Melbourne central business district
| Melbourne CBD Melbourne, Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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Aerial view of Melbourne CBD from the East, Aug 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°48′50″S 144°57′47″E / 37.814°S 144.963°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 54,941 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 8,450/km2 (21,890/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1835 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3000, 3001, 3004 8001 (PO Box) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 30 m (98 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 6.5 km2 (2.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | |||||||||||||||
| County | Bourke | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | |||||||||||||||
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The Melbourne central business district (colloquially known as "the City" or "the CBD", and gazetted simply as Melbourne) is the city centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As of the 2021 census, the CBD had a population of 54,941, and is located primarily within the local government area City of Melbourne, with some parts located in the City of Port Phillip.
The central business district is centred on the Hoddle Grid, the oldest part of the city laid out in 1837. It also includes parts of the parallel and perpendicular streets to the north, bounded by Victoria Street and Peel Street; and extends south-east along much of the area immediately surrounding St Kilda Road.
The CBD is the core of Greater Melbourne's metropolitan area, and is a major financial centre in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. It is home to several major attractions in Melbourne, including many of the city's famed lanes and arcades, the distinct blend of contemporary and Victorian architecture, the Queen Victoria Market, the Melbourne Botanical Gardens, the National Gallery of Victoria, the State Library, Parliament House, and Federation Square. It contains Flinders Street railway station, the centre of Melbourne's metropolitan railway network, and the world's busiest tram corridor along Swanston Street.
In recent times, it has been placed alongside New York City and Berlin as one of the world's great street art meccas, and designated a "City of Literature" by UNESCO in its Creative Cities Network.