Federation Square and Flinder’s St Station – Melbourne’s Meeting Places

Federation Square (Fed square) is a public civic center, a cultural precinct, and favourite meeting place in Melbourne’s CBD. It is a complex of buildings and open areas. There are a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants, as well as art galleries. The Melbourne Visitor Centre is part of the square; it is located underground and is a recommended first stop if you are planning to explore the city’s attractions. The Ian Potter Centre is located in the Atrium; the Centre houses the Australian part of the art collection of the National Gallery of Victoria. Also part of the complex is the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) which has two cinemas.  The BMW Edge amphitheatre is designed to have views of the Yarra River and the spire of the Arts Centre across. In this open area is a large public screen that is used to broadcast major events. We were in Melbourne at the time of the Australian Tennis Open and the week of Australia Day. The square was always filled with people watching the tennis games; however, the games were pre-empted by Australia Day’s programs and celebrations.

Across from Federation Square is Flinder’s St Station, the bustling hub of city and suburban rail travel. It’s another favourite meeting place; when Melburnians say “I’ll meet you under the clocks” they refer to the rows of clocks above the main entrance. These clocks indicate the departure time of the next train on each line. Or they can say “I’ll meet you on the steps”, this refers to the wide staircase leading into the main entrance. Lots of people seating on these steps is a common sight. My high school classmate and I arranged to meet under the clocks on Australia Day; she was coming from work (on a holiday!) outside of the CBD. That was day 2 of our reunion after not having seen each other for almost 32 years (since my wedding day)! Lots of catching up to do!

You can learn more about Federation Square and Flinders St station at these websites

http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/vicsightseeing/a/fedsquare1.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation Square

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flinders_Street_Station

http://www.ripefruit.com/melbourne/sights/flinders_street_station.htm

Queen Victoria Market, Suzuki Night Market

Queen Victoria Market is Stop #8 when you go on the free Melbourne Tourist Shuttle. I was on board the bus and the driver was making additional commentary about the market as we approached it. The market is a historic landmark and a leading tourist destination; it is said to be the southern hemisphere’s largest open-air market. However, it was Wednesday and the market was closed. 

(Note: The market is closed on Monday and Wednesday and on special days like Good Friday, Anzac Day, Melbourne Cup Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Trading hours are 6 am to 2 pm on Tuesday and Thursday;  6 am to 5 pm on Friday (except the general merchandise section which closes at 4 pm); 6 am to 3 pm on Saturday; and 9 am to 4 pm on Sunday)

Then the bus driver said something that caught my attention; there was going to be a night market (called the Suzuki Night Market) and being Australia Day (January 26), there were surely going to be added attractions. So that night my hubby and I took the tram heading north along Elizabeth St; the market was within walking distance from the stop.

The night market was such a great experience! There were so many people, and such a variety of food, merchandise, services and live entertainment! There was this food stall offering a sampler consisting of emu, croc and roo! Of course I could not resist their teaser “Are you game?” and ordered a plate. I had previously tasted crocodile in a burrito (in Manly) but the emu and roo were a novelty. I liked the roo best! There was also a stall offering temporary tattoes and so I got a dragonfly painted on the nape of my neck!

The 2010/2011 Suzuki Night Market Season ended on March 2. You can view a video on the Suzuki Night Market here http://www.qvm.com.au/snm/videos.aspx

The next day my hubby and I were on board the tourist shuttle again and got off at Stop #8. That morning the place was just buzzing! It seemed that everything was sold at the market; it reminded me somewhat of Paddy’s Market in Sydney but on a much grander scale and it was very organized too! The Market is divided into a number of market precincts: the Deli Hall, Elizabeth Street Shops, F shed laneway, Vic Market Place Food Court, Fruit and Vegetables, The Meat Hall, Organics, General Merchandise, Victoria Street Shops and the Wine Market.

The market was just pulsating with life! In the fruits and vegetables section particularly, the vendors were very lively, cajoling visitors into buying their produce. And of course there was haggling! As closing time drew nearer, activity seemed to peak and sellers were almost screaming to advertise the reduced prices of their goods!

Melbourne’s Buildings

As I took to Melbourne’s streets, one thing I noticed right away was the mix of old and new buildings. Beautiful, intricate and majestic old buildings (like the Parliament House, the Library, Flinders St Station, the Royal Exhibition Building and other heritage buildings and the numerous churches) are found alongside sleek, modern architectural designs (like the Eureka Tower, Rialto Tower and the building at Federation Square). I found the contrast very interesting and I would guess that students of architecture and design would learn a lot on walking tours. To add to the feel of old and new coming together, one can see trams, cars, buses, horse-drawn carriages and bicycles side by side on Melbourne’s streets.

Even shopping malls are architectural wonders. The Melbourne Central complex is very interesting. It includes a shopping center, a railway station and a tower. It used to be just the tower which was built between 1889 and1890. When the tower ceased to be used, rather than tear it down, they built around it and the tower became the focal point of the center.  The tower (which is now a museum) is contained under a glass cone (said to be the largest glass structure of its type in the world.

The Block Arcade is a heritage shopping arcade. It was built between 1891 and 1893 and is an example of the Victorian Mannerist style. It’s  interior is exquisitely decorated with mosaic tiled flooring, wrought iron and carved stone finishings and a glass canopy. The mall was closed off to accommodate Oprah and her guests when she visited Melbourne in December 2010.

Getting around Melbourne

Aside from walking, there are two great ways to see the sights in Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD) for free.  You can either take the charming, maroon-colored (usually) City Circle Tram or the City Tourist Shuttle.  The City Circle trams (Tram 35) go in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction within the CBD; it passes major tourist attractions. The trams run daily (except Christmas Day and Good Friday) approximately every 12 minutes starting at 10 am until 6 pm from Sunday to Wednesday; hours are extended on Thursday to Friday (10 am to 9 pm). There are tram stops along the following streets: Flinders St, Harbour Esplanade, Docklands drive, La Trobe St, Victoria St, Nicholson St, and Spring St.

Route map: http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/assets/PDFs/maps/MapCityCircle.pdf

The free Tourist Shuttle has a wider route around the CBD but only goes in an anti-clockwise direction. The buses operate daily (excluding Christmas Day) from 9:30 am until 4:30 pm and run every 30 minutes. On Labour Day and Anzac Day, the service operates every 30 minutes between 1 pm and 4:30 pm. There are 13 stops along the route and the complete trip takes approximately 1.5 hours. The key city destinations are:

Stop 1 – Arts Precinct

Stop 2 – Federation Square

Stop 3 – Sports Precinct

Stop 4 – Chinatown Precinct

Stop 5 – Melbourne Museum and Carlton Gardens

Stop 6 – Lygon Street Precinct

Stop 7 – University of Melbourne

Stop 8 – Queen Victoria Market

Stop 9 – Waterfront City, Docklands

Stop 10 – Docklands Stadium and Victoria Harbour

Stop 11 – William Street

Stop 12 – Southbank and Yarra River

Stop 13 – The Shrine and Royal Botanic Gardens

Shuttle route map - http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/Documents/General/Tourist-shuttle.pdf

There is an informative on-board pre-taped commentary with additional information from the bus driver as you travel around Melbourne. You may choose to hop off at any of these stops, spend time exploring the place, then hop on the next shuttle bus.

Of course there are other means of getting around for a fee. Melbourne’s trams are very efficient and cover a lot of areas even outside of the CBD. And if you are up to it, there are bikes that can be rented. There are also horse-drawn carriages that many tourists find irresistible.