Showing 1-16 of 16 results
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Eureka Tower
The new-in-2006 Eureka Tower epitomises Melbourne's push to live in apartments by becoming the world's tallest apartment building. It's enough to make anyone who's read JG Ballard's Highrise wide-eyed and nervous. But, the tower is good news for visitors who can scoot to the 88th-storey observation tower (compared to the Rialto's 55th) for wild views of the city and its surrounds.
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Federation Square
A 21st-century civic hub, this vast, architecturally confronting sandstone, glass and steel box of tricks arouses a love-it-or-hate-it reaction from Melburnians and visitors alike. Stocked with a plethora of cafes, restaurants and retail outlets, Federation Square flexes more than a little cultural muscle.
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Flinders Street Station
Melbourne's first railway station, Flinders Street was built in 1854. Two railway workers won the design tender. This might explain why the station contained such fabulous facilities for railway workers, now, sadly, in disrepair. In its heyday the building buzzed with a concert hall, a library, a creche, meeting rooms, even a ballroom.
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Melbourne Town Hall
The Melbourne Town Hall has been used as a civic and entertainment venue since 1870. Most famously, Queen Elizabeth II took tea there in 1954, and the Beatles waved to thousands of screaming fans from the balcony in 1964. In 2001 the Grand Organ (built in 1929) was given an overhaul. Take a free tour ( and Monday to Friday) to find out exactly what having the 'largest grand romantic organ in the southern hemisphere' actually means.
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Old Melbourne Gaol
This sinister old prison and penal museum was built of bluestone in 1841 and used until 1929. The tiny cells display plaster casts of some of the 130-plus people who were hanged here. A science of the day, known as phrenology, studied the shape of the head to try to understand the criminal mind. Other displays explain 19th-century Melbourne's dire social conditions and give insight into the desperation that may have motivated the criminals.
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Parliament House
Building began in 1856 with the two main chambers: the lower house (the Legislative Assembly) and the upper house (the Legislative Council). The library was added in 1860 and Queen's Hall in 1879. Original plans included an enormous dome, which was deemed too costly. Gun slits are visible just below the roof, and the dungeon is now the cleaners' tearoom. Australia's first federal parliament sat here from 1901, before moving to Canberra in 1927.
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Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park
Along the waterfront of this expansive stretch of parkland, the roadway has intermittent information panels. These explain the area's significance as the first disembarkation point for early Victorian settlers and for convicts 'imported' as labourers. Historic buildings also dot the area, such as the convict-built Timeball Tower, once used to calibrate ships' gauges, and the remains of Fort Gellibrand, which staged many a mock battle. Access to the park is via Nelson Pl.
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Rialto Towers
The Rialto was once the highest building in the southern hemisphere and, until recently, the city's highest building - pipped in 2006 by the Eureka Tower. The Rialto's most distinctive feature is its semireflective glass exterior, which changes colour as the day advances. The observation deck is on the 55th floor; to get there you could climb the 1254 steps or take the 25km/h lifts. The lookout platform provides a spectacular 360-degree view of Melbourne's surrounds - a great way to get your bearings. The admission fee includes a 20-minute video screening about Melbourne city.
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Royal Exhibition Building
The stately Royal Exhibition Building, next door to the Melbourne Museum, was built for the International Exhibition of 1880. The exhibition ran for eight months and included such industrial advancements as lawn mowers and tinned foodstuffs. Still a venue for major events and exhibitions, this is the world's oldest surviving 19th-century exhibition hall. It was the site of the first Australian parliament in 1901 and was used for the Victorian parliament for 27 years. Beautifully restored, the building became Australia's first to win Unesco World Heritage status - in 2004. Tours (1300 130 152; adult/concession around A$5 /around A$4 ) operate daily at from the museum; phone for bookings.
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Shrine of Remembrance
Beside St Kilda Rd stands the massive Shrine of Remembrance, built as a memorial to Victorians killed in WWI. Its distinctive design is partly based on the Temple of Halicarnassus, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, and it was built between 1927 and 1934. Visible from the other end of town, planning regulations continue to restrict any building that would obstruct the view of the Shrine from along Swanston St (as far back as Lonsdale St).
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St Patrick's Cathedral
One of the world's largest and finest examples of Gothic revival architecture, St Patrick's Cathedral was designed by William Wardell. Building began in 1863 and continued in stages until the spires were added in 1939. The imposing bluestone exterior and grounds are but a preview to its contents: inside are several tonnes of bells, an organ with 4500 pipes, ornate stained-glass windows and the remains of former archbishops.
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St Paul's Cathedral
Opposite Federation Square stands St Paul's Cathedral, the Anglican equivalent of St Patrick's. Built between 1880 and 1891 it is the work of distinguished ecclesiastical architect William Butterfield, who designed the cathedral from England, refusing to visit Melbourne. It features ornate stained-glass windows (made between 1887 and 1890) and holds regular music programmes and services. In summer it's open to daily.
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State Library Of Victoria
When the library opened in 1856, people entering were required to sign the visitors book, be over 14 years old and have clean hands. The only requirements today are that you check your bag at the door and maintain a bit of shush.
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Tasma Terrace
The three-storey, grey-stuccoed terraces comprising Tasma Terrace were built in 1879 and designed by Charles Webb, who also designed the famous Windsor Hotel . The restrained cast-iron decoration is one of the features of these six Victorian buildings, which are owned by, and house the office of, the National Trust (9656 9800; www.nattrust.com.au) - an organisation dedicated to preserving historically significant buildings across the state. The office has information on National Trust properties that are open to the public - usually stately old homestead mansions set in elegant gardens.
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University Of Melbourne
The esteemed University of Melbourne was established in 1853. Its blend of Victorian Gothic stone buildings, functionalist brick blocks and modern showpieces sprawls from Carlton through to the neighbouring suburb of Parkville. The university is conspicuous, not only in size, but also in its contributions to the community. It's behind the academic publishing house Melbourne University Publishing Ltd, the literary journal Meanjin, and counts the Melbourne Theatre Company as one of its departments. The university houses the Ian Potter Museum of Art (8344 5148; www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au; admission free; ; - Tue-Fri, noon- Sat & Sun), displaying a significant body of Australian art.
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Windsor
A marvellous reminder of a more glamorous era, the Windsor is a Melbourne institution. Built in 1883 to Charles Webb's design, it was extensively restored during the 1980s and is one of Australia's grandest historic hotels. Take tea at the Windsor and do the pinkie salute to Victoriana, or sleep over.
Showing 1-16 of 16 results
