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 gold rush 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 Saving Time - Sunday 4 October 2009 to Sunday 4 April 2010.

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. International tourists may be eligible for a GST refund on some goods bought in Australia.

More information:
www.customs.gov.au
or +61 2 6275 6666.

Tipping and Gratuities

Tipping is 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-the-art facilities for simultaneous interpreting for the benefit of presenters and delegates. Experienced, internationally accredited interpreters in more than 100 languages provide services to many international conferences.

More information:
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. In addition, a recent innovative enhancement to ETA arrangements allows a traveller to apply for an ETA over the Internet.

More information:
www.immi.gov.au

Public Holidays

	2009	2010
New Years Day	Thu 1 January	Fri 1 January
Australia Day	Mon 26 January	Tue 26 January
Labour Day	Mon 9 March	Mon 8 March
Good Friday	Fri 10 April	Fri 3 April
Easter Saturday	Sat 11 April	Sat 4 April
Easter Monday	Mon 13 April	Mon 5 April
Anzac Day	Sat 25 April	Mon 26 April
Queens Birthday	Mon 8 June	Mon 14 June
Melbourne Cup Day (Metro Area Only)	Tue 3 November	Tue 2 November
Christmas Day	Fri 25 December	Mon 27 December
Boxing Day	Mon 28 December	Tue 28 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 and 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	+61 3 9416 1818

Consulates

American	+61 3 9526 5900
British	+61 3 9652 1600
Chinese	+61 3 9822 0604
French	+61 3 9602 5024
German	+61 3 9864 6888
Greek	+61 3 9866 4524
Indonesian	+61 3 9525 2755
Italian	+61 3 9867 5744
Japanese	+61 3 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
Singapore	65
South Africa	27
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 Southern Cross 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.

Telephone:: (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.

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.

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	+61 3 9791 2111
Frankston Cabs	+61 3 9786 3322
West Suburban	+61 3 9689 1144

Traveller's Aid Access Service

Travellers Aid Access Service is a Melbourne based service offering friendly and professional support workers to assist people with disabilities and older people. Services are provided free of charge without appointment, referral, or assessment at two locations;

Flinders Street Station
Corner Flinders and Swanston streets, CBD Melbourne

Telephone:

+61 3 9610 2030
Southern Cross Station
99 Spencer Street, Docklands

Telephone:

+61 3 9670 2072

Weights & Measures

Australia operates on the metric system of measurement.

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

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