Melbourne :: Fotopic.Net

75C's Gallery

Melbourne

23rd April 2006

A vibrant cosmopolitan city, located on the magnificent Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne is the state capital and cultural heart of Victoria. The locals' claim that it is 'the best city in the world to live in' may rankle their rivals in Sydney, but few would dispute that it is a fascinating place to visit. In fact, the traditional rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney, which covers every sphere of life from business to sport and culture, has resulted in a proud, dynamic city that strives to be the best in all things.

All state roads lead into the city and Victoria's unique geography means that it is possible to spend the morning on the coast, ski in the afternoon in the Victorian Alps and enjoy an aperitif at a winery before returning to Melbourne to take in a show at one of the many theatres.

The banks of the Yarra River, home to Aborigines for thousands of years, attracted British settlers who founded Port Phillip Bay in 1835. The settlement rapidly expanded and by 1851 the city, named after Queen Victoria's Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, was born. In the same year, gold was discovered near Ballarat and Bendigo, to the west of Melbourne, and the ensuing gold rush turned the city into a powerful financial centre as well as the first political capital until Canberra was established in 1927.

Numerous gardens and parks give a pleasant, open feel to the city, whose skyline mixes elegant spires with dazzling modern skyscrapers, which dwarf the elegant Victorian-era buildings dotted along leafy streets. However, the city is defined more by its diverse population than by its architecture.

Flinders Station 480x580 A01DSCN3505.jpg Buy Print	Flinders Station @ Elizabeth Street 600x450 A01DSCN3561.jpg Buy Print	Flinders Street Station by night 554x600 A01NDSCN3688.jpg Buy Print	the Public Purse along the shopping district at Bourke Street 480x360 ADSCN3496.jpg Buy Print
Art supplies store along Little LaTrobe Street 640x380 ADSCN3497.jpg Buy Print	Early morning Queen Victoria Market 450x560 ADSCN3502.jpg Buy Print	Sundial at Flagstaff Gardens showing 10am 480x480 ADSCN3503.jpg Buy Print	Melbourne Town Hall along Swanston Street 450x600 ADSCN3506.jpg Buy Print
Melbourne Chinatown @ Little Bourke Street 480x640 ADSCN3507.jpg Buy Print	Princess Theatre along Exhibition Street 640x540 ADSCN3509.jpg Buy Print	Parliament House 480x640 ADSCN3510.jpg Buy Print	St Patrick at corner of Gisborne and Albert Street 455x600 ADSCN3511.jpg Buy Print
St Patrick along Albert Street 450x600 ADSCN3514.jpg Buy Print	River God Fountain at Fitzroy Park 450x600 ADSCN3516.jpg Buy Print	River God Fountain at Fitzroy Park 450x600 ADSCN3517.jpg Buy Print	Fitzroy Park 600x450 ADSCN3518.jpg Buy Print
Woosh-ee the Melbourne dragon at the children’s playground in the Fitzroy Gardens 640x360 ADSCN3519.jpg Buy Print	Dolphin's Fountain at Fitzroy 480x600 ADSCN3520.jpg Buy Print	Sinclair's Cottage at Fitzroy 600x450 ADSCN3521.jpg Buy Print	Cook's Cottage at Fitzroy 600x450 ADSCN3522.jpg Buy Print
Conservatory at Fitzroy 450x563 ADSCN3523.jpg Buy Print	Windsor Hotel as viewed from Gordon Reserve 450x600 ADSCN3524.jpg Buy Print	Shot Tower @ Melbourne Central 480x640 ADSCN3532.jpg Buy Print	RMIT University 480x640 ADSCN3534.jpg Buy Print
State Library along Swanston St 640x480 ADSCN3535.jpg Buy Print	Sunken structure of the State Library 600x480 ADSCN3536.jpg Buy Print	Dragon-slayer statue outside the State Library 480x640 ADSCN3537.jpg Buy Print	Three Businessmen Who Brought Their Own Lunch @ corner of Swanston St and Bourke St 530x480 ADSCN3540.jpg Buy Print
St Francis Church with the Shot Tower in the backdrop 600x450 ADSCN3543.jpg Buy Print	GPO Retail - the Federal Coffee Palace 480x360 ADSCN3544.jpg Buy Print	Bourke Street 600x450 ADSCN3545.jpg Buy Print	St Paul's Catherdral 480x640 ADSCN3548.jpg Buy Print
My aunt and her elephants @ Federation Square 600x450 ADSCN3569.jpg Buy Print	St Paul's Catherdral 460x640 ADSCN3570.jpg Buy Print	NIGHTVIEWS: Nightscape of Melbourne city - Flinders Station riverbank as viewed from Princes Bridge 640x480 ANDSCN3498.jpg Buy Print	Nightscape of Melbourne city - Flinders Street riverbank towards east of Princes Bridge 640x480 ANDSCN3501.jpg Buy Print
Live band @ City Square (as viewed from Motel) 640x453 ANDSCN3539.jpg Buy Print	Queensbridge and Melbourne city shrouded in dusk as viewed from Kings bridge 600x450 ANDSCN3672.jpg Buy Print	Crown Towers Hotel 600x450 ANDSCN3673.jpg Buy Print	Crown Casino - ceiling delights 300x400 ANDSCN3674.jpg Buy Print
Riverside Park - monument of trickling waters 400x400 ANDSCN3676.jpg Buy Print	The Sandridge Bridge across Yarra River 450x600 ANDSCN3678.jpg Buy Print	Flinders Street Station as viewed through the wooden fence from the Sandridge Bridge 640x350 ANDSCN3679.jpg Buy Print	Langham Hotel and the Southgate 450x600 ANDSCN3680.jpg Buy Print
Princes Bridge and the Yarra River 600x450 ANDSCN3685.jpg Buy Print	DANDENONGS: Birdwatching at Sherbrooke Forest of the Dandenong Ranges with our tour bus in the backdrop 640x450 DDSCN3562.jpg Buy Print	Birdwatching at at Sherbrooke Forest of the Dandenong Ranges 600x480 DDSCN3565.jpg Buy Print	Cloudy day at Skyhigh Observation @ Dandenong 640x480 DDSCN3566.jpg Buy Print
Awesome wood carvings on a tree trunk @ Skyhigh Observation 480x640 DDSCN3568.jpg Buy Print	Ferntree Gully National Park - Kokoda Track Memorial Walk 640x450 DDSCN3629.jpg Buy Print	Morning sunshine @ Ferntree Gully National Park 600x480 DDSCN3632.jpg Buy Print	ALBERT PARK: F1 race car @ Melbourne Airport 640x480 F1DSCN3701.jpg Buy Print
Albert Park lake 640x480 F2DSCN3694.jpg Buy Print	The World according to Formula One 480x640 F3DSCN3690.jpg Buy Print	Pitstop 600x450 F4DSCN3692.jpg Buy Print	sights and sounds @ Albert Park - Shell 640x440 F5DSCN3557.jpg Buy Print
Sights and sounds @ Albert Park - blue tyres 360x480 F6DSCN3551.jpg Buy Print	Racetrack set against the Melbourne skyscape 640x420 F7DSCN3549.jpg Buy Print	GREAT OCEAN ROAD: Torquay Surf Beach 640x480 ODSCN3571.jpg Buy Print	Torquay Surf Beach 480x640 ODSCN3572.jpg Buy Print