The story of Melbourne is unique in Australian history. Where the British founded other cities to ward off French interest in the country or to accommodate convicts (deported criminals), the capital of the state of Victoria was established through private enterprise.

The British government made two short-lived attempts to settle the two natural harbours in the Melbourne area — Port Phillip in 1803 and Western Port in 1826. At the time of the latter, the government denied entrepreneur John Batman (no relation to the super hero!) permission to establish a second colony at Western Port.

Eight years later, Batman defied official orders, bought land at Port Phillip from local Aborigines, the Kulin people, and founded a town on the nearby Yarra River.

Melbourne prospered from the start — unlike other Australian colonies, it had a public library and horseracing track before needing a jail. In fact, it was 1839 before a jail was built, coincidentally the same year a British government representative arrived, a move apparently sanctioning the settlement.

The discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851 sparked a rush for overnight riches. As the state’s main port, Melbourne swelled fourfold and became Australia’s chief financial centre.

Riches of the cultural kind were developed after World War II when Melbourne welcomed European migrants — it now boasts the largest Italian-speaking population outside Italy and the third-largest Greek-speaking population outside Greece!

Contemporary Melbourne may be Australia’s second largest city, but it’s also the most sophisticated — a hub of chic eateries, and renowned designers, artists and style leaders.