Federation Square
A civic gathering place beside Flinders Street Station, with striking angular buildings, big screens, cafes and galleries including the Ian Potter Centre. Events and markets are held here throughout the year.
Melbourne
Sports events, street art and laneway cafes fill this cultural city, and the Great Ocean Road can be visited on a day trip.
Attractive locations
Queen Victoria Market
A large open-air market in the north of the centre, known for fresh produce, deli foods, clothing and souvenirs. Its old sheds are a busy meeting point for locals and visitors.
Royal Exhibition Building
A grand 19th-century hall with a large dome, set in Carlton Gardens. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and still hosts fairs, shows and events.
Melbourne Cricket Ground
One of the world's major sports stadiums, home to Australian rules football and cricket. Tours cover the stands, players' rooms and a sports museum next door.
Flinders Street Station
A grand yellow railway station on the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets, with a domed corner and a row of clocks over the entrance. Meeting under the clocks is a local tradition.
National Gallery of Victoria
The state's main art museum, with Australian and international collections shown in two buildings, one on St Kilda Road and one at Federation Square.
Shrine of Remembrance
A war memorial in the Kings Domain parkland, built as a stepped temple with a pyramid roof. The upper balcony looks back over the city skyline.
Airports
Melbourne Airport MEL
It is about 19 km in a straight line from Melbourne.
Melbourne Essendon Airport MEB
It is about 11 km in a straight line from Melbourne.
Melbourne Moorabbin Airport MBW
It is about 22 km in a straight line from Melbourne.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Australia page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan20.0 °C45 mm
- Feb19.9 °C49 mm
- Mar18.5 °C46 mm
- Apr15.6 °C61 mm
- May12.6 °C60 mm
- Jun10.3 °C65 mm
- Jul9.5 °C64 mm
- Aug9.9 °C70 mm
- Sep11.7 °C61 mm
- Oct13.9 °C61 mm
- Nov16.4 °C74 mm
- Dec18.1 °C60 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Mar. Wettest months: Jun, Aug, Nov.
Costs
Prices here are about 90% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
festival
Australian Open tennis
Plan early, since prices rise and hotels fill up for this event, one of the biggest in the country every year.
sport
Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix
Albert Park hosts the F1 race.
Official sitesport
Melbourne Cup (horse race)
Melbourne has a public holiday for this race, whose nickname says it brings a nation to a halt.
festival
Australian Open tennis
Plan early, since prices rise and hotels fill up for this event, one of the biggest in the country every year.
Who can help
Emergency
Triple Zero 000 for police, fire and ambulance (112 also works from a mobile phone).
local government
Triple Zero (000) emergency number
Helps with: Call Triple Zero (000) for a life-threatening emergency that needs police, ambulance or fire. The NSW Government page also gives TTY 106 for callers using a text phone.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Australia facing a life-threatening emergency, including visitors.
Phone: 000
ngo
Australian Red Cross
Helps with: Australia's national Red Cross society. It offers help before, during and after emergencies and disasters, and runs support programs for migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum.
Who qualifies: People in Australia affected by emergencies or disasters, and migrants and refugees needing support.
Phone: 1800 733 276
Email: contactus@redcross.org.au
Address: GPO Box 9949, Melbourne VIC 3001
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Australia
Helps with: The UN migration agency. Its Canberra office works on migration policy across the Indo-Pacific and partners with governments and UN bodies. It is a partnerships and advocacy office.
Who qualifies: Governments and partner organisations working on migration. It is not a help service for tourists or individual migrants.
Phone: +612 6267 6600
Address: 4th floor, Bright Consulting Building, 161 London Circuit, Canberra ACT 2601
embassy
Foreign embassies and consulates in Australia (DFAT Protocol)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade lists foreign embassies alphabetically, each linking to its own page, plus a consulates list.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.