Melbourne central business district

Melbourne CBD
Melbourne, Victoria
Melbourne CBD; Melbourne, Victoria
	CBD of Melbourne as viewed from Eureka Tower, June 2012
	Melbourne CBD
Coordinates	37°48′50″S 144°57′47″E / 37.814°S 144.963°E
Population	54,941 (2021 census)
• Density	8,450/km2 (21,890/sq mi)
Established	1835
Postcode(s)	3000, 3001, 3004; 8001 (PO Box)
Elevation	30 m (98 ft)
Area	6.5 km2 (2.5 sq mi)
LGA(s)	City of Melbourne; City of Port Phillip;
County	Bourke
State electorate(s)	Albert Park; Melbourne; Prahran;
Federal division(s)	Macnamara; Melbourne;
	Suburbs around Melbourne CBD:

The Melbourne central business district (also known colloquially as simply "the City" or "the CBD"^[4]) is the city centre and main urban area of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, centred on the Hoddle Grid, the oldest part of the city laid out in 1837, and includes its fringes. The Melbourne CBD is located mostly in the local government area of the City of Melbourne, which also includes some of inner suburbs adjoining the CBD, while a small section extends into the City of Port Phillip.

The contemporary locality of Melbourne includes within its boundaries the Hoddle Grid plus the area of parallel streets just to the north up to Victoria Street including the Queen Victoria Market, but not the Flagstaff Gardens, and the area between Flinders Street and the Yarra River. It includes the grand boulevardes of St Kilda Road, Royal Parade and Victoria Street marking the entrance to Victoria Parade as well as extensive gardens including the Melbourne Botanical Gardens and Jolimont Yard.

The Central City is the core of Greater Melbourne's metropolitan area, and is a major financial centre in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. It is home to Melbourne's famed alleyways and arcades and is renowned for its distinct blend of contemporary and Victorian architecture.^[5] In recent times, it has been placed alongside New York City and Berlin as one of the world's great street art meccas, and designated a "City of Literature" by UNESCO in its Creative Cities Network.^[6]

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Melbourne (Suburbs and Localities)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
^ "Geographic coordinates of Melbourne. Latitude, longitude, and elevation above sea level of Melbourne, Australia". dateandtime.info.
^ "2021 Australian Census SAL21640 Community Profile". Retrieved 11 January 2023.
^ Richards, Tim. "It's rooted: Aussie terms that foreigners just won't get". Traveller. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
^ Diamonstein, Barbaralee (9 August 1987), "Victorian Scenes on a Melbourne Walk", New York Times, retrieved: 5 August 2011
^ "Melbourne, Australia: City of Literature Archived 4 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine", Creative Cities Network, UNESCO, retrieved: 10 August 2011

[abs21-1] Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Melbourne (Suburbs and Localities)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 29 September 2022.

[2] "Geographic coordinates of Melbourne. Latitude, longitude, and elevation above sea level of Melbourne, Australia". dateandtime.info.

[3] "2021 Australian Census SAL21640 Community Profile". Retrieved 11 January 2023.

[4] Richards, Tim. "It's rooted: Aussie terms that foreigners just won't get". Traveller. Retrieved 11 January 2017.

[5] Diamonstein, Barbaralee (9 August 1987), "Victorian Scenes on a Melbourne Walk", New York Times, retrieved: 5 August 2011

[portal.unesco.org-6] "Melbourne, Australia: City of Literature Archived 4 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine", Creative Cities Network, UNESCO, retrieved: 10 August 2011

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