Melbourne, Australia
The City of Melbourne
Melbourne is a modern, multicultural city of approximately 3.5 million people and is a leading educational and cultural centre.
Named
‘the world's most liveable city’ in 2002, 2003, and 2004 by an
international study, it is an exciting and entertaining place in which
to live, offering:
- world-class universities, theatres, concert halls, festivals, and sporting venues
- a diverse and vibrant multicultural population with people from 140 nations, and 50,000 international students – more than any other Australian city
- a safe environment. In April 2000, Melbourne was the first Australian capital city to be accredited as a 'Safe Community' by the World Health Organization
- a vast range of restaurants and cafes offering cuisine from all parts of the world
- extensive retail shops and markets comparable with those in any major city around the world
- some of the world's most spectacular gardens and parklands. It is often referred to as the ‘Garden City’
- ocean beaches, ski resorts, and many national parks within relatively easy reach of the city
International
students can feel at home in multicultural Melbourne, as people from
throughout the Asia-Pacific, Europe and Africa have a visible presence
in the city and contribute significantly to its cultural heritage.
Melbourne's Chinatown is about 1.5 km from Trinity College and the
University of Melbourne.
Location
Australia is divided into six states – Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania; there are also two territories, the Australian Capital Territory (including Canberra) and the Northern Territory.
Melbourne is located in the state of Victoria at the south-eastern extremity of the Australian continent.
The
metropolitan area stretches from the beaches of Port Phillip Bay to the
beautiful Dandenong Ranges in the east, and to the rich agricultural
plains in the west.
Weather
Melbourne’s weather is temperate, and also changeable. Melbourne has four seasons:
Spring - September to November
Summer - December to February
Autumn - March to May
Winter - June to August
The
summer heat in Melbourne is dry rather than humid, with the maximum
temperature during the day ranging between 28 and 38 degrees Celsius.
During the winter, daily temperatures range from about 10 to 15 degrees
Celsius and can be wet and windy, but snow only falls in alpine areas.
The overnight temperatures, both in the winter and the summer, are
usually much cooler than day temperatures.
Public Transport
Travel around the city is easy with a public transport system that is safe and relatively inexpensive. Trains, trams and buses will take you to parks, shopping centres, cultural and sporting venues. Trinity College is particularly easy to reach by tram from the main railway station, city centre and local areas.
There are no student concessions for international students in Victoria.
Shopping
Food
Markets are the cheapest places to buy fruit, vegetables, dairy products, meat and fish. Most suburbs of Melbourne have their own local markets, so shopping is not only economical, but also convenient. The most famous and largest of the markets, the Queen Victoria Market, is located in the city centre, only blocks away from Trinity College. Markets have set days and times of operation, so it is important to check these before you go.
In addition to local markets, each district has its own shopping centre where food can be bought at neighbourhood businesses or the larger chain supermarkets, such as Safeway and Coles. Many of the larger supermarket chains are open 24 hours a day.
Most items are subject to a 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Clothing
The Queen Victoria Market is an excellent outlet for clothing at cheaper prices. There you will find warm winter jumpers and jackets, jeans, T-shirts, shoes, bags, underwear, socks, etc. The best day is Sunday with more than 1000 stalls selling everything you need in the way of clothing and household goods.
Clothes are also sold in department and variety stores, and range from very affordable to designer prices. Some of the larger department and variety stores are Target, K-Mart, Coles, Myer and David Jones. Whether you purchase clothing at a market or in a department store, you are certain to find exactly what you need at a price you can afford.
Regarded as the
fashion capital of Australia, Melbourne has a large number of small
fashion boutiques selling designer label clothes and accessories. These
can be found in the CBD, large suburban shopping centres like
Chadstone, and in various well-known areas such as Chapel Street and
Bridge Road. The range is enormous.
Furniture & Household Goods
There
are many shops selling different ranges of furniture and household
goods, both new and second hand. You can buy second hand furniture in
second hand stores in all suburbs.
Religious Organisations
There are many different religious organisations in Melbourne catering to all faiths.
The Student Services Office in Foundation Studies can assist overseas students in finding an appropriate place of worship.
There are also a number of people at Trinity College and the University of Melbourne to whom students can talk. These include:
- The Revd Dr Richard Treloar, Chaplain of Trinity College
- The Revd Kim Cruickshank, Chaplain to Trinity College Foundation Studies
- The Revd Peter French, Assistant Chaplain of Trinity College
- Sister Theresa Ryan, International Students' Chaplain at the University of Melbourne
- Mr Emad Abu-Aisheh, Islamic Religious Adviser at the University of Melbourne.
A number of services are held at the Trinity College Chapel throughout the week, as well as on Sundays.
'The Space', located at 715 Swanston Street, is a special area where
students of all faiths are encouraged to 'relax, reflect and remember'.
It is used by people of various faith traditions for prayer and
meditation, and offers appropriate daytime ablution and prayer
facilities for Muslim students.
A Prayer Room for Muslim students is also set aside at the University.