City of Melbourne

Melbourne was founded in 1835, during the reign of King William IV, with the arrival of the schooner Enterprize near the present site of the Queen's Wharf, as a barely legal, speculative settlement that broke away from New South Wales. Unlike other Australian capital cities, Melbourne did not originate under official auspices, instead forming through the foresight of settlers from Tasmania.

Having been a province of New South Wales from its establishment in 1835, affairs of the settlement had been administered by the Parliament of New South Wales. With the growth of the settlement there had been an increasing demand by the inhabitants for greater autonomy over their own affairs. On 12 August 1842, Melbourne was incorporated as a Town by Act 6 Victoria No. 7 of the Governor and Legislative Council of New South Wales.

The Town of Melbourne was raised to the status of a City by Letters Patent of Queen Victoria dated 25 June 1847, five years after its incorporation as a town. The Letters Patent also constituted the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and declared Melbourne a cathedral city. A motion was tabled at a meeting of the Town Council to alter the style and title of Melbourne from a Town to a City, a draft Bill was approved and transmitted to the Government for introduction to the Legislature. On 3 August 1849, Act 13 Victoria No. 14 was finally assented to as "An Act to effect a change in the Style and Title of the Corporation of Melbourne rendered necessary by the erection of the Town of Melbourne to a City".
The Melbourne Town Hall from the western side of Swanston Street looking towards the eastern end of Collins Street.
The Melbourne Town Hall from the western side of Swanston Street looking towards the eastern end of Collins Street.

The city's initial boundaries, as set down in Act 8 Victoria No. 12 (19 December 1844) extended from Point Ormond in Elwood up Barkly Street and Punt Road to the Yarra River, along the river to Merri Creek at Abbotsford, then west along Brunswick Road to Moonee Ponds Creek, then south past Flemington Bridge to Princes Pier in Port Melbourne. The Act imposed on the Mayor a duty to set up “permanent and conspicuous boundary marks of iron, wood, stone or other durable material” along or near the line of the Town’s boundaries—this was undertaken by Mayor James Frederick Palmer and Town Clerk John Charles King on 4 February 1846.

During the 1850s, Collingwood, Fitzroy and Richmond seceded from Melbourne (all are, since 1994, part of the City of Yarra), as did South Melbourne, whilst other parts became parts of the neighbouring districts of St Kilda and Port Melbourne, and the border between Brunswick and Melbourne moved south one block to Park Street.

On 18 December 1902, King Edward VII conferred the title "Lord Mayor" on the mayor of the City of Melbourne.

On 30 October 1905, Melbourne absorbed two neighbouring council areas. Now included in the City was the Borough of Flemington and Kensington which had been formed in 1882 when it broke away from the City of Essendon. The second, the Town of North Melbourne, formerly known as Hotham, had been established on 30 September 1859 and been granted town status on 18 December 1874. Both town halls are still in use today as public buildings—the former in Kensington near the present-day Newmarket railway station; the latter in Errol Street, North Melbourne.

The Melbourne and Geelong Corporations Act 1938 allowed for three councillors for each of the eleven wards, with a general election held on 24 August 1939. Following a recommendation by the Local Government Advisory Board in 1978, an Order in Council (27 February 1979, effective from 19 May 1979) reduced this to eight wards. In December 1980, the Hamer Government dismissed the council, and appointed three Commissioners to determine how the boundaries could best be altered to produce more effective local government, with special regard to Melbourne's central business district and its importance to the state, as well as to advise changes needed to the constitution, structure, functions and administration. However, in 1982, with the election of a new Labor government under John Cain, the Act establishing the commission was repealed, and the Melbourne Corporation (Election of Council) Act 1982 established six wards, for which an election was held on 4 December 1982. Three years later, an additional ward was added.

In 1993, the City of Melbourne Act specified changes to the boundaries which saw Melbourne gain Southbank and the Victorian Arts Centre on 18 November 1993, and the city was resubdivided into four wards - Flagstaff, University, Hoddle and Domain. The wards were abolished in 2001, with the council currently having an elected Lord Mayor with a Deputy Lord Mayor and seven other councillors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Melbourne

Melbourne Hotels and City Guide : Travel Tips

When to Visit - Arts and Events

Melbourne is a hive of social interaction. From summer carols by candlelight to the frantic football season in the winter, each season has its own series of events. Football has to be the most popular, well-supported pastime with several local leagues, competitions and national affiliations. Other sports are also important and are prominent fixtures on Melbourne's calendar: the Australian Open Tennis Tournament is held here as is the Australian Grand Prix and horse racing's Melbourne Cup. Non-sporting annual events include the Chinese New Year celebrations, a Summer Music Festival, the Moomba Family Festival and a three-week long gay and lesbian Midsumma Festival, which brings thousands of visitors from Australia and beyond.

Melbourne Dining

Melbourne is Australia's leading 'food city' and a great exponent of 'fusion' cooking, with a large selection of cuisine from all over the world. Each March there is a food and wine festival in which the major ethnic groups host gastronomic street parties. Two wonderful places for those with a penchant for Asian food are Chinatown in the city centre and Victoria Street in Richmond, locally known as 'Little Saigon'. Here are some of Australia's best restaurants, offering ethnic delights as authentic as those found in their country of origin. The other truly exceptional culinary experience can be found in the Italian cuisine of Lygon Street in the Carlton district. An enormous Italian population has successfully recreated a truly original home flavour.

Melbourne Tipping Advice

In general it is not customary to tip in Australia though this is slowly changing, particularly in larger cities. In some restaurants it is standard practice to leave a gratuity; the usual amount is between 10% and 15%. Discretionary tips to hotel staff, taxi drivers and other service personnel are also on the increase. It is certainly a friendly gesture to pay a little on top of the bill if the service has reached the required standard.

water-wise tips

Melbourne Water offers the following water-wise tips to help you save water:

Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth
When shaving fill the basin instead of letting the water run
A quick shower uses less hot water than a full bath tub
Consider installing low flow, water efficient showerheads and taps in your home
Have a full load of washing before starting the washing machine
Instead of rinsing your vegetables under a running tap, half fill your sink with water
Turn off taps tightly but gently so they do not drip
Wash your car on the grass and water your garden at the same time
Never clean the driveway or footpath with a hose - use a rake or broom
Water in the cool of the morning or late evening
Water your garden less often but more thoroughly
Choose water-wise plants

http://www.conservewater.melbournewater.com.au/content/tips.asp

I LOVE MELBOURNE

The sidewalk cafes populated by laughing strangers rugged up in their winters warmest. The sweeping trees which cascade the city streets and the trams which transport tourists and commuters alike down Swanston Avenue and Little Burke Street. Artisans perform their self-expressionistic performances on the riverwalk at Southbank and the epitome of modern art lines the walls of galleries and sidewalks alike.

Melbourne is a hive of cultural flavours and international cuisine, it is on the cutting edge of the arts and its streets are defined by self-expressionism and modern thinking.

Though I have travelled to many places, walked the streets of many cities and witnessed all exaggerations of cultural diversity, Melbourne still remains one of my most beloved cities in the world.

http://www.43places.com/entries/view/394565