So much to see and not enough time to do so in just one trip. That’s probably what goes through the minds of many people, whenever they’re planning to visit Australia, carefully trying to plan their itinerary and trips to various locations throughout this wonderful country.
As one of the more popular destinations, Victoria boasts plenty of attractions that attract millions of visitors each year, and state has plenty to boast about. Nestling in the southeastern portion of this huge country, there’s everything from bustling urban centers like Melbourne and Geelong to expansive wide-open spaces and rural settings.
But what really makes Victoria such a remarkable place is its people and history, making this a culturally rich and remarkably diverse location that captures our imaginations. This forms the basis of our look at some fascinating virtual tours, given the people in this corner of Australia are proud of their creativity, lifestyle, and history, keen for the whole world to see.
Burnham Beeches Mansion
The state of Victoria is home to a wonderful array of art galleries and exhibitions, but few are quite so unique as Burnham Beeches Mansion, which is an Art Deco property that was originally built in the 1930s. Nevertheless, having been vacant for several decades, the site has inevitably become dilapidated and fallen into ruin.
While this heritage site will undergo an extensive renovation project in the coming years, in the meantime, this provided the opportunity for Australian street artist Rone to do something quite spectacular. Taking a virtual trip through the property now has quite a haunting feel, among the ghostly faces painted on the walls, amidst the decaying décor and furniture.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
This virtual trip is a great excuse to sit back, look at your screen, and turn up the volume. According to the official YouTube channel, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) “engages with more than 5 million people” each year, through their extensive schedule of live concerts, TV and radio appearances, plus online concerts and tours.
But if you can’t get to see them live, then a great way to witness their creativity is to enjoy the audiovisual experience online. During the global pandemic, they famously produced a virtual performance of Waltzing Matilda, which is often referred to as Australia’s “unofficial” national anthem. Enjoy this and many more audio treats via their media channels.
Casino Gaming Culture
Victoria is home to the Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex, which is the biggest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, featuring a total gaming space of 20,000 square metres. The whole resort, featuring three hotels and various entertainment hotspots, covers 510,000 square metres located in the Southbank precinct of Melbourne next to the Yarra River.
Nevertheless, when people aren’t busy gaming at this expansive physical venue, most Aussies tend to explore what’s on offer at GambleOnlineAustralia.com enjoying an even more expansive range of games. From the comfort and convenience of playing at home or via their mobile devices, there’s everything from pokies to roulette, poker and blackjack, plus much more.
Old Melbourne Gaol
Have you ever wondered what happened to Ned Kelly? He is undoubtedly the most famous Australian outlaw and bushranger, often featured in documentaries and movies exploring his life and crimes.
Indeed, his tale and exploits have become myth and legend, even seen as a hero in Aussie pop culture, fighting authority akin to a latter-day Robin Hood.
#OnThisDay 1880, famous bushranger Ned Kelly was hanged in Old Melbourne Gaol, aged 25. The outlaw had Irish parents, with his father being shipped to Australia after stealing two pigs in Ireland. He is best known for his shootout with the police while wearing a suit of armour. pic.twitter.com/DuooLFWpxg
— Irish Legacy (@legacy_irish) November 11, 2021
Once eventually captured and tried for his crimes, Kelly saw out his days at the Old Melbourne Gaol, which provides an intriguing virtual reality tour and tells the story of its most famous prisoner. Some of the most notorious criminals in Australia history were incarcerated here, while the facility was used between 1842 and 1929.
Australian Sports Museum
Few things can get Aussie pulses racing more than sports, given that a fiercely competitive spirit is deeply ingrained in the very fabric of society, which means the populace of this country are also proud of their sporting accomplishments and traditions. This is also what makes the Australian Sports Museum such a popular tourist attraction.
Homed at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which is also the largest stadium in the country with a capacity for more than 100,000 people, the Australian Sports Museum is actually several museums in one. What’s more, visitors can delve through the extensive online archives, featuring more than 37,000 exhibits that can be viewed with information and context.
Immigration Museum
To this very day, Australia still remains an immigration nation, given that people from all corners of the globe still arrive to make this place their home. According to the most recent 2021 Census conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 27.6% of the population at that time were born overseas.
This is also what makes a virtual visit to the Immigration Museum in Victoria so fascinating, which can be fully explored online through various mini-sites. It’s also a great way to discover the stories of migrants who arrived in Australia, discovering why they came and where they settled, adapting and evolving to help shape the very culture of this nation.
Koorie Heritage Trust
Despite the status of Australia as being an immigration nation, long before the first settlers and colonists arrived from Europe and Asia, the Aboriginal peoples had already been living here for more than 60,000 years. Much of their cultural history and traditions have passed through the generations orally, which means preserving those stories is vital for future generations.
Since 1987 when the project was launched, the Koorie Heritage Trust has amassed an impressive audio and video collection of more than 2,000 recordings, many of which are now available online. These feature interviews with Koorie people from across the Victoria region, providing an insight of the customs and ways that shaped their history and traditions.
