A short version of the history of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Before 1835
The first people to live around the area which is now Melbourne were the Aboriginal people. There were five different groups which belonged to the Kulin Nation. They were hunter-gatherers.
John Batman and a group of businessmen bought 243,000 ha of land from the local Aborigines for some trinkets (just like Peter Menhuit bought Manhattan from the Indians).
DID YOU KNOW?
John Batman thought he was buying the land from the Aborigines. The Aborigines thought they were only granting him the right to pass through their land. This purchase was later declared illegal by the government.
The new settlement was named Melbourne (after the British Prime Minister at the time: Lord Melbourne).
The rectangular street grids were laid out.
DID YOU KNOW
Before being officially named, the town had several interim names - including Batmania, Bearbrass, Bareport, Bareheep, Barehurp and Bareberp (in June 1835).
Some of these names were probably derived from the Aboriginal name for the area which was Berren or Bararing.
The first public building, the customs house, was started. You can see it in the centre of this painting from 1848. (It is still there at the corner of Flinder's Street and Williams Street)
1842
Melbourne was created a town. It had a population of about 10, 000 people.
During the gold rush it was the fastest growing city in the British Empire. With the discovery of gold came great wealth . Many fine buildings and houses were built at this time.
By 1881 the boom was over and a devastating depression started. Many businesses closed down.
The opening of the first session of the Commonwealth Parliament was held in the Exhibition Building.
DID YOU KNOW
The Exhibition Building was built in 1879 . The dome was higher than St Paul's Cathedral in London. The first international exhibition was held in 1880.
The population of Melbourne reaches half a million.
A short version of the history of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Before 1835
The first people to live around the area which is now Melbourne were the Aboriginal people. There were five different groups which belonged to the Kulin Nation. They were hunter-gatherers.
John Batman and a group of businessmen bought 243,000 ha of land from the local Aborigines for some trinkets (just like Peter Menhuit bought Manhattan from the Indians).
DID YOU KNOW?
John Batman thought he was buying the land from the Aborigines. The Aborigines thought they were only granting him the right to pass through their land. This purchase was later declared illegal by the government.
The new settlement was named Melbourne (after the British Prime Minister at the time: Lord Melbourne).
The rectangular street grids were laid out.
DID YOU KNOW
Before being officially named, the town had several interim names - including Batmania, Bearbrass, Bareport, Bareheep, Barehurp and Bareberp (in June 1835).
Some of these names were probably derived from the Aboriginal name for the area which was Berren or Bararing.
The first public building, the customs house, was started. You can see it in the centre of this painting from 1848. (It is still there at the corner of Flinder's Street and Williams Street)
1842
Melbourne was created a town. It had a population of about 10, 000 people.
During the gold rush it was the fastest growing city in the British Empire. With the discovery of gold came great wealth . Many fine buildings and houses were built at this time.
By 1881 the boom was over and a devastating depression started. Many businesses closed down.
The opening of the first session of the Commonwealth Parliament was held in the Exhibition Building.
DID YOU KNOW
The Exhibition Building was built in 1879 . The dome was higher than St Paul's Cathedral in London. The first international exhibition was held in 1880.
The population of Melbourne reaches half a million.