Little Italy in Victoria, Australia (also referred to as simply Lygon Street), is a Little Italy cultural precinct of the Italian community of Melbourne. It is situated along Lygon Street in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Carlton. [1]
According to the 2006 Australian census, Victoria has the largest Italian-Australian population in Australia (around 200,000 statewide), with much of its inner-Melbourne population recorded in the suburbs of Carlton and nearby Brunswick. [2]
Lygon Street is home to a large concentration of Italian restaurants, and is the birthplace of Melbourne's "cafe culture". [1] Because of this, Melbourne was named as a sister city to Milan, Italy in 2004. [3]
The precinct's renowned Italian restaurant district occupies a number of blocks between Queensberry Street in the South, along Lygon Street, to Elgin Street in the north. Restaurants can also be found along the streets intersecting Lygon Street, towards the Carlton Gardens in the East and the University of Melbourne in the West. The Lygon Street Festa is an annual celebration of Italian culture and cuisine and is Melbourne's first and original street festival held in the district each November.
Towards the centre of the district, on the corner of Lygon Street and Argyle Place, there is a small Italian-inspired piazza named Piazza Italia - a joint-redevelopment by Melbourne and its sister city, Milan, in Italy.
During the annual Australian Grand Prix, the restaurant district is bathed in red and yellow banners in support of the Ferrari Formula One racing team. It was also a major site of Australian celebrations when Italy's national football team won the 1982 FIFA World Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Parkville is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km (1.9 mi) north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Merri-bek local government areas. Parkville recorded a population of 7,074 at the 2021 census.
Docklands, also known as Melbourne Docklands, is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km (1.2 mi) west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. Docklands recorded a population of 15,495 at the 2021 census.
Lygon Street is located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, running through the inner northern suburbs of Carlton, Carlton North, Princes Hill and Brunswick East. Lygon Street is synonymous with the Italian community of Melbourne, forming the nexus point of Little Italy. It is home to many Italian restaurants and alfresco cafés.
Northcote is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km (4.3 mi) north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Darebin local government area. Northcote recorded a population of 25,276 at the 2021 census.
Brunswick is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Merri-bek local government area. Brunswick recorded a population of 24,896 at the 2021 census.
Carlton is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, three kilometres north of the Melbourne central business district within the City of Melbourne local government area. Carlton recorded a population of 16,055 at the 2021 census.
Queen Victoria Village, generally known as QV Melbourne or just QV, is a precinct in the Melbourne central business district, Victoria, Australia. Covering the city block bounded by Lonsdale, Little Lonsdale, Swanston, and Russell Streets, and located directly opposite the State Library of Victoria and Melbourne Central, QV comprises a large shopping centre, a central plaza, an underground food court, Melbourne central city's first full-size supermarket and apartment buildings.
Nicholson Street is a street in inner Melbourne. It is named after William Nicholson, then member of the Legislative Council, and later Premier of Victoria from 1859 to 1860.
Carlton North is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km (2.5 mi) north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Yarra local government areas. Carlton North recorded a population of 6,177 at the 2021 census.
Brunswick East is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Merri-bek local government area. Brunswick East recorded a population of 13,279 at the 2021 census.
Victoria Street is one of the major thoroughfares of inner Melbourne, running east–west for over six kilometres between Munster Terrace in North Melbourne and the Yarra River. The road is known as Victoria Parade for over one-and-a-half kilometres of its length, distinguishable with a wide reservation and tramway down the middle.
Tourism is a significant industry in the state of Victoria, Australia. The country's second most-populous city, Melbourne was visited by 2.7 million international overnight visitors and 9.3 million domestic overnight visitors during the year ending December 2017.
Lonsdale Street is a main street and thoroughfare in the Melbourne central business district, Australia. It runs roughly east–west and was laid out in 1837 as one of Melbourne's original boundaries within the Hoddle Grid. The street extends from Spring Street in the east to Spencer Street in the west.
The City of Brunswick was a local government area in the inner-northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprised the suburbs of Brunswick, Brunswick East and West Brunswick. It ceased to exist on 22 June 1994, when its council was disbanded by the Kennett Government and replaced with appointed commissioners, who oversaw its amalgamation with the City of Coburg and parts of the City of Broadmeadows, to create the City of Moreland.
The Melbourne Arts Precinct is home to a series of galleries, performing arts venues and spaces located in the Southbank district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It includes such publicly-funded venues as Arts Centre Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria and Southbank Theatre, along with various offices and training institutions of arts organisations.
The Pram Factory was an Australian alternative theatre venue in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton from around 1970 until 1981. It was home to the Australian Performing Group and Nindethana, Australia's first Aboriginal theatre group.
The Italian community of Melbourne is the second largest ethnic group in Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, second to the Anglo-Celtic Australians ethnic group. The 2011 Census counted that of the 185,402 residents that were born in Italy who live in Australia, 68,823 lived in Melbourne, which was the highest percentage of the country at 37.1%. The same could be said for the total Australian population of Italian ancestry, with 279,112 of the 916,121 (30.4%) listed as Melbourne residents, which is the highest Italian population in Australia and the Oceanic continent per city.
Ermin Smrekar (FAIA) was an Italian born Australian architect who practiced in Melbourne, Australia from the 1960s to the 1990s. He is known for designing outside the mainstream of Australian architecture in the period, his individual approach drew from organic architecture, angular and circular geometries, as well as historical sources, to create sometimes bold sculptural forms.
Lygon Street Christian Chapel is an Evangelical church in the inner-city suburb of Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, built in 1865, and designed by architect W.M. Moore. The services were led by a 'preacher'. The preacher prior to February 1867 was American Reverend H.S. Earl. He was replaced by fellow Americans T.J. Gore and G.L. Surben.