Melbourne ( / ˈ m ɛ l b ər n / ( listen ) MEL -bərn ; [note 1] Boonwurrung / Woiwurrung : Narrm or Naarm [9] [10] ) is the capital of the Australian state of Victoria , and the second-most populous city in Australia [11] (although the most populous in its contiguous urban area ). Its name generally refers to a 9,993 km 2 (3,858 sq mi) metropolitan area known as Greater Melbourne, [12] comprising an urban agglomeration of 31 local municipalities , [13] although the name is also used specifically for the lo
The area of Melbourne has been home to Aboriginal Victorians for over 40,000 years and serves as an important meeting place for local Kulin nation clans. [16] [17] Of the five peoples of the Kulin nation , the traditional custodians of the land encompassing Melbourne are the Boonwurrung , Wathaurong and the Wurundjeri peoples. A short-lived penal settlement was built at Port Phillip, then part of the British colony of New South Wales , in 1803, but it was not until 1835, with the arrival of free settlers fr
Melbourne is home to many of Australia's best-known landmarks , such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground , the National Gallery of Victoria and the World Heritage -listed Royal Exhibition Building . Noted for its cultural heritage , the city gave rise to Australian rules football , Australian impressionism and Australian cinema , and has more recently been recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature and a global centre for street art , live music and theatre. It hosts major annual international events, such as th