When Ava Gardner arrived in Melbourne in 1956 to film On the Beach, she was quoted as saying it was "a great place to make a movie about the end of the world." In truth, Melbourne was remote in the 1950s but it was also a city in growth mode. There was a massive influx of immigrants post-World War II and Melbourne became the country's center of manufacturing and its largest port. Tourism was almost non-existent due to the distance and the fact that long-range aircrafts weren't yet flying regular commercial flights. When you flew into Melbourne in 1956, it was into a small regional airport with a single runway surrounded by sheep paddocks. There were no skyscrapers, no major highways, and no fast food. Pubs shut at 6pm, everything was closed on Sundays and television was only introduced in September of that year. What Melbourne did have was its love of sport, as Australia's home of Australian Rules Football, cricket, and horse racing. It was also a very artistic and cosmopolitan city with a strong café culture influenced by its largely Italian and Greek immigrant population.
Melbourne Now
Today Melbourne is known as the sporting capital of Australia. Building on its Olympic legacy, each year Melbourne hosts a Grand Slam tennis tournament, a Formula One Grand Prix, one of the world's richest and most prestigious horse races, and Australia's version of the Superbowl -- the AFL Grand Final -- held on the hallowed turf of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the former Olympic stadium that seats over 100,000 spectators) -- so its title is well-deserved. It was also the host city of the Commonwealth Games in 2006.
Birthplace of diverse Australian icons from Foster's Beer to Rupert Murdoch and Steve Irwin to Vegemite, Melburnians are proud of their diverse heritage and love to welcome visitors to their hometown. A large, cosmopolitan and modern city with a historic Victorian soul, it is also a green oasis with thousands of acres of public parklands, extensive gardens, and river and beach reserves. Melbourne's largely ethnic and immigrant population has created a multi-cultural environment and built an international reputation for fine food, exceptional events, and a thriving arts and music scene.
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