Melbourne During The 1880's

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Melbourne is and through history was known to be a very famous city. The 1880s was a chaotic time for Melbourne and its history, known to many as the land boom decade. During the 1880’s Melbourne had become the richest city in the world and the second largest in the British Empire with the population rising from 268,000 in 1880 to 473,000 in 1890. Melbourne was seen as fast paced and reckless compared to other cities around the world and even within Australia. Sydney seemed older, poorer and lethargic in comparison especially during the period after the gold rush and through the land boom. The 1880’s was a decade that saw numerous new buildings being built. One of the most well-known and important buildings constructed was the Royal Exhibition …show more content…

It was known in history as the land boom which was fuelled by wealth that had been created during earlier gold rushes (Peacock, C 2010). Out of all the Australian cities, it was Melbourne which had the most success from the wealth brought by gold and the influx of immigrants (Brown May & Swain 2005). Michael Cannon states that Melbourne was made rich by gold and populous by the immigrants who sought it (Cannon, M 1966). Immigrants came to Australia in the hope of making a fortune, whether from gold discoveries or in new businesses. During the 1880’s population growth was more than three times the expected level of natural increase indicating large-scale in-migration to the city (McCarty, J.W., and C.B. Schedvin 1978). The gold rush in 1850’s had many people flocking to Australia and mainly Victoria in hope that they would find a small fortune. This resulted in a population explosion. The fortune from this decade had enabled people to purchase land with their wealth. The increased population resulting from the gold rush resulted in a high demand for land causing the price of property to rise to amounts never experienced by Melburnians. Not only was the wealth used to buy land but the Victorian government was able to use the money to further develop Melbourne’s railway with stations reaching the lengths from the inner and outer suburbs of …show more content…

It is one of very few buildings in Australia that is listed as part of the UNESCO world heritage status. Over subsequent decades Melbourne showed itself to the world, hosting major international, industrial, scientific and artistic expositions. The Royal Exhibition Building was designed for the great international exhibitions of 1880 and 1888 in Melbourne. It also hosted the opening of the first Parliament of Australia in 1901. This building was mainly built for the 1880 international exhibition but also aimed to confirm Melbourne’s place as a significant and wealthy city (Arts Victoria,

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