The City of Melbourne is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. In 2021, the city has an area of 37.7 square kilometres (14.6 sq mi) and had a population of 149,615. The city's motto is "vires acquirit eundo" which means "we gather strength as we go".
Aerial view of the Melbourne skyline from Kings Domain, May 2020
Melbourne Town Hall on Swanston Street built 1870–1887
Flinders Street station
The Tianjin Garden on Spring Street serves as a symbol of Melbourne's close friendship with its sister city Tianjin.
Local government in Australia
Local government is the third-level of government in Australia, administered with limited autonomy under the states and territories, and in turn beneath the federal government. Local government is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia, and two referendums in 1974 and 1988 to alter the Constitution relating to local government were unsuccessful. Every state/territory government recognises local government in its own respective constitution. Unlike the two-tier local government system in Canada or the United States, there is only one tier of local government in each Australian state/territory, with no distinction between counties and cities.
Offices of the Berrigan Shire Council in Berrigan, New South Wales.
Offices of the City of Sydney council, a local government area within Sydney.
Melbourne Town Hall, the offices of the City of Melbourne council.
Offices of the Moreton Bay Regional Council in Caboolture, Queensland.