For Our Visitors

Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, was first settled by Europeans in 1835 and developed extensively following the discovery of gold in Victoria in 1848. It now has a population of 3.3 million people.

In geographical terms, Victoria is the second smallest state but has the second largest population of the Australian states. Australia is a parliamentary democracy and is stable politically and economically. In international terms, Melbourne was termed "the worlds most livable city - healthier, cleaner and safer than any other big city in the world" by Population Crisis Centre, Washington, 1997, and was voted 5th best city in the world by US Travel and Leisure Magazine in 1998 and later deemed to be the world's 2nd best value destination by the same magazine in 1999.

The Australian dollar ($AUD) is the local currency, which is currently (August 2000) trading at slightly below 60US cents, thus giving cost benefits to overseas travellers. All major credit cards are accepted and there are several 24 hour automatic teller machines on campus.

In terms of climate, Melbourne has a warm summer season between December and February. In this period, the average maximum temperature is 25° C (77° F) and an average minimum temperature of 15° C (57° F).

Useful Links

Currency conversion - http://au.finance.yahoo.com/
Qantas Airlines - http://www.qantas.com.au/
Ansett Airlines - http://www.ansett.com.au/
Tourist Refunds - http://www.customs.gov.au/taxref/overseas.htm
Visas - http://www.immi.gov.au/eta
Information on Australia - http://www.australia.com/