Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria in Australia, and is home to the world famous Australian Open tennis championships.

It is the second most populated city in Australia, and is extremely multi-cultural. It’s a place where historical meets modern day, with Victorian architecture an pretty avenues with contrasting contemporary buildings just around the corner.

In spite of the large population, the city still has the laid back Australian way of life. The Melburnians commonly use bicycles as their method of transport, and for those who prefer not to cycle there are little trams shuttling about the city too.

Of course, Melbourne is also famous for hosting the Australian Open, and it has been the home of the tennis tournament since 1972. Before this time it was held in various locations in Australia and New Zealand, but it is now held in Melbourne every year.

Melbourne Park houses the arenas for the Australian Open, and in 2007 over half a million people attended the tournament as spectators. This exciting event continues to attract thousands upon thousands of visitors to the city every year.

But the Australian Open is not the only sporting event that the Melburnians go crazy over. The people of Melbourne also really love the Australian Football League and the Spring Racing Carnival, so there is always some kind of sporting event to join in with.

The History of Melbourne: Home of the Australian Open

Melbourne was created in 1835 when John Batman bought the land that is now Melbourne from the Aborigines (the indigenous people of Australia). He bought almost quarter of a million hectares of land for just some tools and clothing, as the Aborigines were not used to the system of buying and selling land.

Within 5 years there were more than 10,000 people from Europe living around Melbourne, and the city was built using financing from the gold fields. This wealth lasted until almost 1890. Since the 1940s Melbourne has been influenced by cultures all over the world.

Building have been erected throughout the decades giving the city the a distinctive blend of styles with highly decorative historical buildings sat right next to modern apartment blocks and offices. The city is extremely sought after and an expensive place to live in.

Things To Do In Melbourne

The best time to visit would be when a big event such as the Australian Open is on so you can enjoy the atmosphere, but even if you come at this time there are plenty of other things to do when the tennis matches aren’t on.

There are hundreds of bars and restaurants so you’ll never be short of places to eat and drink. Melbourne also sits in a famous wine region, so there are plenty of wine tours that you can go on as well as the National Gallery of Victoria which was opened in 1861, making it Australia’s oldest gallery.

The Australians are renowned for their crazy sports, and if you’re an adrenaline junkie there are plenty of activities to enjoy including zorbing and biking tours. There are also plenty of attractions for animal lovers including Melbourne Zoo, Savannah Walkabout and the Werribee Open Range Zoo.