Clustered with waterfront restaurants, eclectic bars and cultural venues, Southbank is an inner-city suburb on the Yarra River. Once an industrial hub, it is now one of the most densely populated areas in Melbourne. Southbank is famously home to some of the tallest skyscrapers in Australia, including the Australia 108 and the Eureka Tower.
Things to do in Southbank
Overlooking the Yarra River are a string of restaurants where you can dine alfresco while watching the world go by. At the eastern end of Southbank is the Southgate shopping mall and the Art Centre Melbourne, which hosts theatrical plays and live music concerts throughout the year. At the other end of Southbank is the sprawling entertainment complex of Crown Melbourne.
For elevated views across the city, head to the Melbourne Skydeck, which occupies the 88th floor of the 297-metre-high Eureka Tower. You can peer through one of the viewfinders at some of Melbourne’s most prominent landmarks or step onto “The Edge” - a glass cube that extends three metres from the building for a vertigo-inducing experience.
Art enthusiasts shouldn’t miss a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria, which is the oldest art museum in Australia. Established in 1861, it exhibits an outstanding collection of Australian art, including iconic works such as Tom Roberts’ “Shearing of the Rams” and Frederick McCubbin’s “The Pioneer”. Cezanne, El Greco and Rembrandt are represented in the international collection. The National Gallery of Victoria faces the Queen Victoria Gardens and its famous floral clock.
Getting around Southbank
Southbank is around five minutes’ walk from Melbourne’s CBD and 20 minutes’ drive from Melbourne Airport, which has flights to destinations across Oceania, Asia and the Middle East. Both trams and buses travel throughout Southbank, although most of the suburb’s attractions can easily be accessed on foot.