Climate
It is said that Melbourne has "four seasons in one day", with specific reference to late Autumn and early Spring, when the weather varies considerably. Melbourne gets only half as much rain as Sydney, and generally receives about 600mm 24 inches of rainfall annually. October is typically the wettest month. An average Melbourne summer day in Dec-Feb is sunny with temperatures around 26-30°C 79-86°F with the warmest temperatures tending to be in the inland suburban locations and the coast tempered by a refreshing southerly sea breeze. Heatwaves are common during the summer and daytime temperatures can exceed 40°C 104°F with hot northerly winds. The highest maximum temperature recorded in Melbourne was 46.4°C 116°F in 2009 The 'Black Saturday' bush fires occurred on this day. Despite the warm days Melbourne experiences in summer, humidity is rarely a problem and temperatures at night remain mildly comfortable with an average summer low usually about 16°C 61°F. Thunderstorms are more common in summer than winter but usually bring refreshing relief from the occasional stifling daytime temperatures. Winter June-August is usually cool with a mix of clear, sunny weather and cold & damp conditions. Temperatures in winter can range from chilly overnight lows as low 2°C 36°F to daytime highs as high as 19°C 66°F at times. The coldest temperature recorded in Melbourne was -2.8°C 27°F all the way back in 1869. Light snow has been recorded in and around Melbourne during the winter months only a couple of times over the last century, the hills east of the city however usually see a snow shower or two every winter. It is best advised to visit Melbourne in the autumn and spring — temperatures during these periods are usually very pleasant, without being unbearably warm and daytime highs are usually in the 20s Celsius 70s Fahrenheit.
History
The settlement of Melbourne commenced in 1835 when settlers from Tasmania "purchased" land on Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River from the local Aboriginal tribes. The streets of central Melbourne were carefully laid out in 1837, with some streets 30 metres wide. The settlement was named "Melbourne" after William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, the British Prime Minister at that time. The first British lieutenant-governor, Charles La Trobe, arrived in 1839 â his Cottage still stands and can be visited in the Kings Domain. The year 1851 was a landmark for Melbourne — the colony of Victoria was separated from New South Wales and very soon after, gold was discovered in Victoria, sparking a huge goldrush. Aspects of the gold rush history can be seen at the Gold Treasury Museum, housed in the Treasury Building built in 1858. Gold was the catalyst for several decades of prosperity lasting through to the late 1880s and examples of the ornate Victorian-era structures built during this time still stand. In 1888, the property boom collapsed and Victoria suffered the depression of the 1890s. Throughout the gold and building booms, Melbourne managed to retain its many spacious parks and gardens and these remain to this day.
In 1901, the British colonies of Australia became an independent federation and Melbourne the temporary capital of Australia, with the Federal Parliament meeting in the Parliament House of Victoria until 1927 when the new Federal capital of Canberra was founded. After World War II, Melbourne grew rapidly, with its mainly Anglo-Celtic population boosted by immigration from Europe, particularly from Greece and Italy. Today Melbourne has the biggest Greek city population over 800,000 outside Greece and the biggest Italian city population over 230,000 outside Italy. The significant pre-war Jewish population was also boosted after the war. From the mid-70s, many immigrants came from South-east Asia, particularly Vietnam and Cambodia. Melbourne has had a Chinese population since the gold rush of the 1850s and Chinatown has existed from that time but the population of Chinese and other East Asians has also been boosted by immigration in recent years.
New high-rise buildings replaced many of Melbourneâs interesting old structures in the construction boom of the 1970s and 80s. Melbournians belatedly recognised the loss of their architectural heritage and steps were taken to protect what was left. Construction of the huge Crown Casino briefly the largest casino in the world in the 1990s upset some Melbournians with its introduction of a gambling culture. Melbourneâs development continues in the 2000s with the opening of the Melbourne Museum, Federation Square and the Docklands precinct.
Culture
Melbourne is often called the cultural capital of Australia, with its many art galleries, film festivals, orchestras, choral and opera productions, vibrant live music scene, and a strong food, wine and coffee culture. People in Melbourne tend to dress up more than in Sydney, partly due to the colder climate. Many bars and clubs have strict dress regulations, such as requiring collars and dress shoes for men.
Particular events to note include the Melbourne International Film Festival in August, the International Art Festival in October, and the Melbourne Comedy Festival in April. There are also many concerts and exhibitions throughout the year. In addition to the Melbourne Museum, there are special museums dedicated to subjects such as science, immigration, Chinese history, Jewish history, sport, racing, film and moving image, railways, police, fire brigades and banking.
Sport
Melbournians are sports enthusiasts and particularly passionate about Australian Rules football (http://afl.com.au/), a sport invented in Melbourne. In fact the Australian Football League AFL is not so much a sport as a religion in Melbourne, with 9 of the 10 Victorian teams being based in Melbourne. As a guide, the entire national competition only has 18 teams, meaning over half the league is based in Melbourne alone. Horse racing is another passion, and the majority of the state has a public holiday on the first Tuesday of November for the racing of the Melbourne Cup (http://www.melbournecup.com/), one of the worldâs famous horse races. Cricket is the big summer sport and the Melbourne Cricket Ground the 'MCG' (http://www.mcg.org.au/) is one of the world's leading grounds. The National Sports Museum NSM including the Racing Museum Australiaâs only truly dedicated multi-sports museum is also located at the MCG.
Each January, Melbourne hosts tennis' Australian Open (http://www.ausopen.org/), one of the worldâs four Grand Slam championships. In March, Melbourne hosts the first race of the Formula One season, the Formula One Grand Prix (http://www.grandprix.com.au/). The race is held in Albert Park in South Melbourne. Melbournians have also taken football soccer to their hearts in recent times. Melbourne Victory, playing in Australia's premier competition, the A-League, enjoyed enormous crowds and colourful, boistrous support at their original home ground, Etihad Stadium previously known as the Telstra Dome. In 2011, the A-League took notice of this phenomenon and added a second Melbourne team, Melbourne Heart. The two teams now share the new Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, commercially known as AAMI Park. The city also boasts one professional team in each rugby code, with both also playing at AAMI Park. The Melbourne Storm play rugby league in the National Rugby League, with teams throughout Australia plus one in New Zealand. The Melbourne Rebels play rugby union in Super Rugby, which features four other Australian sides and five each in New Zealand and South Africa. Melbourne is the unquestioned sporting capital of Australia with the largest arenas and two of the major sporting administrations basing their operation in Melbourne: Cricket Australia is a stone's throw from the MCG, and the AFL games are played at both the MCG and Etihad Stadium.