Information about flights to Melbourne
The city is the centre of Australia's film industry and is where the New Vogue dance style originated in the 1930s. Melbourne has been a strategic settlement since the early 19th century and has been an official city since June 25th, 1847, when it received Letters Patent from Queen Victoria. The wider metropolitan area is also home to a number of golden sandy beaches, some of which include Brighton Beach, Williamstown and St Kilda Beach.
The Royal Exhibition Building
One of the defining landmarks of Melbourne is its Royal Exhibition Building. Built in the late Victorian era, it is now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was designed by the esteemed architect Joseph Reed, the man behind many other important monuments in the city such as the Old Physics Conference Room and Gallery, and Melbourne University's Wilson Hall.
The grand landmark held a number of major exhibitions from 1851 to 1914, including the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880 and the Australian Federal International Exhibition of 1902. The building was converted into a dancing venue in later years before becoming part of the Museum Victoria collection.
Other sights
Next to the Royal Exhibition Building is the Melbourne Museum, which features seven galleries and showcases a diverse range of artefacts from Ancient Egyptian mummies to science exhibits. Another legacy of the Victorian period is the Queen Victoria Market, which attracts hundreds of traders and promotes itself as the biggest outdoor market in the entire Southern Hemisphere.
One of the best times to visit Melbourne is during its Music Week, which typically takes place in November and includes dozens of local and international artists. If you're into performing arts, visit the Arts Centre Melbourne and enjoy superb performances from the Melbourne Theatre Company, Opera Australia and other prestigious national organisations.
Street art
With a formidable reputation for street art, you'll probably have no trouble finding stencils and murals when randomly walking through the city. Some of the best street art exhibitions are on Degraves Street, Rutledge Lane and Palmerston Street, and the city also has many other works of public art displayed on its streets and public parks. The street art scene developed in Melbourne from the 1970s onwards and was celebrated in the world's first stencil festival in 2004, when a number of well-known street artists from around the globe were represented.
