Melbourne ( , in Australia [[Australian English phonology|1]] or locally ) is the more common name for the geographic region and statistical division of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second most populous city in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.9 million (2008 estimate) and serves as the state capital of Victoria. Melbourne is located on the lower reaches of the Yarra River and on the northern and eastern shorelines of Port Phillip and their hinterland.

A tiny pastoral town established by settlers from Van Diemen's Land around the estuary of the Yarra (47 years after the first European settlement of Australia) was rapidly transformed into a wealthy metropolis by the Victorian gold rush and immigration. By 1865, Melbourne had become Australia's largest and most important city, and by the 1880s "Marvellous Melbourne" was one of the largest and richest cities in the world.

Many major international and national conferences and events have been held in Melbourne, including the 1956 Summer Olympics, 1981 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting the World Economic Forum in 2000, 2006 Commonwealth Games and the G20 summit.

Melbourne is a major centre of commerce, education, tourism, the arts and cultural activities, and also industry. It is consistently ranked as one the World's Most Livable Cities. In 2008 and 2009, it was ranked 2nd in The Economist's World's Most Livable Cities list and 18th in Mercer's Quality of Living Survey respectively. The city is recognised as Australia's 'sporting and cultural capital' and it is home to many of the nation's most significant cultural and sporting events and institutions. It has been recognised as a gamma world city by the Loughborough University group's 1999 inventory. Melbourne is notable for its mix of Victorian and contemporary architecture, its extensive tram network and Victorian parks and gardens, as well as its diverse, multicultural society.

History

main: History of Melbourne

Early history and foundation

Melbourne Landing, 1840; watercolour by W. Liardet (1840) Before the arrival of European settlers, the area was occupied for an estimated 31,000 to 40,000 years by under 20,000 hunter-gatherers from three indigenous regional tribes: the Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung and Wathaurong. The area was an important meeting place for clans and territories of the Kulin nation alliance as well as a vital source of food and water.Isabel Ellender and Peter Christiansen, People of the Merri Merri. The Wurundjeri in Colonial Days, Merri Creek Management Committee, 2001 ISBN 0-9577728-0-7 The first European settlement in Victoria was established in 1803 on Sullivan Bay, near present-day Sorrento, but this settlement was abandoned due to a perceived lack of resources. It would be 30 years before another settlement was attempted.