landmark
Petrol Circus
Melbourne's automotive culture and lifestyle brand hosting regular car meets, rides, and community events across the city.
0 km · about 5 min drive
Victoria, Australia · Oceania
Melbourne works well as a base: right by Petrol Circus.
Melbourne is a major city located in Victoria, Australia. With a population of 5,350,705, it is one of the largest urban centers in Oceania.
On a road trip, Melbourne sits in Australia, where you drive on the left. It's in the Australia/Melbourne time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Melbourne to your route.
Melbourne ( MEL-bərn, locally [ˈmæɫbən] ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: Narrm or Naarm) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria and the second most-populous city in Australia. The city's name generally refers to a 9,993-square-kilometre (3,858 sq mi) area, comprising an urban agglomerationRead more
of 31 local government areas. The name is also used to specifically refer to the local government area named City of Melbourne, whose area is centred on the Melbourne central business district and some immediate surrounds.
The city occupies much of the northern and eastern coastlines of Port Phillip Bay. As of June 2025, the population of the city was 5.435 million, or 19% of the population of Australia; It is currently the southernmost city in the world with a population exceeding one million. inhabitants are known as "Melburnians".
The area of Melbourne has been home to Aboriginal Victorians for over 40,000 years. Of the five peoples of the Kulin nation, the traditional custodians of the land encompassing Melbourne are the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung and the Wurundjeri peoples. In 1803, a short-lived British penal settlement was established at Port Phillip, then part of the Colony of New South Wales. Melbourne was founded in 1835 with the arrival of free settlers from Van Diemen's Land (modern-day Tasmania). It was incorporated as a Crown settlement in 1837, and named after the then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. Declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847, it became the capital of the newly separated Colony of Victoria in 1851. During the 1850s Victorian gold rush, the city entered a lengthy boom period that, by the late 1880s, had transformed it into Australia's, and one of the world's, largest and wealthiest metropolises. After the federation of Australia in 1901, Melbourne served as the interim seat of government of the new nation until Canberra became the permanent capital in 1927.
Today, Melbourne is culturally diverse and, among world cities, has the seventh-largest foreign born population. It is a leading financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region, ranking 28th globally in the 2024 Global Financial Centres Index. The city's eclectic architecture blends Victorian era structures, such as the World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, with one of the world's tallest skylines. Additional landmarks include the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the National Gallery of Victoria. Noted for its cultural heritage, the city gave rise to Australian rules football, Australian impressionism and Australian cinema, and is noted for its street art, live music and theatre scenes. It hosts major annual sporting events, such as the Australian Grand Prix and the Australian Open, and also hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics. Melbourne ranked as the world's most livable city on the Economist's measure for much of the 2010s. It was also voted the world's best city by Time Out in 2026.
Melbourne Airport is the second-busiest airport in Australia and the Port of Melbourne is the nation's busiest seaport. Its main metropolitan rail terminus is Flinders Street station and its main regional rail and road coach terminus is Southern Cross station. It also has Australia's most extensive freeway network and the largest urban tram network in the world.
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Melbourne offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Melbourne is located in Victoria, Australia, Oceania. The coordinates are -37.8140 latitude, 144.9633 longitude.
Melbourne has a population of approximately 5,350,705 people, making it a major city in Australia.
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Essential numbers in Australia
112 works from mobiles. Distances between fuel stops in the outback can exceed 200 km: plan ahead. Wildlife is most active at dawn/dusk.
Full driving guide for Australia6 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Melbourne's automotive culture and lifestyle brand hosting regular car meets, rides, and community events across the city.
0 km · about 5 min drive
cafe
Melbourne's oldest espresso bar, opened in 1954 on Bourke Street with the city's first commercial espresso machine and an unchanged Formica bar. Order at the counter and eat standing or in the back kitchen.
1 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
Australia's oldest zoo established in 1862, home to over 320 animal species in the heart of Melbourne.
3 km · about 5 min drive
racetrack
Melbourne's lakeside street circuit, traditional F1 season opener
4 km · about 5 min drive
landmark
Historic St Kilda amusement park opened in 1912 with its iconic laughing face entrance on the waterfront.
6 km · about 10 min drive
racetrack
A fast, flat 3.1km circuit inside a Melbourne horse racing course, running since 1962 and one of the last surviving old-school Australian touring car venues.
23 km · about 25 min drive
Other places to explore near Melbourne.
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