Did you know that Melbourne was once the richest city in the world? The buildings that were built during that period added to the city’s allure and we were named ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ in 1885. Luckily, we’ve kept a bunch of these grand buildings to see today on our historical tours.
The Significance of Melbourne's History
Born of a village of pioneering settlers, the rectangular grid of streets that was laid out in 1837 forms a convenient and simple way to navigate the city, even today. Everything changed when gold was struck in 1851. Melbourne was the closest port to the central Victorian gold diggings and people flooded in from all around the world to strike it rich. The city evolved into a wealthy and cosmopolitan mix of people - a little bit like today! There are wonderful photos on walls throughout the city showing what the place looked like in the late 1800’s.
Elizabeth Street Melbourne 1900 | Image Credit: Wikicommons
Unearthing Melbourne's Historical Gems
One of the things we hear so often on our historical tours of Mebourne is that so many styles of architecture are mixed together in this city. There are excellent examples of buildings and design from art deco (such as the Manchester Unity Building) to postmodern (such as Federation Square). You’ll learn about all of these on tour with us as we see how they fit into the living fabric of the city.
Federation Square
Why Historical Tours Offer a Deeper Understanding of Melbourne
Our guides know the stories behind the buildings, whether it’s the life story of the original builder, why people loved it when it opened or who owns it and keeps it nice today. You can ask them questions and share their infectious passion for the stories. One of the most common things we hear on tour is, ‘we’ve walked around Melbourne for a couple of days, but your tour has really brought the city and its history to life!’.
FAQs
What Can I Expect From Historical Tours Melbourne?
A. You can expect to meet your friendly local guide and a small group of others - perhaps with similar interests. You’ll wander through the laneways of Melbourne where the guide will highlight their favorite spots. They may be explaining where particularly noteworthy buildings came from or perhaps they will stop at less obvious locations to take your imagination back to another time when something amazing happened on that corner.
How Do I Choose the Best Historical Tour in Melbourne?
Book with a company with experience and good reviews when choosing your historical tour of Melbourne.
Are There Any Themed Historical Tours Melbourne Offers?
All our tours include loads of historical stories about the buildings that you visit and the food you eat along the way. Whether it be our Coffee Lovers Walk that talks about how Melbourne has become obsessed with coffee. Did you know that Melburnians drank coffee for 120 years before espresso machines even arrived? Or that it was an extremely political drink in the 1880’s? Maybe you prefer our Dumpling Discovery Walk which examines the experience of the original Chinese migrants to Melbourne. Of course, our Foodie Discovery Walk covers it all and lots more.
What Should I Bring to Historical Tours Melbourne for the Best Experience?
You don’t need to bring anything except protection from the weather (umbrella, sunscreen and anything else useful for what Melbourne throws at you), a bottle of water and your enthusiasm!
As a guest of ours recently mentioned in their 5-star review: “If you love history and coffee this is a must do!”
You can book any of our tasty historical tours of Melbourne at by clicking on the button below.