Ryker BeckMelbourne, Victoria and Adelaide, South Australia are separated by over seven hundred kilometres (four hundred miles) of beautiful geography and thrilling history. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and the second most populated city in Australia. By taking Melbourne to Adelaide backpacker tours, a visitor can experience the wonders of both cities and everything in between.
History of Melbourne
In 1835, a controversial explorer named John Batman struck a deal with aboriginal leaders to purchase six hundred thousand acres of land. He eventually established a town there named Batmania. However, the settlement was soon renamed Melbourne, after the British prime minister, William Lamb, second viscount Melbourne.
Melbourne was officially declared a city in 1847. In 1851, the colony of Victoria was formed with Melbourne as its capital. That same year, gold was discovered in the colony, sparking the Victorian Gold Rush. As the population swelled tremendously due to all of the settlers seeking their fortunes, Melbourne surpassed Sydney as Australia’s most populous city.
By the 1880s, the gold rush had made Melbourne the richest city in the world.
Post World War II, the city experienced an economic boom as many immigrated from war-torn Europe and the Mediterranean to Australia. The economy of Melbourne remains fairly stable.
Sports in Melbourne
In 1859, the Melbourne Football Club codified Australian Rules football, meaning the sport is actually older than rugby and American football codes. The Australian Football League is headquartered in Melbourne, and nine AFL teams are in the greater Melbourne metropolitan area.
The city also boasts a rugby league team, the Melbourne Storm, as well as two rugby union teams, Melbourne Rebels and Melbourne Rising. Though rugby is not as popular as Australian football, the fan base remains quite large.
In 1956, the city hosted the Summer Olympic Games, which were the first Olympics held in the southern hemisphere. Australian football was a demonstration sport during these games. Currently, Melbourne is preparing to bid for either the 2024 or 2028 Summer Olympics.
Netball is the sport in Australia with the largest female participation.
Climate of Melbourne
Known for its changing weather conditions, Melbourne has an oceanic climate. Oceanic climates have warm summers and cool winters, but very rarely do the temperatures reach the extremes. Precipitation tends to be fairly evenly dispersed throughout the year. Snowfall is very rare.
Over the past decade or so, extreme temperatures have become slightly more common in the metropolitan area.
Culture of Melbourne
Considered an international culture centre, the city boasts a wide array of music, sports, cuisine, art, architecture, and literature. During fiscal year 2013, roughly sixty million tourists visited the city to enjoy the festivals and culture along the waterfront city.
The National Gallery of Victoria, established in 1861, is Australia’s oldest public art museum. The arts streets and laneways have been voted as Australia’s most attractive culture centres and in the past the city has been voted as the best tourist spot in the country.
The first feature film ever created, The Story of the Kelly Gang, was filmed in the city in 1906.