St Francis' Church

Australia's busiest Roman Catholic Church, drawing over 10,000 visitors each week, was built between 1841 and 1845 on the site of an earlier church. Also Victoria's oldest church, St Francis' is renowned for its beauty. It began as a simple Neo-Gothic building and has gone through many alterations, renovations, and restorations throughout the years. The church now holds regular services, and has one of Australia's most celebrated resident choirs.

St Patrick's Cathedral

Constructed between 1858 and 1897, this is one of the best examples of Gothic Revival church architecture in the world. Its impressive spires were completed only in 1937. St Patrick's Cathedral is located on Albert Street.

St Paul's Cathedral

Marvel at the Gothic Revival design of St Paul's, which was designed by architect William Butterfield and built in the 1880's. Architect Joseph Reed supervised the final stages of construction and the cathedral was consecrated in 1891.

Block Arcade

As Melbourne's most opulent arcade, it was named after the promenade taken by fashionable society in the 1890s. Known as "doing the block", the walk involved strolling down Collins Street and Swanston Street and used to be the highlight of the week. It was built between 1891 and 1893 with period details, such as a mosaic floor and central dome, and was restored in 1988.

Royal Exhibition Building

Located in the Calton Gardens area in Victoria, this building was constructed for the city's 1880 International Exhibition and is one of the few remaining structure from the 19th Century world fairs. Designed by architect Joseph Reed who was also responsible for Melbourne's many outstanding architectures, this building is very much loved by Melbournians.

Old Melbourne Gaol

The Old Melbourne Gaol was the site of 135 executions between the years 1845 and 1929. The most well known execution here was that of Ned Kelly, Australia's most famous bushranger, on November 11, 1880. Today's National Trust penal museum is housed in a single remaining cell block, the Second Cell Block. Ghosts are often reported at the gaol and an evening tour can be quite a chilling experience.

Flinders Street Station

Part of the public transport network since the early days, the Flinders Street Station was completed in 1910. This yellow-bricked building is one of the most distinctive structures in the city. The award winning designers Fawcett & Ashworth were responsible for the design and today, this terminal remains as one of the busiest station in the world.

Rialto Towers

The tallest office building in the Southern Hemisphere, the Rialto Towers stands at 58 floors above street level and 8 floors below. From street up, it measures 253 meters high. This structure was built in 1986 by Australian developer Bruno Grollo. The lift travels from the ground floor to the 55th floor in 38 seconds and is one of the fastest in the world. The observation deck on the 55th floor is now open to the public and attracts up to 1,500 visitors a day.

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