St. Patrick’s Cathedral is both one of Australia’s most impressive religious buildings and a leading example of Gothic Revival architecture. In 1974 the cathedral was honoured to be given the status of a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI. In 1848, the Augustinian friar James Goold was made Bishop of Melbourne and he sought lands for a Catholic cathedral in the city. After the Eastern Hill site was approved in 1851 William Wardell, one of Victoria’s best known architects at the time was chosen to design the church. Although grand plans for a Gothic Revival church were quickly put together, labor shortages due to the gold rush meant that construction did not begin until 1858.

The cathedral was finally consecrated in 1897 after the depression of the 1890s slowed down the final construction. Laid out on a Latin cross pattern, the cathedral is 103 meters long and is the tallest religious building in Australia. The Catholic congregation of Melbourne was at the time mainly made up of Irish immigrants so it was decided to honour the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick in naming the cathedral. The cathedral’s office hours are 9am to 5pm and volunteers will often guide you through St. Patrick’s.

Housed in what is widely regarded as one of the finest Gothic Revival 19th century buildings in Australia, the City Museum of Old Treasury is a great place to learn more about the history of the city of Melbourne. The building was completed in 1862 and used as one of the chief governmental buildings for 130 years and initially as a place to store much of Melbourne’s wealth from the gold rush. After completing its governmental role in 1992, the building was restored and opened as the City Museum of Old Treasury in 1994. Today there are several permanent exhibitions as well as temporary and visiting installations. One of the permanent exhibitions is Victorian Archival Treasures, where you can learn about Ned Kelly, gold miners of the 1850s, indigenous Victorians, famous criminals and the settlement of Melbourne. Built On Gold chronicles the gold rush period of 1852 – 1862 and the exhibition is housed in the building’s former gold vaults. Growing Up In Old Treasury is the story of the Maynard family who lived in the basement of the building in the 1920s when the father was superintendent. It is open from 9am to 4pm Sunday to Friday and it is closed on Saturdays.

Since 1855 the Parliament of Victoria has sat at Parliament House on Spring Street on the fringe of the Melbourne CBD. The only exception to this was the period immediately following federation, when the Australian Parliament used the building between 1901 and 1927. During the early federation period Victoria’s parliament met in the state’s Exhibition Hall. The Roman Revival building began construction in 1855 and was completed in stages until 1929. The chambers for the Victorian Lower and Upper Houses were completed in 1856, followed by the library in 1860 and the Queen’s Hall in 1879. In the 1880s with the state coffers filled with gold rush money, the portico and colonnades were added to the front of the edifice.

The Parliament House of Victoria has played witness to many historical events in the Australian political landscape. One of the most notable was the formation of the Australian Labor Party and later, the split in the Labor Party over World War I conscription in 1916. There are guided tours of the building when parliament is not in session. The tours take place hourly from 9:30am and the last tour is at 3:45pm from Monday to Friday. When the parliament is in session, you can visit the public gallery.

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is located in Federation Square in Melbourne’s CBD. The centre, which is set out on four floors, is dedicated to promoting and preserving both Victorian and Australian moving image in all forms. There are two large cinemas within the centre that run exciting and innovative monthly programs that feature the very best of local and international films for all ages. Throughout the year ACMI also takes part in several film festivals including: the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Melbourne International Animation Festival and many others. The ongoing “Focus On” series focuses on a specific actor, genre or director.

As well as a constant stream of fascinating installations and exhibitions, there are many talks and workshops that are provided. Some workshops are directed at children and others at students or adults looking to perfect their movie making skills. The permanent exhibition, Screen Worlds invites visitors to consider the role that moving image plays in our lives and how this role has changed over more than 100 years, especially today in the Digital Age. ACMI is open every day from 10am to 6pm except for Christmas Day and Good Friday. Some installations charge an entry fee.

St. Paul’s Cathedral is the cathedral of the Anglican diocese of Melbourne and Victoria. Located just opposite Flinders Street Station, the cathedral is one of the landmarks that dominates Melbourne’s CBD. The location of the cathedral also has historical significance as it was the site of the first Christian service to be held in the newly founded Melbourne in 1835. Thereafter the site became a corn market until the lands were acquired to build the cathedral in 1848. Designed in the Gothic transition style by well known English architect William Butterfield, the foundation stone was not laid down until 1880. St. Paul’s was finally consecrated in 1891 and spires were added to the original design by John Barr in the 1920s.

A T.C Lewis organ was brought from England for the cathedral and it is considered to be one of the finest surviving examples of the well known 19th century organ makers. Bells donated by Thomas Dyer Edwardes are rung every Wednesday and Friday evening along with Sunday mornings and it is one of the only opportunities to hear 13 bell changes outside of England where the practice developed in the 17th century. There are many different services held throughout the week at St. Paul’s and it is open to visitors for most of the week.

Flinders Street Station is one of Melbourne’s most recognized landmarks located on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Street in the CBD. The first train station on the Flinders Street site was established in 1854, but the building that you see today dates from 1905. The design of the station was chosen from entries in an architectural competition held in 1902. One of the main features of the building is the dome, which began construction in 1906 and the station was officially opened in 1910, two years after the projected date. Within the station the 708 meter main train platform is the fourth longest in the world.

These days, the station itself is the busiest in the southern hemisphere with more than 100,000 commuters passing through it each day. It is also one of the city’s key meeting points, with local Melburnians meeting each other “under the clocks” at the building’s entrance. The 13 different clocks show the train times, but these days they are operated by computer. There are rumors that the plans for the Flinders Street Station and the Bombay Rail Station were mixed up at the architectural offices in London, but there is no concrete evidence to support the idea.

The Eureka Skydeck 88 is located in Eureka Tower on Melbourne’s Southbank. When it was built in 2002 it was the world’s tallest residential building, but now occupies 6th place. At the Eureka Skydeck 88 you have the chance to take in the very best views of Melbourne. It is the southern hemisphere’s highest viewing platform and offers 360 degree views of the city and out to the Dandenong Mountain Range. If you are feeling daring, The Edge experience is the only one of its kind in the world. It is a glass viewing cube that juts out three meters from the rest of the building with you suspended 300 meters above the ground.

Out on The Terrace, you step out onto an enclosed space that is still open to the elements. There are often bracing winds on The Terrace and you can look through the high powered binoculars without the reflection from glass interrupting your views. Part of the Eureka Skydeck 88 experience is getting there in the fastest lifts in the southern hemisphere – it only takes 38 seconds to get to the 88th floor. The skydeck is open from 10am to 10pm every day, with last entry at 9:30pm.

The National Gallery of Victoria was established in 1861, making it Australia’s longest running public gallery. When it was opened, the Victorian Gold Rush was in full swing and the colony was awash with money, this led to many large bequests and donations to the gallery. Today, it has more than 65,000 pieces in its permanent collection, among which are pieces by international artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Tintoretto, Bernini, Uccello and Veronese. The gallery is also intimately connected to the Australian impressionist movement of the 19th century, known as the Hiedelberg School and has some very famous pieces by Frederick McCubbin. As well as its impressive permanent collection, there is always a full program of visiting exhibitions planned too. Past installations have included Dutch Masters, Caravaggio, Dali and Picasso. One of Picasso’s pieces was famously stolen from the gallery in 1986 in protest against poor arts funding – it was later found in a railway locker. As well as visiting to appreciate the art on the walls, there are always classes and workshops on for adults and children and guide tours and talks help to develop your artistic appreciation and understand more about the creation of the pieces you see before you.

Government House is one of Melbourne’s most stunning buildings and is the official residence of Victoria’s Governor. It was also home to Australia’s Governor-General, following federation, from 1901 to 1930. The house is located next to the Royal Botanic Gardens on land that was set aside by Charles La Trobe in 1841 and in 1870 the decision was made to finally construct a purpose built Victorian Government House there. It is the largest government house anywhere in the former British Empire. The flamboyant style of the building reflects the immense wealth of the state at that time as a direct result of the gold rush.

Generally Government House is generally closed to the public as it is in use for state events and as the Governor’s private residence. However, tours may be available on Mondays and Wednesdays if you make an advance booking. The ballroom is said to be the largest in the southern hemisphere and within the British Empire. Every Australia Day it is opened up to visitors including many private apartments. Paying a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens and wandering up to Government House to see its lovely Italianate exterior at close range is highly recommended.

The Shrine of Rememberance at the King’s Domain in Melbourne was built following World War I as a constant reminder of all those Australians who fought and perished in the “Great War”. During WWI around 119,000 Victorians enlisted to defend king and country. Of the 89,000 who served abroad, around 19,000 were killed and buried in distant graves. The Shrine of Remembrance was built as a physical reminder and memorial to a grieving state and nation. Following several years of debate and contention over the design and form of the memorial, the foundation stone was laid on 11 November, 1927. The shrine was officially dedicated on Remembrance Day, 1934 by the Duke of Gloucester before a crowd of around 300,000.

Following World War II a forecourt was added and this was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Australia in 1954. The façade of the shrine is inspired by the Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus and the Parthenon in Athens. Inside the shrine the Stone of Remembrance is sunken so that visitors must bow their heads in order to read the inscription. In the Crypt there is a bronze statue of a father and son to represent the two generations that fought in the World War I and II.