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Australia was originally inhabited by indigenous cultures also known as Aborigines for 40,000 years before the first explorers from Europe came continent. There is a lot of debate as to where the Aborigines migrated to Australia from. Some speculation is that the culture came from India. The Indigenous Australians were primarily hunters and gathers. Research does not show that any of the different tribes relied on agriculture as a way of life. The Aborigines main hunting weapon was the spear in which they would throw with a spear launcher. Boomerangs were also used in hunting the non returning type was used to either kill or injure the hunted animal usually a kangaroo. Aborigine’s diets usually consisted of many different things such as kangaroo, wombat, snakes, birds, bugs, emu, as well as plants, nuts, and berries.

The late 1700’s brought European explorers to Australia. In 1770 Great Brittan “discovered” the continent and named it New South Wales. During the next years more English settlers came to Australia and brought with them a number of infectious diseases such as smallpox, influenza, chickenpox, measles, and venereal diseases. The Aborigines were infected with these diseases and subsequently a large portion of their population was wiped out as a result. Many Aborigines were also killed by European settlers when resistance to English settlers was shown.

Not all relations between the Indigenous Australians and the European settlers were so strained or violent however. There were many Aborigines who actually worked with settlers and helped them as well as worked for them as laborers and stock hands.

By 1835 European settlers had made their way into what is now known as Melbourne. Many of them came from Tasmania due to lack of available land. The area of Melbourne was inhabited by the Kulin people an indigenous tribe that began to phase out once the settlers moved in. Melbourne was initially the capitol city of the Port Phillip District and then later became the capitol city of the colony Victoria.

In 1850 gold was found in Victoria which sparked a gold rush and helped Melbourne establish itself as a center for trade and commerce. The city grew quickly and became Australia’s biggest manufacturing area. This is during the time when Melbourne was given its nickname of Marvelous Melbourne.

The growth and prosperity Melbourne experienced in the 1800’s led to the city being named as the capitol of Australia in 1901. Melbourne remained the capitol city until 1927 when the capitol was moved to Canberra. Melbourne continued to enjoy substantial growth and was even became the Allied Pacific Headquarters for a short time during World War II. After the war had ended the entire continent of Australia saw an increase of immigrant growth and Melbourne was a popular relocation spot for a large number of the immigrants. This along with several other factors put Melbourne on the fast track for expansion and growth. Even after loosing the title of capitol of Australia Melbourne went on to host the Olympic Games in 1956 and also continued to have strong economic and social growth.

However in the 1970’s Melbourne started seeing a slight decrease in its economy and population as Sydney began to emerge as a cultural center in Australia. The years following found Melbourne in an economic and manufacturing slump as residents began to relocate to New South Wales and Queensland. This slump continued until the 1990’s when the governor of Victoria Premier Jeff Kennett formed a plan for the city to regain its former glory. He oversaw changes that included construction on several buildings meant to draw in new businesses the city which in turn would bring in new residents, a casino, and a toll way. The city also sold some of its assets like private schools and the State Electricity Commission. This era of growth and change has continued even under a new Premier. The city has experienced growth in all areas including economy and population. The international investor market has also grown in Melbourne. Since 2000 the city has consistently sustained the highest population and economic growth of any city located in Australia.

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