No matter where you come from, there’ll doubtless be many things about the city you call home that defines it. Over the next few weeks ManSpace will be travelling around the country to check out the top ten things that make each of our capital cities special. This week it’s our personal favorite: Melbourne.
10. Boxing Day Test
It’s not summer in Melbourne without the Boxing Day Test. The mighty Australian cricket team takes on one of their rivals and every four years it’s the English for the Ashes – who of course, bring the Barmy Army to add to the crazy!
People flock to the MCG, some still the worse for wear for Christmas excesses and some ready to add to those excesses.
It’s all things that are great about cricket in Victoria – watermelon hats, a screaming crowd, and one very happy Bill Lawry!
9. The 1956 Olympics
Melbourne pulled out all the stops for what was the first Olympics in the Southern Hemisphere. It was a great Olympics for Aussie sports women with Dawn Frazer taking gold in the 100 metre freestyle, Betty Cuthbert in the 100m and 200m sprints and Shirley Strickland in the 80m hurdles.
The governor of Victoria Dallas Brooks said: “We say whatever the sport and whomever the contestants, may the best man or woman win.”
8. Federation Square
The demolition of the much hated Gas and Fuel buildings to make way for Federation Square was a cause for celebration for all Melbournians. Little did they know that they were to be replaced with what has been voted as one of the world’s ugliest structures!
But no matter what you think about the appearance of its buildings, Fed Square has become an iconic, much loved addition to the Melbourne landscape. A place to meet, watch sporting events and celebrate New Year’s Eve.
7. Street Art
Melbourne is world renowned for its street art. In the 70s and 80s young Melbournians were influenced by New York’s graffiti artists and the inner city soon became covered with the stuff.
Of course graffiti culture isn’t appreciated by all facets of society, but Melbourne’s affinity for it has been credited with a decrease in artless ‘tagging’ as many street artists feel a sense of community ownership and take credit for their work.
6. Trams
Melbourne loves its trams, and as the only Australian city with a substantial tram network in operation, of course trams had to make the list of Melbourne icons. Whether a tram taking you to the footy or out for a night on the town, there’s something about sitting in traffic with a hundred or so strangers that makes the Melbournian inside all of us say, “yep, I’m home!”
5. Melbourne Cup
It’s ‘the race that stops the nation.’ While the other states don’t have the day off work, it’s a public holiday in Victoria and rightly so. As Australia’s major horse race, it brings massive crowds every year and has done since its inception in 1861.
4. Gold!
Who knows how different Melbourne town would be today if it wasn’t for the gold rush. It certainly wouldn’t have been the boom town it was without the old yeller. In 1851 or there about the first discovery of gold was made and people flocked from near and far to get a piece of the action. The gold rush transformed Melbourne and set it up as Australia’s premier city for several decades.
Image goldrushnashhash.com.au
3. AFL Grand Final
Every year on either the last Saturday of September or the first of October, the MCG fills with punters looking to cheer on the next premiership champs. Pubs fill up all across the city and the air is thick with the sound of a thousand celebratory car horns.
It is arguably Australia’s most important sporting event and consistently draws the largest audience and public interest. Get amongst it!
2. Laneways
Anyone who’s been to Melbourne, knows the laneways – and has probably been lost in them. Nearly everyone who’s lived in Melbourne has a story of an amazing bar/store/cafe that they found in a laneway once and have never been able to find again.
For 150 years, though, laneways weren’t great. They were rubbish tips, public urinals, and centres for clandestine activity. In the 1990s, this all changed as rents became cheaper and liquor licensing loosened up.
Slowly but surely, Melbourne’s laneway culture started to take off as more bars, clubs and cafes were set up along the alleys that thread through the city.
1. ManSpace is born
We’re not being biased at all with this one! Back in March 2011 something happened that fundamentally and irrevocably changed the Melbourne cultural landscape forever – ManSpace magazine was born!
