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Above left and right: early evening shots from the observatory of Rialto Towers,
of downtown Melbourne and Southbank on the other side of the Yarra River.
Above middle: evening view of some of Melbourne's tallest from Southbank.

Melbourne, Victoria, is Australia's 2nd largest city, with about 3,5 million inhabitants.
The city lies in the southeast of Australia and was founded in 1835 on the north bank of the River Yarra.
The city got its name in 1837; it was named after the British Prime Minister Lord Melbourne.
In the 1850’s the city boomed as a result of the gold rush.
The growth was such that Melbourne became Australia’s largest city by the end of the 19^th Century;
but this didn’t last long though, with Sydney taking over again at the beginning of the 20^th century.
But, being Australia’s largest for a brief period meant that it became the country’s capital city
from 1901 to 1927 (when Canberra took over).
Because of the fact that the city is relatively young (the youngest of its size in the world)
and has always attracted people from different countries and social and cultural backgrounds,
Melbourne is a very diverse city (its residents come from 130 different ethnic backgrounds)
and the influences of the different ethnic backgrounds can be noticed
in the city’s varied architecture, restaurants, shops, festivals and entertainment.
Melbourne is also a laid back kind of city, yet bustling with life and things to do.
If you ever make a trip to Australia, Melbourne is definitely one of the cities to visit.
Skyscraper wise the city has a lot to offer, with many tall and different styled buildings.
Including the latest and tallest addition to its skyline:
the majestic Eureka Tower, which was completed in 2006.


Above: Melbourne's tallest since 2006: Eureka Tower (297m/975f, 91 stories).
For more info about and more pictures of this residential building,
go to this special Eureka Tower page.




Above: this was Melbourne's and Australia's tallest for 20 years: Rialto Towers.
It lost the title of Melbourne's tallest to Eureka Tower at the end of 2005 (when that building was topped out),
and the title of Australia's tallest to Gold Coast City's Q1 in the Summer of 2005.
Rialto Towers consists of two towers linked to become one, even though they function as two.
(Tower I: 251m/824f, 63 stories, 1986/Tower II: 173m/567f, 43 stories, 1986).
The towers have an observation deck on the 56th floor of the taller tower (234m/768f) level,
which gives great views over downtown Melbourne and the surrounding area's.
The fast elevators take you up in 40 seconds, at a speed of 25 kph (7,1 metres per second);
admission price is aud$13,50 (about us$ 9,70/euro 8,80).
The observatory has two outdoor viewing balconies as well,
one on the east side and the other on the west side of the building.
The east side balcony can be seen on picture #11.
The tower weighs about 250,000 tonnes and the total construction costs were about us$300 million.
Construction started in October of 1982. The building was completed in October of 1986.
In the last picture, the Rialto Towers can be seen reflected in the glass façade of 530 Collins Street.




Above: ten pictures of BlueScope Steel Centre (220m/722f (264m/866f including spire!), 52 stories, 1991).
The building was previously known as 120 Collins Street.
It's Melbourne 4th tallest skyscraper, but including spire, it would be the city's 2nd tallest.
Emporis.com ranks it as Melbourne's 2nd tallest, but Melbourne itself doesn't.
They still consider Rialto Towers as the city's tallest office tower, hence, I do the same.




Above: Bourke Place (224m/735f, 51 stories, 1991),
Melbourne's 3rd tallest. Including spire this building is 254m/833f tall.
Here Emporis.com doesn't include the spire in the total height.


Above: Telstra Corporate Building (218m/715f, 47 stories, 1992).
This is the height including spire on top; without, the building has a height of 193m/633f.




Above: Melbourne Central Office Tower
(211m/692f (246m/807f including spires!), 53 stories, 1991), seen from a few angles.
Again, here the spires aren't included in the total building height by Emporis.com.


Above: five pictures of 101 Collins Street (195m/640f, 50 stories, 1991).
With spire the building is 260m/853f tall, which would make it the city's 3rd tallest.
Again, Emporis.com rank it as Melbourne's third, but in fact it's only the city's 6th tallest.




Above: another new addition to the skyline of Melbourne and to its Top 10 of tallest skyscrapers:
Freshwater Place Residential Tower (205m/673f, 63 stories, 2005).
The building is part of the Freshwater Place complex and shares its podium
with 2 Southbank Boulevard (161m/528f, 40 stories, 2005);
for pictures of this building, please see page 2 of Melbourne (link at the bottom of this page).


Above left and middle: 80 Collins Street (190m/623f, 50 stories, 1977).
Above: ANZ Tower and Sofitel Hotel, Collins Place,
seen from the opposite side of the Yarra River.


Above: ANZ Tower, Collins Place (185m/607f, 46 stories, 1980) and
Sofitel Hotel, Collins Tower (185m/607f, 50 stories, 1981).


Above: three different skyline views:
from the observatory of Rialto Towers, from Kings Domain, and from Victoria Parade.



Click here to go to page 2 of Melbourne


Melbourne's 10 tallest skyscrapers:
1. EUREKA TOWER 297m/975f, 91 stories, 2006
2. RIALTO TOWERS 251m/823f, 63 stories, 1986
3. BOURKE PLACE 224m/735f, 51 stories, 1991
4. BLUESCOPE STEEL TOWER 220m/722f, 52 stories, 1991
5. TELSTRA CORPORATE BUILDING 218m/715f, 47 stories, 1992
6. MELBOURNE CENTRAL OFFICE TOWER 211m/692f, 53 stories, 1991
7. 101 COLLINS STREET 195m/640f, 50 stories, 1991
8. FRESHWATER PLACE RESIDENTIAL TOWER 205m/673f, 63 stories, 2005
9. 80 COLLINS STREET 190m/623f, 50 stories, 1977
10. ANZ TOWER 185m/607fm, 46 stories, 1980

The building data and some of the building information are courtesy of
EMPORIS.COM, one of the world's leading architectural resources on tall buildings.

All pictures copyright (c) 2001 - 2006 Patrick Beckers. All Rights Reserved.
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