Business Travellers’ Guide
Where to eat, stay and play in multicultural Melbourne
FORTUNE-seekers have flocked to Melbourne since the 1850s gold rush that transformed Victoria’s capital from a sleepy backwater to a thriving metropolis. Today, the city of 4.4 million is a bustling business hub anchored by the world’s largest mining company, BHP Billiton, telecommunications giant Telstra and two of the nation’s biggest banks. It’s also Australia’s No.1 conference destination, pulling in $10 billion of events a year. An expanded convention and exhibition centre is due to open in 2018.
The country’s fastest-growing city is proud of its much-hyped “livability”. For out-of-towners, the most obvious benefits are its easy-to-navigate grid layout, expansive parks and gardens, decent public transport network and buoyant cultural and culinary scenes. It’s a true melting pot of cultures, as evidenced by the staggering choice and quality of world cuisines: Italian, Vietnamese, Chinese and Greek chief among them.
Melbourne is social to its core and maintains a busy events calendar, much of it tailored to corporate entertaining. Annual highlights are the Australian Open tennis tournament in January, the Formula One Australian Grand Prix in March, international comedy and film festivals, the Australian Football League season and the high-stakes Melbourne Cup Carnival in November, when celebrities of the human and horse worlds converge at Flemington Racecourse. Still seeking their fortunes after all these years.