Melbourne, Australia

• Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria, Australia. It is located on the south-

eastern Australian coast and at the head of Port Phillip Bay.

• The population of Melbourne is estimated at over 4.8 million, making it the

second largest city in Australia, behind
Sydney.

• The traditional owners of the land on which

Melbourne sits are the Wurundjeri people of
the Kulin nation.

• Melbourne was settled by the British

because they feared the French would claim
it first and many attempts were made to
build settlements in the area.

• Infamously, John Batman, a grazier and

explorer, tried to ‘buy the land’ of Melbourne
from the local Indigenous people in 1835. The
European concept of buying land was very
foreign to the local Indigenous people. They believed that land was not about
possessing, but belonging.

• Melbourne was surveyed and named in

1837.

• Melbourne was home to the International

Exhibition in 1880. This was a world
famous exhibition promoting industry, art,
science and education. Many buildings
were constructed for the event.

• In the 1850s, the Gold Rush caused an influx of

miners to the Melbourne area and the population
grew significantly. A great number of migrants,
particularly from Greece and Italy, brought their
rich culture to the city.

• Melbourne has a temperate, oceanic climate.

• Tourists visit Melbourne for its rich cultural and

artistic offerings, such as shopping, gourmet foods,
sporting events, art galleries and theatre.

visit twinkl.com.au