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[title]Every city has its stereotypes, and Melbourne certainly isn’t immune. Maybe you’re a lifelong Melburnian who has had interstate friends comment that you probably won't like the coffee in their town. Or maybe you’re a recent arrival to the city who’s terrified of driving thanks to horror stories you’ve heard about hook turns.
Whatever it is you’ve heard about us, it's (mostly) not true. Here are some of the most common misconceptions we’ve heard about Melbourne.
We are coffee snobs
We like our coffee, it’s true. It probably has something to do with the fact that Australia’s first espresso machines were installed on Lygon St in the 1950s, but that doesn’t mean we’re coffee snobs. Case in point: if you walk past a CBD 7/11 store on a weekday morning it’s not uncommon to see a queue of people waiting to use the coffee machine (which, to be fair, might be a testament to 7/11’s coffee).
Melburnians only wear black
Look, we do wear a lot of black. Maybe more than other cities in Australia. But it’s not all we wear. Black just seems to go with our grey weather and practical attitudes.
Trams are the main form of transport
The image of a tram going through Melbourne’s CBD is, dare we say, iconic. But while we have the largest working tram network in the world, we don’t use them all the time. If you live anywhere outside of the city’s inner suburbs, you’re probably more of a train or bus traveller – even within the inner suburbs, it's often quicker to hop a train than to catch a tram (which are essentially buses with fewer options).
We are all “art wankers”
The term “cultural capital of Australia” gets thrown around a lot when talking about Melbourne (FYI we were also the actual capital of Australia for nearly three decades in the early 1900s). And while we have some of the best galleries and theatres in Australia, not everyone (to quote a colleague) is an “art wanker who wears black turtle necks and talks out their ass”. Our art scene is huge but quite inclusive and diverse. People are passionate about the arts but approachable about it, too.
We are all footy mad
Again, we have a strong footy (that’s AFL) culture. Yes, the AFL was technically invented in Victoria with the VFL. We also do get a day off for the grand final each year. But while it’s wise to have a passing knowledge of the game (and a team), it may surprise you to learn that not every man, woman and child is a diehard footy supporter. Some of us are cricket, tennis, netball and soccer fans as well.
There are no beaches
Puh-lease. If you look at a map you’ll notice Melbourne sits on a bay, meaning there are beaches galore. Sure, they’re not quite as rough and tumble as Sydney’s ocean beaches, but many Melburnians prefer the gentler shores of St Kilda and Williamstown beaches – not to mention a short drive from the city has you on the Amalfi-like beaches of the Mornington Peninsula.
Melburnians are stuck up
Hot take: Melburnians are some of the downright most friendly people in Australia. Strangers are always helping each other out or having impromptu chats in public. Nowhere else in Australia will drivers give way so willingly to pedestrians even when the pedestrian is jaywalking. If you have never lived outside of Melbourne, you might not realise that not every city is as community-minded.
Hook turns are everywhere and they’re terrifying
There are relatively few hook turns in Melbourne (they exist to prevent cars from impeding trams) and they're predominantly within the Hoddle Grid. Repeat after me: go left, to turn right. Keep that in mind and you’ll nail your hook turns every time.
It’s very cold
Relative to a lot of the world, Melbourne actually has a pretty moderate climate. If anything, we get more hot than we get cold, with the coldest recorded temperature only a piddling -2.8 degrees celsius (our record high on the other hand is 46.4 degrees). Even within Australia, cities like Hobart and Canberra get much colder than Melbourne.
Everything is covered in street art
You can find street art in basically every part of Melbourne, but it’s not like every surface is covered in spray paint. Besides, if you really want to see the best work, there are a few choice laneways and locations you’ll need to head to – we’ve even made a map to make it easier.
That we care about the Sydney versus Melbourne debate
It’s apples and oranges mateys. This country is big enough for the both of us, we really don’t care about being “better” than any other city, and we love visiting the Harbour City (and having Sydneysiders visit us).
There are four seasons in one day
No, whoops this one actually is true. It can drop 20 degrees when a cool change rolls through so make sure you carry a cardigan and a brolly at all times.