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 indeed 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.

The city is situated on either side of the Yarra River and the area was home to Aborigines for thousands of years. The waterway attracted British settlers, who founded the Port Phillip Settlement of the Colony of New South Wales in 1835. In 1851, a separate colony was carved out of New South Wales and named Victoria, after Queen Victoria, and Melbourne was named after the British Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne.

That 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 that are dotted along leafy streets.

However, the city is defined more by its diverse population than by its architecture. Immigration at the end of WWII transformed Melbourne into a thriving cultural melting pot, totalling over three million people, with sizeable Italian, Greek and Chinese communities each carving out their own quarter.

In fact, large-scale immigration has made Melbourne home to the largest Greek community outside Greece and the influx of Vietnamese and Lebanese has contributed to Melbourne’s claim to be the cultural capital of Australia.

The introduction of European and Asian communities has resulted in an eclectic and energetic blend of theatre, music, art and literature. The international population has also brought a wealth of different cuisine, served up in a wide range of restaurants, from the outdoor cafés along the Crown Promenade overlooking the Yarra River, to the pizzerias in Carlton, the Chinese banquet halls in Chinatown and the fine seafood restaurants in trendy St Kilda Beach, just a half-hour tram ride from the city centre.

One topic that is guaranteed to be discussed over dinner is the weather. The city has four distinct seasons and usually enjoys a pleasant, temperate climate. However, winters can get chilly and summers usually see some swelteringly hot days. Sometimes, all four seasons occur in one day. The ever-optimistic locals joke that if one does not like the weather, one just has to wait 10 minutes and it will change.