Melbourne has routinely ranked among the top cities in the world in terms of liveability. The following are some quick facts about Melbourne that you may not be aware of, such as its landmarks, history, culture, and other related themes; these can be useful for both adults and children. Melbourne attracts visitors from all over the world and within Australia due to its gorgeous surroundings and reputation as the city with the highest quality of living in the world. Learn more about the city and the elements that have contributed to it becoming one of the most popular holiday destinations in the country.
Facts About Melbourne
Batman Is From Melbourne
You thought Batman was from Gotham City all your life? You were mistaken. Batman is an Australian who resides in Melbourne. Do you think that's nonsense? I'm going to tell you the truth. Every night, especially during the summer months when the sun sets, more than 60,000 bats - dubbed "flying foxes" - make their way from Yarra Bend Park into Melbourne's CBD. The vast flock of hungry bats flies straight for Melbourne's skyline, and it's one of the most stunning things to watch. Nature certainly knows how to dazzle. One intriguing side note: Melbourne was once known as 'Batmania,' after one of its founding fathers, John Batman. Consider this:
You Will Always Get A Wet Pussy
Before you go out and buy condoms, lubricant, and sex toys, understand that I'm not referring to female genitals. Instead, I'm referring to a cocktail composed of vodka and peach schnapps, topped with cranberry juice and a drop of drop lime and offered in practically every bar in Melbourne. It's a fairly gentle shot, and your buddies will probably think you're weak if you order it. It is, however, tasty, and it constantly reminds you that if you can't get lucky, there is always a drink that can make you feel better about it.
There Are No Poor People In Melbourne
You're probably thinking, just saw a homeless person the other day." But this is going to blow your mind. Melbourne is the world's most liveable city! Victoria's capital was rated the best place to live out of 140 locations. Not just in Australia, which wouldn't be difficult in comparison to Sydney. There is no other place in the earth that offers a higher level of living than Melbourne. Stability, health care, culture, the environment, education, and infrastructure were the five primary areas. We are very proud of you!
There Are 38% Were Born Overseas.
"Nihao, Namaste, or Merhaba..." are frequent greetings in the country's second largest city, where over half of the population was not even born in Australia. The majority were born in the United Kingdom, with Italy, Vietnam, China, and Greece following close behind. Melbourne benefits greatly from its cultural diversity, and all of its various cultures, faiths, and other elements coexist here. Every suburb is unique, and you can observe the strong influence of each culture no matter where you live!
The Speed Limit In The City Is 312 Kp/H
You're probably thinking we're referring to the German autobahn. No, I believe you are mistaken. It should come as no surprise, then, that this record was set by a German driver named Michael Schuhmacher. In Albert Park, Melbourne hosts the iconic Formula One Grand Prix race, which is the season's first race. If you've ever visited in the winter, you've probably wondered where all the stages and tracks are. Could you not see anything? That's because, three to four months before the event, all of the stages, pit area, and track will be set up and dismantled. What a fantastic work!
Grand Prix of Albert Park
Here You'll Find One Of The Only Brakesmen In The World.
Do you recall when a guy would stand in the elevator and run the lift for guests because pressing a button was such a difficult task? Most likely not. Working as a Brakesman on the World's oldest continuously operational roller coaster since 1911 is likely one of the best jobs in Australia at Melbourne's Luna Park. The St. Kilda amusement park and the Tivoli in Copenhagen are the only two parks that still operate a rollercoaster with the assistance of a Brakesman. That's amazing, more than a century!
We Love Gays And Lesbians, And We Listen To Them
Do you believe that Australia is not progressive? You're mistaken! It may have taken us 200 years to legalise gay marriage, but Melbourne boasted the city's first gay and lesbian radio station. Every day, more than 250 volunteers contribute to Joy FM, making it one of Melbourne's most popular radio stations. To this day, the Bourke Street channel home is Australia's largest member-based gay and lesbian community. Our is something we are all very pleased of, and we hope that Joy FM's rainbow reaches an increasing number of people throughout this lovely country.
Melbourne Makes You Super High In A Few Seconds
Naughty! Did you consider coffee shops, the wonderful smell of marijuana, and the fact that Melbourne is Australia's official Amsterdam? Wrong. We are not discussing drugs here, but rather elevators! The Eureka Tower, which dominates Melbourne's skyline, is unmistakable. After Ocean Heights in Dubai, it is the world's second tallest skyscraper and residential tower. No other elevator in the Southern Hemisphere can take you up to 285 metres faster. The lift goes at nine metres per second and drops you at the highest public viewing point of a skyscraper in the earth's southern half. Remarkable!
Melbourne Changed The Olympic Games For Good
It seems normal to us when we see all the competing athletes walk in together with their countrymen for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics. But it wasn't always this way. For example, Melbourne became the first city outside of Europe and North America to hold the Olympic Games in 1956. Aside from the sportsmen that competed against one another, the actual star was a young lad named John Ian Wing. He suggested in an anonymous letter to the Olympic Committee that the athletes walk in together by the end of the games to symbolise global togetherness. He remained nameless for another 30 years, until they revealed that he had sent the letter.
You Will Be Served On The Tram
Melbourne's most popular restaurant is a tram. If you trust Tripadvisor, the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant is the best spot to eat in town. It's a romantic experience that combines 5-star dining with a sightseeing tour. It's definitely one of the best and most leisurely methods to get to know the city. It takes you around the city circle, past the Parliament building, down to Southbank, and back up along Bourke Street as you eat wonderful food. Not a bad concept, and one I'll definitely put on my bucket list.
FAQs About The Interesting Facts In Melbourne
Melbourne is famous for its culture, and the National Gallery of Victoria is the jewel in the crown. It's not only the oldest public art gallery in Australia, but it's also the most visited. Here, you can admire more than 70,000 works of European, Asian, Oceanic, and American art in two city locations.
Known briefly as Batmania, the settlement was named Melbourne on 10 April 1837 by Governor Richard Bourke after the British Prime Minister, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, whose seat was Melbourne Hall in the market town of Melbourne, Derbyshire.
John Batman, the beloved founder of Melbourne, is widely considered sympathetic towards Aboriginal people. This reputation stems largely from his famous attempt (unique in Australian history) to purchase the land around Port Phillip via a treaty with the local Wurundjeru people.
The Economist Intelligence Unit's 2017 Global Liveability Index awarded Melbourne as the world's top city for seven years running. Our cohesive and stable society, healthcare, education and world-class infrastructure make Melbourne a magnificent city in which to live, work and study.
Melbourne Facts:
- Melbourne was the capital city of Australia for 26 years between 1901 and 1927 before the capital shifted to Canberra.
- Melbourne has the largest tram system outside of Europe and the fourth largest globally overall.
- Around 90 tonnes of dog poop is left on the streets of Melbourne every day.
- What Was Melbourne Almost Called?
- Melbourne in Australia was previously called Batmania. The modern-day city of Melbourne in Australia was briefly named 'Batmania' after John Batman, who claimed to have found the city in 1835. Other proposed names included Bearbrass, Bayport, Bareheep, and Barbera.
The Flag of Melbourne is the official flag for Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its design was based on the arms component of Melbourne's coat of arms, which was based on the 1848 common seal.
Melbourne's culture is vibrant and alive. A city that incites inspiration, it's a melting pot of creativity expressed in its arts, design, fashion and events. From theatre shows and live music to comedy clubs and fashion shows, you will discover that Victoria celebrates a vibrant artistic culture, ready to be explored.
Things About Melbourne:
- Writers, independent publishers, and booksellers call Melbourne home.
- Australia and was the country's second Literary City and first Creative City.
- There are more book clubs in Melbourne than anywhere else in Australia, and the city has the most books per capita of any Australian city.
- Victoria's earliest known public library is the State Library of Victoria, located in Melbourne. It was established as Melbourne's first significant cultural institution and today draws more than 1.9 million visitors annually.
- Over 2.5 million people in Victoria are members of one of the state's 289 libraries, which lend an estimated 50 million items each year to its 2.5 million members.
- Victorians of all ages like reading. Victorians are the most avid readers of any state. More than 2.5 million students have read approximately 45 million books since the Premiers Reading Challenge began 14 years ago.
- The Story of the Kelly Gang was filmed in Melbourne in 1906 and is said to be the world's first feature-length narrative film.
- The State Library of Victoria houses a huge collection of rare books by authors ranging from Shakespeare to Charles Darwin to Patrick White. These are available for viewing by appointment only, or you can visit the permanent rare books display, World of the Book (formerly Mirror of the World).
- Cole's Book Arcade, founded by E.W Cole, was reputed to be one of the largest bookstores in the world at the start of the twentieth century. It attracted the attention of visiting worldwide celebrities such as Mark Twain because to its stock of two million books.
- Fergus Hume's The Mystery of a Hansom Cab was one of Australia's first best-sellers, published in 1886. It is a murder mystery set in the metropolis that has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide and has been adapted for film multiple times.
- Melbourne is also a city known for its craft and folk arts, design, film, gastronomy, media arts, and music!
- Melbourne has the most cafes and restaurants per capita than any other city on the planet.
- Melbourne imports 30 tonnes of coffee beans per day, enough to brew 3 million cups.
- A cup of coffee with some coffee beans
- Speaking with your local roaster can help.
- Mike Kenneally / Unsplash
- Melbourne has 4.6 million people and is expected to replace Sydney as Australia's largest metropolis by 2030.
- The area around Port Phillip Bay was home to the Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung, and Wathaurong clans known as the Kulin people for at least 40,000 years before the advent of the British.
- Melbourne is one of the world's most multicultural cities. At least one parent was born in another country for 58% of the population.
- Melbourne's famed bathing boxes are some of the most expensive real estate in Australia. One sold for more than $300,000 in 2016.
- During the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, Melbourne was one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world.
- Melbourne's Chinatown, founded by Chinese prospectors in 1851, is the Western World's longest continuous Chinese community.
- The Wurundjeri and Boonerwrung peoples gave their names to Birrarung Marr. 'Birrarung' means'misty river,' while 'Marr' means 'riverside.'
- Melbourne's tramway system is the largest outside of Europe and the world's fourth largest.
The City
Between 1901 and 1927, Melbourne served as Australia's capital city for 26 years before the capital was moved to Canberra. Melbourne boasts the world's largest tram system outside of Europe and the fourth largest overall. Every day, over 90 tonnes of dog faeces are dumped on Melbourne's streets.
Batmania was the early name for Melbourne. Until 1966, when the first set of traffic lights in Australia were placed in Melbourne, pubs in Melbourne closed at 6:00 p.m. Melbourne has the most restaurants and cafes per capita than any other city on the planet! If you meet a Pirate in Melbourne, you must not trade with them, according to the Crimes Act of 1958...
The People
Melbourne has the world's largest Italian and Greek populations outside of their respective nations. Melbourne workers successfully pushed for the world's first eight-hour workweek in 1856. Even now, the rest of us are grateful! In 2013, over 38% of Melbourne's residents were born outside of the country. A Melbournian is someone who lives or comes from Melbourne.
The Weather
Melbourne is notorious for its erratic weather, and it is not uncommon to experience four seasons in a single day. The highest recorded temperature in Melbourne was 46.4 degrees Celsius (115.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in 2009, while the lowest was -2.8 degrees Celsius (28.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in 1869.
The Icons
Luna Park in Melbourne is the world's oldest privately owned theme park. In Melbourne, two Americans created the world-famous Australian drink Fosters Lager. The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne houses the world's largest stained-glass ceiling.
The Sporting Culture
Melbourne is considered Australia's unofficial sporting capital, boasting five international grade athletic facilities. With a total of 90,800 fans in 1961, Melbourne set the world record for the largest crowd at a cricket match. Melbourne is the birthplace of the ever-popular Australian Aussie Rules Football (AFL).
Conclusion
There are facts about Melbourne that you may not be aware of. Victoria's capital was rated the best place to live out of 140 locations. More than 60,000 bats - dubbed "flying foxes" - fly into Melbourne's CBD every night. There are no poor people in Melbourne. Over half of the population was not even born in Australia.
The majority were born in the UK, with Italy, Vietnam, China, and Greece following close behind. Every suburb is unique, and you can observe the strong influence of each culture no matter where you live! The Eureka Tower is the world's second tallest skyscraper and residential tower. Melbourne was the first city outside of Europe and North America to hold the Olympic Games. The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant is a romantic experience that combines 5-star dining with a sightseeing tour.
The Story of the Kelly Gang was filmed in Melbourne in 1906 and is said to be the world's first feature-length narrative film. The State Library of Victoria houses a huge collection of rare books by authors ranging from Shakespeare to Charles Darwin. Victorian students have read approximately 45 million books since the Premiers Reading Challenge began 14 years ago. Melbourne's Chinatown is the world's longest continuous continuous Chinese community. Every day, over 90 tonnes of dog faeces are dumped on Melbourne's streets. The highest recorded temperature in Melbourne was 46.4 degrees Celsius in 2009, while the lowest was -2.8 degrees Celsius (28.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in 1869.
Content Summary
- In Albert Park, Melbourne hosts the iconic Formula One Grand Prix race, which is the season's first race.
- At Grand Prix of Albert Park, you'll find one of the only brakesmen in the world.
- The Eureka Tower, which dominates Melbourne's skyline, is unmistakable.
- The State Library of Victoria houses a huge collection of rare books by authors ranging from Shakespeare to Charles Darwin to Patrick White.