Melbourne, located along the northern and eastern coastlines of Port Phillip Bay, is home to 5.35 million residents as of 2024, representing 19% of Australia’s population. Known as “Melburnians,” its people live in a city whose history stretches back more than 40,000 years, originally inhabited by Aboriginal Victorians. The traditional custodians of Melbourne include the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung, and Wurundjeri peoples, part of the five nations of the Kulin group.

European settlement began in 1803 with a brief British penal outpost at Port Phillip, then part of New South Wales. Melbourne itself was established in 1835 by free settlers from Van Diemen’s Land (modern-day Tasmania) and officially incorporated as a Crown settlement in 1837. Named after the UK Prime Minister, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, the city was declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847 and became the capital of the newly separated Colony of Victoria in 1851.

Melbourne flourished during the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, growing into one of the wealthiest and largest cities globally by the late 1880s. Following Australia’s federation in 1901, Melbourne served as the interim national capital until Canberra assumed the role in 1927. Today, the city blends its rich history with modern urban life, offering residents and visitors a dynamic mix of culture, commerce, and heritage.