Useful Information

History

Settled by Europeans in 1835, Melbourne was first home to the Indigenous population (known locally as Kooris) for as long as 50,000 years prior. A major goldrush attracted worldwide attention in 1848 and a boom ensued, which lasted nearly 40 years. It also gave the city its magnificent public architecture, gracious parks and opulent mansions. Established as the commercial headquarters and seat of government, Melbourne was the birthplace of Australian federation.

Population

Melbourne	approx. 3.6 million
Victoria	approx. 4.5 million

Time Zone

Australian Eastern Standard Time is GMT plus 10 hours.

Daylight Savings - Sunday 5th October 2008 to Sunday 5th April 2009.

Daylight Hours

Winter	9 hours, 32 minutes (June 21)
Summer	14 hours, 47 minutes (December 22)

Climate

Melbourne's climate is temperate and variable with no great extremes and one of the lowest rainfall levels in Australia.

www.bom.gov.au

Taxes

A 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) is incorporated into the price of all goods and services sold in Australia, except some basic items. Some tourists may be eligible for a GST refund on goods bought in Australia. Visit www.customs.gov.au for more information or phone +612 6275 6666.

Tipping and Gratuities

Not required or expected in Australia - this includes taxis.

If service in a restaurant is exceptional, you might consider tipping 10%.

Translating and Interpreting Services

Melbourne has many venues fully equipped with state-of-theart facilities for simultaneous interpreting for the benefit of presenters and delegates. Experienced, internationally accredited interpreters in over 100 languages have been providing services to many international conferences. For more information visit the website at:

www.immi.gov.au

Visas

All travellers to Australia, other than Australian and New Zealand citizens, are required to obtain a Visa to travel to Australia. The Business Visa allows people attending conferences and meetings in Australia to make a short visit of up to three months. Australia's Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is the world's most advanced and streamlined travel authorisation system. If the country your passport represents has ETA Business Access, it enables visitors to Australia to obtain authority to enter at the same time as they book their travel arrangements. There is no need to for the traveller to complete an application form for a Visa. In addition, a recent innovative enhancement to ETA arrangements allows a traveller to apply for an ETA over the internet. For more information visit the Department of Immigration + Multicultural + Indigenous Affairs website at:

www.immi.gov.au

Public Holidays

	2008	2009
New Years Day	Tue 1 January	Thu 1 January
Australia Day	Mon 28 January	Mon 26 January
Labour Day	Mon 10 March	Mon 9 March
Good Friday	Fri 21 March	Fri 10 March
Easter Saturday	Sat 22 March	Sat 11 March
Easter Monday	Mon 24 March	Mon 13 March
Anzac Day	Fri 25 April	Sat 25 April
Queens Birthday	Mon 9 June	Mon 8 June
Melbourne Cup Day (Metro Area Only)	Tue 4 November	Tue 3 November
Christmas Day	Thu 25 December	Fri 25 December
Boxing Day	Fri 26 December	Sat 26 December

www.information.vic.gov.au

Melbourne Visitor Centre

Federation Square, Corner Swanston & Flinders Street

Telephone:

(03) 9658 9658

Email:

tourism@melbourne.vic.gov.au

Web:

www.thatsmelbourne.com.au

Melbourne Greeter Service

Free personal orientations of the city with a local volunteer who shares your interest and speaks your language are available seven days a week. Bookings must be made three days in advance.

Telephone:

(03) 9658 9658

City Ambassadors & Info Booth

Melbourne's Ambassadors wear distinctive red uniforms and rove the streets providing free information to visitors. Ask them for directions or ideas for things to do or see. The Melbourne Visitor Booth is located in Bourke Street Mall and operates on Monday to Saturday: 9am - 5pm and Sunday: 10am - 5pm.

Telephone Information

Calls from public telephones in Australia cost 50c. Most public telephones in Australia now use pre-paid phone cards. These can be purchased in post offices, newsagents, gift shops and many other outlets in denominations from A$5 to A$50. They can be used for local, interstate and international calls.

24 Hour Emergency Numbers

Fire, Police and Ambulance	000
Lifeline Counselling Service	131 114
Poisons Information Service	131&126
Alcohol & Drug Counselling Service	(03) 9416 1818

Consulates

American	(03) 9526 5900
British	(03) 9650 4155
Chinese	(03) 9822 0604
French	(03) 9820 0921
German	(03) 9828 6888
Greek	(03) 9866 4524
Indonesian	(03) 9525 2755
Italian	(03) 9867 5744
Japanese	(03) 9639 3244

Calling Overseas

International Direct Dial (IDD) telephone calls can be made from most public telephones. To make an international call, dial the International Access Code (0011), then the Country Code, the Area Code and the Telephone Number.

Frequently Called Country Codes

Canada	1
China	86
Germany	49
Greece	30
Hong Kong	852
Indonesia	62
Ireland	353
Italy	39
Japan	81
New Zealand	64
Spain	34
Taiwan	886
United Kingdom	44
USA	1

Banking Hours

• Monday to Thursday 9.30am - 4.00pm
• Friday 9.30am - 5.00pm
• Saturday - Limited morning services by some banks and building societies.
• ATMs - 24 hours in the city and suburbs.

City Postal Services

Monday to Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm

Credit Cards

Major credit cards are widely accepted. They may also be used in Automatic Teller Machines with the use of a Personal Identification Number (PIN).

Currency Exchange

American Express Foreign Exchange is located at Level 1/233 Collins St. (03) 9633 6570. Mon - Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-1pm. Services also available at banks and currency exchange desks at the Airport and other locations throughout the City.

Lockers

Available at Spencer Street Station, Flinders Street Station, Melbourne Central Retail Centre, Myer (Lonsdale Street Store) and at Traveller's Aid locations.

Lost Property

Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston Street, City. To enquire about lost items call (03) 9658 9658.

Shopping Hours

As a general rule, trading hours for the City shops are: Saturday to Wednesday: 10.00am-5.00pm, Thursday: 10.00am- 7.00pm, Friday: 10.00am- 9.00pm. Hours of opening often vary between shops and between areas.

Taxi Cabs

Taxis can be hailed in the street if their sign is illuminated. Orange lights indicate that the taxi is not for hire.

Arrow	132 211
13 CABS	13 2227
Black Cabs	13 2227
Embassy	131 755
North Suburban	131 119
Silver Top	131 008
Dandenong Taxis	(03) 9791 2111
Frankston Cabs	(03) 9786 3322
West Suburban	(03) 9689 1144

Traveller's Aid

Offers information and assistance for traveller's. Three locations:

• 169 Swanston Street, City Monday to Friday, 8.00am - 5.00pm Tel: (03) 9654 2600
• Travellers Aid Disability Access Service 169 Swanston Street, City Monday to Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm, Saturday to Sunday, 11.00am - 4.00pm Tel: (03) 9654 7690
• Spencer Street Station, City Monday to Friday, 7.30am - 7.30pm Saturday to Sunday, 7.30am - 11.30am Tel: (03) 9670 2873

Voltage

Australia's electricity voltage for domestic use is AC 240 volts, 50 cycle. Most hotels have provision for AC 110 volts in the rooms and/or can provide adaptors.

Weights & Measures

Australia operates on the metric system of measurement.

Conversions

Celsius to Fahrenheit	Multiply by 1.8 and add 32
Litres to Imperial Gallons	Multiply by 0.22
Litres to US Gallons	Multiply by 0.26
Kilometres to Miles	Multiply by 0.62
Kilograms to Pounds	Multiply by 2.2