Melbourne is a place.
Melbourne ( [ ˈmɛlbərn ] ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria , and the second-most populous city in Australia and Oceania . It was officially declared a city by Queen Victoria , to whom Lord Melbourne was close , in 1847 , after which it became the capital of the newly founded colony of Victoria in 1851 . Referred to as Australia 's `` cultural capital '' , it is the birthplace of Australian impressionism , Australian rules football , the Australian film and television industries , and Australian contemporary dance . It was the host city of the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games .