Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Melbourne, the capital of the state of Victoria, is the second most populous city in Australia. It was officially declared as a city by Queen Victoria in 1847. However, long before the grand buildings and trams came to define the city, the area had already been home to the aboriginal tribes for more than 40,000 years.
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AUS: Melbourne Downtown (Part 1) <YOU ARE HERE!>
AUS: Melbourne Downtown (Part 2)
AUS: Great Ocean Road Reverse Itinerary Tour
... (more to come!)
SkyBus offers convenient transfer services between Melbourne Airport and Southern Cross railway station daily from 4.00am to 1.00am.
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| As of early 2026, a one-way adult ticket costs A$24.90 (~S$22.90). |
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| On average, a one-way journey takes about 30 minutes. |
Opened as Spencer Street railway station in 1859, it was officially renamed to Southern Cross railway station in December 2005 following a redevelopment project.
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| Have you watched Elemental? |
It was raining on the first day when my travel buddy and I arrived, but thankfully the weather cleared by evening and stayed pleasant for the rest of our time there.
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| The now-defunct York Butter Factories was one of the oldest warehouses in central Melbourne. |
On our first evening, we took a leisurely walk towards Yarra River after dinner.
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| Illumination of the heritage buildings adds to the vibrant nighttime mood of the city. |
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| The fish logo of SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium glows blue after dark. |
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| Those are mosaic-tiled sculptures by Deborah Halpern, a celebrated Australian artist. |
Stretching over 242 km, Yarra River flows from the forested slopes of the Yarra Rangers to Port Phillip Bay, winding through the heart of Melbourne shaping much of the city's identity along the way.
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| Hamer Hall served as a canvas for a large-scale illumination project titled Spirits of the Land in 2023. |
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| The spire of Arts Centre Melbourne rises to 162 m. |
Melbourne has been named the world’s best city for 2026 by Time Out, marking the first time an Australian city claiming the top spot in the annual ranking.
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| Opened in 1910, Flinders Street railway station is the busiest station in the state of Victoria. |
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| Melbourne Town Hall was completed in 1887. |
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| Speaking of rainbows, Melbourne is ranked among the world's most LGBTQIA+-friendly cities. |
The next morning, on our way to
Queen Victoria Market, we found ourselves walking through Flagstaff Gardens.
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| Flagstaff Gardens is the oldest park in Melbourne. |
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| Erected in 1871, Pioneers' Memorial honours early settlers whose remains were interred in the gardens before the establishment of formal cemeteries. |
After exploring the market, we decided to make our way to State Library Victoria for our next stop.
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| It doesn't look like a public bath from the outside, does it? |
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| One of the buildings of RMIT University originally served as the Court of Magistrates until 1995. |
Opened in 1856, State Library Victoria is the oldest and busiest public library in Australia/
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| It's historically significant for being one of the first free public libraries in the world. |
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| The library is equipped with hardware for viewing and digitising historical records. |
Beyond just a library, the building serves as a major cultural institution that includes a museum and a gallery space.
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| 'Melbourne 1998-99' by Jan Senbergs, a Latvian-born Australian painter |
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| I’m going to learn Arabic for sure someday. |
Ned Kelly's bulletproof armor is the centrepiece of the museum, symbolising one of the most controversial and enduring chapters in Australian colonial history. Wearing the armor during his final shootout with the police, he was a bushranger who led the Kelly Gang in the late 19th century. To this day, he remains a deeply divisive figure in the country, viewed by some as a cold-blooded animal and others as a folk hero who stood up against colonial authorities.
Stay tuned for more sights of the city in the next post!
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