Melbourne, city, capital of the state of Victoria, Australia. It is located at the head of Port Phillip Bay, on the southeastern coast. The central city is home to about 136,000 people and is the core of an extensive metropolitan area—the world’s most southerly with a population of more than 1,000,000. In Australia it is second only to Sydney in population, and there is a good-natured rivalry between the two cities, to which geography and history have bequeathed diverse characteristics.

 

Melbourne Attractions

 

Fitzroy Gardens is one of Melbourne’s most historic and beautiful gardens. Created in 1848, this is a Victorian-era garden is meant to look like the English gardens the early settlers left behind.		The Royal Botanic Gardens contains gardens covering 86 acres and feature thousands of flowers, shrubs, and trees from across the country and around the world.
Down in St. Kilda Pier, you can head to the beach to watch the sunset. It’s a beautiful, wide beach, but the water is a little too cold! However, it faces due west, so you get some stellar sunsets before you head out for a night on the town!		Queen Victoria Market is a mix of food sellers and knick-knack vendors — think flea market meets food market. During the week, the food hall is the main draw, but the weekend offerings are bigger, as sellers fill up the outdoor vending space. When you’re in the food hall, be sure to get some free wine samples from Swords Wines.