Melbourne, the so called cultural capital of Australia has a fascinating history, one of rise and fall and rise. The parochial Sydney/Melbourne rivalry which seems to only really exist in the minds of Melburnians once upon a time may have been the other way around.
Melbourne in the early part of the 20th century due to the Gold rush in the late 1800's was awash with money, people and prestige. In fact it was one of the most wealthy cities in the known world. From Federation til 1927 Melbourne was Australia's capital city whilst Canberra was being built.
Initially though when John Batman came to the site and proclaimed "this will be the place for a village" he was looking at a swamp at the mouth of the river Yarra at the apex of a large bay. Indeed the Wurundgeri word for the place was 'Doutta-Galla" or 'treeless plain'. Hardly the most inspiring of places...
In more recent times as Sydney's population increased Melbourne fell a
bit to the wayside, the 1956 Olympics being its last hurrah in terms of
worldwide fame. It has only been in the post-Kennett era that Victoria
and Melbourne have begun reaping the benefits of infrastructure
investment which has helped in the expansion of the city. But even that
now is beginning to strain as the relatively cheap housing and rental
prices have pushed Melbourne's boundaries and resources to the limit.
Even its much vaunted public transport system is imploding under the
population strain in growth corridors like the inner north and west.
Perhaps the most influential event to happen to the urban structure of Melbourne (in my humble opinion) was the
Hoddle Grid. Here it was that the city really got a distinct character. Indeed the grid structure in the city has had a massive impact upon its development and still to this day affects the way that people interact and flow through the CBD.
When you walk in the CBD you always have a sense of what is behind you and what is in front of you, the layout makes sense. If you know where the Yarra is then you can remember the names of the streets by heart and suddenly there is a map in your mind that you can call upon instinctively.
To say that this makes the CBD a known quantity, thus making it dull and predictable is not true. Because built between the major streets in the Hoddle Grid are old service laneways to get into the back of restaurants and retail shops. These laneways have become the arteries in the heart of Melbourne. And you just don't know what you will get - it could be a really shit Chinese restaurant or an amazing bar that no-one has heard of and that you may not ever go to again. Where other cities wear their icons on their sleeves Melbourne grows in the cracks in between things. It sometimes isn't pretty and is sometimes grimy, but it bubbles from underneath, much like the swamp it is built on.
So here we are, Wayfarer using the city of Melbourne as its venue. Bringing all its history, connotations and mood to influence regular people as they make their way around the place seeing it new for the first time again.
Whether you are in Melbourne or you are from elsewhere you can now sign up to comment on the game as it unfolds over the next few weeks. Sign up as a 'citizen' if this is your choice.
www.wayfarer.net.au