Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria. Founded in 1835 on the banks of the Yarra River just north of the tip of Port Phillip Bay, the city grew quickly as a port due to the close proximity of the gold fields to the north and west. Many of Melbourne's wide, tree lined streets were laid out during the wealthy gold rush times, resulting in a high amount of mansions and terrace housing that still dominates the CBD area today.
Melbourne's CBD is easy to reach (thanks largely to the completion of the Citylink Tollway system) and simple to navigate due to the grid street layout and relatively flat terrain. The streets in the city centre are wide, and cater greatly for the unique large fleet of trams that service the CBD and surrounding suburbs. In addition, the city is riddled with many tall and elegant buildings, a seemingly endless shopping & commercial precinct and several large parks (including the Royal Botanic Gardens) that almost surround the city centre. Other highlights include the Rialto Towers & Observation Deck, Flinders St Station, the Victorian Arts Centre, the Crown Casino and the Daimaru shopping centre.
To the south, just over the Yarra River lies the popular precinct of Southbank. The walk from Princes Bridge west to Spencer St Bridge offers great shopping, dining with several interesting fountains, sculptures and cafes - cruises along the Yarra River can also be embarked upon from Southbank. Also within the vicinity of the CBD are the Telstra Dome (Docklands Stadium - 1km west), the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG - 2km east), Albert Park (Grand Prix - 3km south) and the National Tennis Centre/Olympic Park (2km east).
Certainly a great place to visit and explore - the city is also a good base to explore the wonderful Dandenong Ranges to the east, Phillip Island & Mornington Peninsula to the south and the goldfields region to the west & north-west. Click here to open the Melbourne suburbs page which will cover the remainder of the city in more detail.

Population: 3,100,000 
State: Victoria
Postcode: 3000
Local Government: Melbourne City Council
Location: Capital city of Victoria, 870km south-west of Sydney, 730km south-east of Adelaide
Main Roads: Monash, Princes & Westgate Freeways , Calder Freeway , Western Freeway , Hume Freeway , Western Ring Road , Citylink , Maroondah Hwy  
Main Watercourses: Yarra River, Port Phillip Bay
Accommodation: Travel Victoria
Radio Stations (Music): Star FM (91.9), Bay FM (93.9), Sea FM (94.9), K-Rock (95.5), Nova FM (100.3), Mix 101 (101.1), Fox FM (101.9), 3BA-FM (102.3), Power FM (103.1) Gold 104 (104.3), Triple M (105.1), Triple J (107.5)

Photos from Melbourne (CBD):
 

	Looking south along Queen Street, at the Franklin St R'bout in Melbourne CBD (1998).
	Melbourne CBD, the Bolte Bridge and Colonial Stadium, taken from the Westgate Bridge (2001).