
Film and drama
![The Story of the Kelly Gang 1906](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/The_Story_of_the_Kelly_Gang_1906.jpg)
Melbourne has been the setting for many
novels, television dramas, and films.
Fergus Hume
Ferguson Wright Hume (8 July 1859 – 12 July 1932), known as Fergus Hume, was a prolific English novelist, known for his detective fiction, thrillers and mysteries.
Early life
Hume was born in Powick, Worcestershire, England, the second ...
's international best-seller ''Mystery of a Hansom Cab'' was set in Gold Rush era Melbourne.
Frank Hardy
Francis Joseph Hardy (21 March 1917 – 28 January 1994), published as Frank J. Hardy and also under the pseudonym Ross Franklyn, was an Australian novelist and writer. He is best known for his 1950 novel '' Power Without Glory'', and for his ...
's ''
Power Without Glory
''Power Without Glory'' is a 1950 historical novel written by Australian author Frank Hardy, following the life and ambitions of John West, a politician born into a working-class family who rises to prominence in Australian federal politics. ...
'' tells the story of Melbourne businessman John West (based on the real-life
John Wren
John Wren (3 April 1871 – 26 October 1953) was an Australian bookmaker, boxing and wrestling promoter, Irish nationalist, land speculator, newspaper owner, racecourse and racehorse owner, soldier, pro-conscriptionist and theatre owner. He ...
) and is set in a thinly disguised
Collingwood, then a working-class suburb of Melbourne. Perhaps the best-known novel internationally is
Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute Norway (17 January 189912 January 1960) was an English novelist and aeronautical engineer who spent his later years in Australia. He used his full name in his engineering career and Nevil Shute as his pen name, in order to protect ...
's novel ''
On the Beach''. In 1959, it was made into a film directed by
Stanley Kramer and starring
Gregory Peck,
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...
and
Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor, director, and singer. Perkins is best remembered for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's suspense thriller '' Psycho'', which made him an influentia ...
. The film depicted the denizens of Melbourne quietly slipping off into eternity as the last victims of a global
nuclear holocaust
A nuclear holocaust, also known as a nuclear apocalypse, nuclear Armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes globally widespread destruction and radioactive fallout. Such a scenar ...
. It was filmed on location in and around Melbourne. Similar filming was undertaken when a 2000
television movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
remake was produced.
The world's first
feature film
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
, ''
The Story of the Kelly Gang
''The Story of the Kelly Gang'' is a 1906 Australian bushranger film that traces the exploits of 19th-century bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly and his gang. It was directed by Charles Tait and shot in and around the city of Melbourne. The origin ...
'', was filmed in Melbourne in 1906. Some of the more famous Australian films include ''
Mad Max
''Mad Max'' is an Australian post-apocalyptic action film series and media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ''Mad Max 2'' (1981, released in the Unite ...
'' and ''
The Castle''. Melbourne has also produced many talented film and television actors including
Cate Blanchett,
Guy Pearce
Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian actor. Born in Ely, Cambridgeshire in England, and raised in Geelong, Victoria in Australia, he started his career portraying Mike Young in the Australian television series ''Neighbours ...
,
Eric Bana
Eric Banadinović, (born 9 August 1968), known professionally as Eric Bana (), is an Australian actor and comedian. He began his career in the sketch comedy series '' Full Frontal'' before gaining notice in the comedy drama '' The Castle'' (19 ...
and is home to
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Em ...
.
Australian audiences saw Melbourne portrayed in the 1960s–70s
Crawford Productions
Crawford Productions is an Australian media production company, focused on radio and television production. Founded in Melbourne by Hector Crawford and his sister, actress and voice artist Dorothy Crawford, the company, also known as Crawfor ...
police television drama series ''
Homicide'' and ''
Division 4
''Division 4'' is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Nine Network between 1969 and 1975 for 301 episodes.
Synopsis
The series was one of the first dramas to follow up on the enormous success o ...
''. Contemporary series include:
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Neighbours'', ''
Stingers'' (an undercover police drama), ''
The Secret Life of Us
''The Secret Life of Us'' is an Australian television drama series set in the beachside neighbourhood of St Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is primarily a drama with some comedic moments. The series was produced by Southe ...
'', ''
Kath & Kim
''Kath & Kim,'' (also written as ''Kath and Kim'') is an Australian sitcom created by Jane Turner and Gina Riley, who portray the title characters of Kath Day-Knight, a cheery, middle-aged suburban mother, and Kim, her self-indulgent daughter ...
'', ''
Prisoner
A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...
'' (known as ''Prisoner: Cell Block H'' for US and UK broadcasts), ''
Halifax f.p.'', and ''
MDA''. Melbourne was also used to represent and double as
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
and
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
in the 2009 film ''
Knowing'', an American production shot in Australia.
Sport
![Ruckwork](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Ruckwork.jpg)
In a country that is often labelled 'sports mad', Melbourne has a reputation among Australians for being the national sporting capital.
[Transcript of the Prime Minister. The Hon John Howard MP. Address at the launch of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006](_blank)
In 2010, the city was named "World's Ultimate Sports City" for the third time in a row by
SportAccord
Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) is the umbrella organisation for all (Olympic and non-Olympic) international sports federations as well as organisers of multi-sports games and sport-related international association ...
and SportBusiness. Criteria for the award include "the number of annual sports events held, major events held or hosting rights secured between 2006 and 2014, numbers of federations hosted, facilities/venues, transport, accommodation, government support, security, legacy, public sports interest and quality of life." A similar study conducted in 2006 by the
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
-based research and consulting firm ArkSports found Melbourne to be the world's top city for sports events.
The city hosts many major sporting events including the
Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival The Spring Racing Carnival is the name of an Australian Thoroughbred horse racing series held annually in Melbourne during October and November.
The Carnival and its status in the wider community
Although racing in Australia is held every day excep ...
(featuring "the race that stops the nation", the
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...
); the
Australian Formula One Grand Prix; the Australian round of the
MotoGP; the
Australian Open tennis tournament, the first of the four annual
Grand Slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
events; the
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an Australian rules football match to determine the premiers for the Australian Football League (AFL) season. From its inception until 1989, it was known as the VFL Grand Final, as the league at that time was the Victori ...
and the
Boxing Day Test Match. In
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, ar ...
, Melbourne became the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to host the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
, and played host to the
2006 Commonwealth Games.
Melbourne is where
Australian rules football originated in the 1850s—the world's first codified game of
football and the most popular sport in Australia by attendance and viewership. The city is home to nine of the eighteen teams that constitute the
Australian Football League (AFL), whose five Melbourne games per week attract an average of 40,000 people per game. The
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an Australian rules football match to determine the premiers for the Australian Football League (AFL) season. From its inception until 1989, it was known as the VFL Grand Final, as the league at that time was the Victori ...
, one of the biggest sporting events in Australia, is played on the last Saturday of September at the sport's "spiritual home", the 100,000
capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Another significant Melbourne-based event on the AFL calendar is the
Anzac Day clash
The Anzac Day match is an annual Australian rules football match between Collingwood and Essendon, two clubs in the Australian Football League, held on Anzac Day (25 April) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
History of Australian rules f ...
between rival clubs
Collingwood and
Essendon Essendon may refer to:
Australia
*Electoral district of Essendon
*Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington
* Essendon, Victoria
**Essendon railway station
**Essendon Airport
* Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League
United Ki ...
. The city is also home to nine out of thirteen teams competing in the semi-professional
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
. Since 1999, the city has been the biennial host of the
International Rules
International rules football ( ga, Peil na rialacha idirnáisiunta; also known as international rules in Australia and compromise rules or Aussie rules in Ireland) is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed ...
series involving the
Australian national team and the
Irish national team. The
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup (also known as the AFL International Cup or simply the IC) is a triennial international Australian rules football sport competition. It is the biggest worldwide tournament in the sport and is open to ...
is staged every three years in Melbourne.
During the summer months cricket takes preference amongst Melburnians. In 1877, the world's first
Test cricket
Test cricket is a form of first-class cricket played at international level between teams representing full member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC). A match consists of four innings (two per team) and is scheduled to last f ...
match was contested by
Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, '' The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first ...
urn
An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...
—symbol of the cricket rivalry between Australia and England—originated in Melbourne. The annual
Boxing Day Test
The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team that is touring Australia during the southern summer. It begins annually on Boxing ...
, also held at the MCG, is a prominent feature of the Melbourne summer, attracting the largest attendance of any Test match in the world. The Melbourne-based
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victoria men’s cricket team is an Australian first-class men's cricket team based in Melbourne, Victoria. The men’s team, which first played in 1851, represents the state of Victoria in the Marsh Sheffield Shield first-class compe ...
represent the state of Victoria in the
Sheffield Shield
The Sheffield Shield (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Marsh Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Shi ...
and
One-Day Cup. The
Melbourne Stars
The Melbourne Stars are an Australian Twenty20 franchise cricket team, based in Melbourne, Victoria that competes in Australia's Twenty20 competition, the Big Bash League. The Stars wear a green uniform and play their home matches at the Melb ...
and
Melbourne Renegades
The Melbourne Renegades are an Australian professional men's Twenty20 franchise cricket club based in Melbourne, the capital city of the Australian state of Victoria. They compete in the Australian Twenty20 cricket competition, the Big Bash ...
compete in the
Twenty20
Twenty20 (T20) is a shortened game format of cricket. At the professional level, it was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003 for the inter-county competition. In a Twenty20 game, the two teams have a single inn ...
Big Bash League.
Melbourne has three
A-League (
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
) teams:
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victor ...
,
Melbourne City, and
Western United
Western United Football Club is an Australian professional football club. The club is based in the western Melbourne suburb of Truganina, the club aims to represent western Victoria, incorporating the western suburbs of Melbourne; the region ...
. In rugby there is
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
(
NRL), and
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Melbourne. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They were the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia, until 2017 ...
(
Super Rugby).
Melbourne United
Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena.
The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 a ...
and
South East Melbourne Phoenix compete in the
NBL (basketball). For
netball
Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...
, two Melbourne teams compete in the
Suncorp Super Netball
Suncorp Super Netball is the top level netball league featuring teams from Australia. In 2017 it replaced the ANZ Championship, which also included teams from New Zealand, as the top level netball league in Australia. Since 2019, the league has ...
:
Melbourne Vixens
Melbourne Vixens is an Australian netball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. Since 2017 they have represented Netball Victoria in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. The team was formed in 2007 wh ...
and
Collingwood Magpies Netball.
Bledisloe Cup
The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition originally staged between the national teams of Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks that has been contested since the 1930s. The frequency that the competition is held has va ...
Test matches between the
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
and
New Zealand national rugby union team
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...
s were staged at the MCG in 1997 and 2007. Melbourne also hosted 7 of 48 matches during the
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup. Originally planned to be hosted by India, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the Indian Rugby Union and Rugby World Cup ...
. One-off
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
matches have been held at Etihad Stadium including the
Rugby League State of Origin
The State of Origin series is an annual best-of-three rugby league series between two Australian state representative sides, the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons.
Referred to as “Australian sport's greatest rivalry”, the ...
(most recently in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
), and a
2006 Tri-Nations Test.
Melbourne is home to 29 stadiums with a capacity of over 10,000 people. Some venues, such as the Albert Park
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
track and the Calder Raceway, have large capacities but only temporary structures, while there are numerous suburban horse racing tracks and
Australian rules football playing field
An Australian rules football playing field is a venue where Australian rules football is played.
The playing field is typically a large oval-shaped grass surface, usually a modified cricket field. These fields may vary especially for variat ...
s. In 2000 construction was completed on the
Docklands Stadium
Docklands Stadium, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in October 1997 and was ...
, capable of seating up to 56,000 people. The stadium was the first in the world to host cricket and Australian football matches under a roof.
The city also has large State Cycling, Hockey, Baseball/Softball and Netball centres, and an Ice centre (
National Ice Sports Centre, hosting the Australian Olympic Winter Institute) is being constructed in
Melbourne Docklands
Docklands, also known as Melbourne Docklands, is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. Docklands recorded a population ...
.
Melbourne hosted the
2002 World Masters Games; broke new ground as the first city outside the United States to host the
World Police and Fire Games
The World Police and Fire Games (WPFG) is a biennial athletic event, open to active and retired law enforcement and fire service personnel throughout the world. The WPFG Federation is an arm of the California Police Athletic Federation (CPAF), ...
in 1995, and the
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Europe competes against the United States in a similar but considerably ...
golf tournament in 1999; and was the first city in the
Southern Hemisphere to host the
World Polo Championship in 2001. The city has hosted
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
qualifiers in both 1997 and 2001.
The
Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena is a multipurpose arena located within Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The arena is the main venue for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the calendar year.
History
Replacing ...
was converted into a pool for the
2007 World Aquatics Championships.
Melbourne's skateboarding culture has a lengthy history, with brands such as Globe originating in the city. In 1988, the Australian ''60 Minutes'' program produced a segment that focused solely on Victorian skateboarding. The segment featured Melbourne skateboarding and conducted interviews with notable figures such as the Hill brothers (Stephen, Matt and Mike) and Borgy. X-E-N is a Melbourne skateboard company that was established in 1999 and was co-founded by Andrew and Anthony Mapstone—two figures who, as of August 2012, remain influential in Australian skateboarding.
Recreation and leisure
![Melbourne skyline 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Melbourne_skyline_2008.jpg)
Melburnians participate in a wide range of recreational and leisure activities.
Australian rules football, Association Football, cricket and netball are popular participation
team sport
A team sport includes any sport where individuals are organized into opposing teams which compete to win or cooperate to entertain their audience. Team members act together towards a shared objective. This can be done in a number of ways s ...
s in Melbourne.
Cycling in Melbourne is a popular
pastime
A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing oth ...
, as well as a spectator sport. Melbourne's flat terrain and extensive
off-road paths in
green wedges are conducive to riding. Beach Road combines with the Nepean Highway to form a 90-kilometre stretch from
Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne is an inner-city List of Melbourne suburbs, suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the Cities of ...
to
Sorrento
Sorrento (, ; nap, Surriento ; la, Surrentum) is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the south-eastern terminus of the Circumvesuviana ra ...
, incorporating the
Bayside Trail. It is the city's most popular training route and attracts cyclists from around the world. Thousands of
commuters
Commuting is periodically recurring travel between one's place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regu ...
cycle the roads,
bike lanes and bike paths daily.
Bicycle Victoria's annual events,
Around the Bay in a Day and
Ride to Work Day, attract tens of thousands of Melburnians. Other events such as the
Herald Sun Tour begin and end in the Melbourne area and there are many local cycling events of varying grades all year round.
Triathlon
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the ...
dominates the Beach Road area during summer, when hundreds of amateurs and professionals dive into Port Phillip Bay on Sundays.
Watersports
Water sports or aquatic sports are sport activities conducted on waterbodies, and can be categorized according to the degree of immersion by the participants.
On the water
* Boat racing, the use of powerboats to participate in races
* Boatin ...
are a big recreational activity in Melbourne.
Rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...
on the Yarra River is also popular with universities and schools, and there are many boat-sheds along the river. the Yarra is home to the
Head of the River, first raced in 1868 and Australia's oldest. The
Oarsome Foursome are also from Melbourne. On Port Phillip Bay,
boating is a
pastime
A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing oth ...
, as is
jetskiing,
kitesurfing
Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wak ...
and
windsurfing
Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...
on
St Kilda Beach.
Parks and gardens
Melbourne is noted for its
parks and gardens, with a ring of parks providing a green lung for the city centre. Perhaps the most notable is the
Royal Botanic Gardens. Other notable gardens have been established on outskirts of Melbourne. In particular the
Dandenong Ranges has the National
Rhododendron Gardens, and several other public gardens.
Residential gardening is a popular pastime in Melbourne, and
Australia's Open Garden Scheme
Australia's Open Garden Scheme was a non-profit organisation that began in Victoria Australia in 1987 but closed its doors in June 2015 due to financial issues. Its aim was to promote the knowledge and pleasure of gardens and gardening across Austr ...
started in the city.
Entertainment
In Melbourne there are approximately 5000 cafes and restaurants - per capita Melbourne has the most cafes/restaurants in the world.
Restaurants are numerous and present a diverse range of cuisines. The city has a reputation as a culinary capital, celebrated by the annual Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. As well as the famous "Little Italy" of
Lygon Street
Lygon Street is located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, running through the inner northern suburbs of Carlton, Carlton North, Princes Hill and Brunswick East. Lygon Street is synonymous with the Italian community of Melbourne, forming ...
in
Carlton, other favourite inner city dining locations for Melburnians include Fitzroy Street
St Kilda, Brunswick Street
Fitzroy, Victoria St
Collingwood, the
CBD, and the
Docklands and
Southbank precincts. In 2006,
Jamie Oliver
James Trevor Oliver MBE OSI (born 27 May 1975) is an English chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. He is known for his casual approach to cuisine, which has led him to front numerous television shows and open many restaurants.
Oliver reac ...
selected Melbourne as the location for "Fifteen Melbourne", the Australian restaurant for his
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
show
Jamie's Kitchen Australia
''Jamie's Kitchen Australia'' is a 10 part Australian television show which premiered Thursday 14 September 2006 on Network Ten. The show stars international chef Jamie Oliver and Tobie Puttock. Puttock is a friend of Oliver's and having previo ...
.
Dance music is a thriving part of the Melbourne nightclub and festival scene. National dance music festivals Stereosonic and Future Music both originated in Melbourne. Melbourne is the birthplace of the
Melbourne Shuffle, a style of dance that has been exported to
South East Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
and continues to evolve to date.
Shopping
![Melbourne Block Arcade 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Melbourne_Block_Arcade_2014.jpg)
Shopping or "
retail therapy" has been a big part of Melbourne's way of life since the late 19th century, when "doing the Block" was a sign of prestige. Today, the city is home to some of Australia's best shopping strips, such as the famous
Chapel Street
Chapel Street is a street in Melbourne, Victoria, running along the inner suburbs of South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, St Kilda and St Kilda East.
Route
Chapel Street is essentially straight and runs for over 4.14 kilometres along an approxim ...
which stretches many blocks through
South Yarra
South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the Cities of City of Melbourne, Melbourne and City of Sto ...
and
Prahran
Prahran (), also pronounced colloquially as Pran, is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area. Prahran recorded a po ...
, while heritage arcades such as the
Block
Block or blocked may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Block programming, the result of a programming strategy in broadcasting
* W242BX, a radio station licensed to Greenville, South Carolina, United States known as ''96.3 ...
and the
Royal Arcade Royal Arcade can refer to a number of structures:
* Royal Arcade, Boscombe
* Royal Arcade, Cardiff
* Royal Arcade, Charters Towers
* Royal Arcade, London
* Royal Arcade, Melbourne
The Royal Arcade is a historic shopping arcade in the centra ...
and the CBD's myriad lanes.
Chadstone Shopping Centre
Chadstone Shopping Centre (colloquially known as Chaddy) is a super regional shopping centre located in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Malvern East. Chadstone Shopping Centre is the biggest shopping centre in Australia and one of the bi ...
, currently claimed to be the largest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere, markets itself as the "Fashion Capital". Strip shopping localities include
Toorak Village, known for its exclusiveness, and
Bridge Road in
Richmond, known for its extensive factory outlets. Also there are major shopping centres throughout metropolitan Melbourne such as
Westfield Airport West,
Westfield Southland
Westfield Southland (previously known as Southland Centre) is a shopping centre in the suburb of Cheltenham in Melbourne. Southland has a floor area of 129,180m², making it one of the biggest shopping centres in Australia by size. There are app ...
,
Westfield Doncaster
Westfield Doncaster (formerly Doncaster Shoppingtown) is a shopping centre 50% owned by Scentre Group and 25% owned by ISPT and 25% owned by Asia Property Fund (as of May 2015) located in Doncaster, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...
, and
Westfield Knox
Westfield Knox (formerly known as Knox City Shopping Centre) is a shopping centre, outdoor entertainment and professional services complex in the outer eastern Melbourne suburb of Wantirna South, in the Australian state of Victoria. The cent ...
.
Melbourne is also home to the
Queen Victoria Market. This market contains both indoor and outdoor sections.
Festivals and events
Melbourne is home to a range of international festivals, most notably the
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is the largest stand-alone comedy festival and the second-largest international comedy festival in the world. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks, typicall ...
,
Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF),
Melbourne International Arts Festival
Melbourne International Arts Festival, formerly Spoleto Festival Melbourne – Festival of the Three Worlds, then Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, becoming commonly known as Melbourne Festival, was a major international arts festi ...
,
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show,
Melbourne International Air Show
The Australian International Airshow, also called the Avalon Airshow, is a large air show held biennially at Avalon Airport, between Melbourne and Geelong in Victoria.
The event has a strong focus on military aviation, featuring aircraft fro ...
and the
Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF).
![Myerxmas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Myerxmas.jpg)
* The
Royal Melbourne Show
The Melbourne Royal Show is an agricultural show held at Melbourne Showgrounds every September. It is organised by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria and has been running since 1848.
Each year Melbourne Royal Show attracts attendances of ...
has been a Melbourne tradition since 1900.
* The
Boxing Day Test
The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team that is touring Australia during the southern summer. It begins annually on Boxing ...
has been a Melbourne cricket tradition since 1950.
*
Moomba
Moomba (also known as the Moomba Festival) is held annually in Melbourne, Australia. Run by the City of Melbourne, it is Australia's largest free community festival. The Melburnian tradition is celebrated over four days, incorporating the La ...
is an annual festival that began in 1955 and celebrates the
Yarra River
The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, ( Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia.
The lower s ...
; the Birdman Rally is also a Melbourne tradition.
* Several Melbourne traditions have developed around
Australian rules football, particularly the annual
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an Australian rules football match to determine the premiers for the Australian Football League (AFL) season. From its inception until 1989, it was known as the VFL Grand Final, as the league at that time was the Victori ...
and the
Grand Final Parade
*
ANZAC Day parade that concludes at the Shrine of Remembrance and also the
Anzac Day football event.
*
Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival The Spring Racing Carnival is the name of an Australian Thoroughbred horse racing series held annually in Melbourne during October and November.
The Carnival and its status in the wider community
Although racing in Australia is held every day excep ...
*
Melbourne Fringe Festival
*
Midsumma
*
Melbourne Queer Film Festival
* Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF)
*
Melbourne Underground Film Festival
The Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF) is an Austalian independent film festival featuring mostly genre, controversial, transgressive and avant garde material.
History
The Melbourne Underground Film Festival was formed out of disagreeme ...
(MUFF)
* Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF)
*
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is the largest stand-alone comedy festival and the second-largest international comedy festival in the world. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks, typicall ...
*
Melbourne International Singers Festival
*
Melbourne Eisteddfod
*
Melbourne Winter Masterpieces
*
St Kilda Festival
The St Kilda Festival, held every February (except 2021), is a free celebration of Australian music, summer, and St Kilda. Programming includes music, dance, children's activities, comedy, poetry, visual art, theatre, outdoor cinema, beach sp ...
*
Melbourne Jazz Festival
*
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
*
Melbourne Open House
* Brunswick Street Street Party/Northcote High St Street Party
*
Big Day Out Music Festival
*
Sydney Road Street Party/
Brunswick Music Festival
*
Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular (GABS)
* White Night
Several national traditions originated in Melbourne: The
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...
has been a Melbourne tradition since 1861 and then became a national tradition, subsequently referred to as "the race that stops the nation";
Carols by Candlelight, first held in 1938, is a
Christmas Eve tradition; the Myer Christmas windows are a very popular annual attraction; and the
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an Australian rules football match to determine the premiers for the Australian Football League (AFL) season. From its inception until 1989, it was known as the VFL Grand Final, as the league at that time was the Victori ...
attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators, both live and via broadcast media, every year.
There are a number of cultural festivals that celebrate foreign cultures from within the context of the city's culture. Major festivals for Melbourne's large ethnic communities include:
*
Greek Antipodes Festival
*
Melbourne Italian Festival
*
Asian Food Festival
*
Australian Chinese New Year
* The Thai Culture and Food Festival, held in Federation Square, is one of the city's most successful festivals; as of 2012, it is in its ninth year.
Parades and protests
The city's wide thoroughfares have become the conduit for the city's parades, marches and rallies.
Swanston Street
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is one of the main streets of the Melbourne central business district and was laid out in 1837 as part of the original Hoddle Grid. The street vertical ...
and
Bourke Street
Bourke Street is one of the main streets in the Melbourne central business district and a core feature of the Hoddle Grid. It was traditionally the entertainment hub of inner-city Melbourne, and is now also a popular tourist destination and ...
are regarded widely as the civic spines of the city and, more recently, Federation Square has become a venue for mass gatherings.
Some of the largest demonstrations in the southern hemisphere have taken place in Melbourne:
* Industrial relations demonstration (2005) - more than 100,000 attendees
* Anti-Iraq War demonstration (2003) - more than 100,000 attendees
* Melbourne Vietnam Moratorium (1970) - approximately 100,000 attendees
* Save Live Australian Music (SLAM) rally (2010) - approximately 20,000 attendees
* Melbourne Locked Out
2am Lockout
The "2am Lockout" was the name of a 2008 initiative set up by the Victorian Labor Government to curb alcohol-related violence in Melbourne. The three-month trial period began on 2 June 2008 and lasted until 2 September of that year. A permanent l ...
protest (2008) - approximately 10,000 attendees
* Three Change The Rules rallies, organised by the trade union movement, leading up to the
2019 Australian Federal Election
The 2019 Australian federal election was held on Saturday 18 May 2019 to elect members of the 46th Parliament of Australia. The election had been called following the dissolution of the 45th Parliament as elected at the 2016 double dissolut ...
reportedly attracted 100,000-150,000 attendees on each occasion.
*
School Strike 4 Climate on September 20 2019 reportedly attracted more than 100,000 attendees in Melbourne.
* Invasion Day rallies, which take place annually on January 26 in protest against
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port ...
and to highlight Indigenous injustice attract tens of thousands of attendees.
* Black Lives Matter protests on 6 June 2020 also attracted tens of thousands of people despite restrictions put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trade unionism
Melbourne is regarded as the home of the trade union movement in Australia, with the headquarters of the
Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), originally the Australasian Council of Trade Unions, is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions and eight trades and l ...
located in the city; Melbourne is also the birthplace of the Australian "
eight-hour day
The eight-hour day movement (also known as the 40-hour week movement or the short-time movement) was a social movement to regulate the length of a working day, preventing excesses and abuses.
An eight-hour work day has its origins in the ...
", when the change was introduced into the building industry. Melbourne also has a particularly significant history of
strike action.
The
Eureka flag
The Eureka Flag was flown at the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, which took place on 3 December 1854 at Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. It was the culmination of the 1851–1854 Eureka Rebellion on the Victorian goldfields, where miners prote ...
, from the
Eureka Rebellion
The Eureka Rebellion was a series of events involving gold miners who revolted against the British administration of the colony of Victoria, Australia during the Victorian gold rush. It culminated in the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, which ...
), is a Victorian emblem that is often used by protest groups.
See also
*
Culture of Australia
The culture of Australia is primarily a Western culture, originally derived from Britain but also influenced by the unique geography of Australia and the cultural input of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other Australian people. The Br ...
*Media in Melbourne
*List of songs about Melbourne
*List of movies filmed in Melbourne
*List of museums in Melbourne
*Parks and gardens of Melbourne
*Sport in Victoria
*Melbourne street art
*Melbourne performing art venues
References
External links
That's Me!bourne- Melbourne tourism website
Arts VictoriaMelbourne Festival
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culture Of Melbourne
Culture of Melbourne,