Look Back at Marvellous Melbourne 1910

MARVELLOUS MELBOURNE : QUEEN CITY OF THE SOUTH, 1910"

Scenes shown include:

Panorama of Melbourne from the Eastern Hill fire station

Melbourne's major thoroughfares, some taken from a moving cable tram: St Kilda Road, Swanston Street, Collins Street, Little Collins Street, and Elizabeth Street. 

Major buildings shown include the Town Hall, Treasury, Federal Parliament House, Post Office, State Museum and Art Gallery

Scenes of the Royal Agricultural Show at the Flemington Showgrounds

Australian Rules football at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Boating on the Yarra River at Studley Park

Flinders Street Station 

Shipping on the Yarra and at Station Pier 

Metro Apartments on Bank Place are currently offering a  Marvellous Melbourne accommodation package that you can book now - http://www.metrohotels.com.au/hotels/victoria/metro-apartments-on-bank-place/welcome/

Melbourne Attractions Winter 2014

Melbourne has so much to offer you this winter, Metro Apartments on Bank Place offer fantastic Winter Hot Deal accommodation options, 

Visit today: www.metrohotels.com.au/hotels/victoria/metro-apartments-on-bank-place/hot-deals/

Bob Dylan Touring Australia & Sydney Opera House

It took a while but at age 73, Bob Dylan is set to play his first-ever concert at the Sydney Opera House as part of his upcoming Australian tour.

Dylan, who is also playing three shows at the State Theatre, ends his Australian tour at the world-famous waterfront venue in the Concert Hall on September 7.

But tickets for the Opera House show - which go on sale at 8am on July 4 - don't come cheap. Standard tickets start at $199 although for a music legend the top tier is a comparatively reasonable $249.

Comparative to say, Barbra Streisand, who is considered to be the most expensive legacy act, with her lowest-priced tickets often priced over $500 and up to $1500.

There is no indication yet that luxury or plantinum-type packages will be available.

Dylan's tour begins in Perth on August 13 and takes in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide before reaching Sydney. Tickets went on sale on June 3 and are sold out for Sydney's State Theatre shows and believed to be nearly sold out for Melbourne.

Meanwhile, Dylan's place as one of the most important innovators in contemporary music history is expected to be further underlined at a Sotheby's auction on Tuesday in New York. His handwritten lyrics for the song Like A Rolling Stone are expected to fetch over $US530,000 ($565,000).

A Sotheby's employee shows the handwritten lyrics for Bob Dylan's
 Like a Rolling Stone song that is up for auction. Photo: Reuters

Richard Austin, head of Tuesday's two-part sale at Sotheby's told AFP it was the first time a six-minute single was released, allowing people to go beyond short format, and marked one of the first cases of viral marketing.

Executives opposed its release because of its length, but an employee took it to a nightclub where it played all night, leading to DJs to clamour Columbia records for its eventual release, which came in 1965.

Austin said there was "a lot of interest" in both sets of Dylan lyrics ahead of the auction, calling them a "wonderful thing just to see."

Dylan's final lyrics for the protest anthem A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall also go under the hammer, estimated to be worth $US400,000-$US600,000 by Sotheby's.

The auction celebrates various rock performers who have gripped the world for the past 60 years.

A piano first played by Lennon when he was recording the album Imagine and later played in multiple studios by him, Dylan and Reed, among others, is valued at $US100,000 to $US200,000.

Among the other items are the infamous contract that Jimi Hendrix signed in 1965, in which he agreed to play exclusively for record label PPX for just one American dollar. It's valued at $US100,000 to $US200,000.

BOB DYLAN TOUR DATES

August 13-14 - Riverside Theatre, PCEC, Perth (All Ages)
ticketek.com.au, 132 849

August 18-20 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne (All Ages)
ticketmaster.com.au, 136100

August 25 - Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (All Ages)
ticketek.com.au, 132 849

August 29 - Royal Theatre, Canberra (All Ages)
ticketek.com.au, 132 849

August 31 - Entertainment Centre, Adelaide (All Ages)
ticketek.com.au, 132 849

September 3-5 - State Theatre, Sydney (All Ages)
ticketmaster.com.au, 136100

September 7 - Sydney Opera House (All Ages)
sydneyoperahouse.com, (02) 9250 7777


Source: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/bob-dylan-to-play-first-sydney-opera-house-gig-20140623-zsikp.html


Need accommodation in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne or Perth for Bob Dylan's Australian tour?

Try Metro Hotels - we have 3 conveniently located hotels and apartment in the centre of Sydney, boutique serviced-apartments in Melbourne and hotels in Brisbane CBD and Perth:

New South Wales (Sydney CBD):

• Metro Hotel Sydney Central
• Metro Hotel on Pitt
• Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour

Victoria (Melbourne CBD):

• Metro Apartments on Bank Place

Queensland (Brisbane CBD):

• Metro Hotel Tower Mill

Western Australia:

• Metro Hotel Perth

So whether you need hotel or apartment accommodation, Metro Hotels has got you covered.

Numbers Up at Australia's Big Airports

Large conferences and events helped to drive international traffic growth at all three of Australia's largest airports in May.

Melbourne Airport grew international traffic at a faster rate than Sydney Airport and Brisbane Airport in May, with the southern city citing benefits from new direct Jetstar flights to Japan and two large medical conferences during the period.

Melbourne Airport's international traffic rose by 11 per cent in May versus the same month last year, ahead of Brisbane Airport with 7 per cent growth and Sydney Airport with 5.6 per cent growth from a larger base than its rivals.

"The strong growth of the Japanese market in May shows that people are taking advantage of Jetstar's Melbourne-Japan service which commenced in late April," Melbourne Airport chief executive Chris Woodruff said. "International passenger growth in May was also boosted by two global conferences, the World Congress of Cardiology and the International Congress of World Federation of Haemophilia, both held at the Melbourne Convention Bureau."

The airport is also likely to benefit from increased traffic in July from the 20th International AIDS Conference being held in Melbourne, which will have 14,000 participants.

Sydney Airport chief executive Kerrie Mather said international traffic in May at her airport had been assisted by strong Chinese passenger growth of 11.4 per cent. The 2014 International Rotary Convention also helped boost traffic from the US, Japan and Canada during the month.

In Brisbane, the Australian Tourism Exchange in Cairns helped boost international traffic as did the World Congress of Audiology.

New Tourism Australia managing director John O'Sullivan has made events and conferences a key focus for his organisation in helping to increase the number of international visitors to Australia.

Industry body Tourism & Transport Forum on Thursday warned urgent action was needed to ensure Australia met its Tourism 2020 growth target of boosting overnight spending to up to $140 million. A new Tourism Research Australia forecast showed total spending growing at 1.7 per cent a year over the next decade which would see spending in 2020 reach just $115 billion - the low point of a $115 billion to $140 billion target range.

For Australia's largest airports, the domestic market remained more subdued than the international market at a time when Qantas Airways and Flight Centre have warned consumers are tightening their belts in reaction to the federal budget handed down in May.

At Brisbane Airport, domestic traffic fell by 1.7 per cent from the prior May, which was a greater rate than the 0.9 per cent decline in domestic capacity at the airport. Despite that, the airport said domestic city pairs showing growth in May included the three busiest routes of Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns as well as Roma, Hobart and Gladstone.

"It's been a busy year on all fronts and with the end of the financial year only a couple of weeks away we expect to see another strong result for Brisbane Airport," the airport's chief executive, Julieanne Alroe said.

Sydney Airport reported 2.1 per cent growth in domestic passengers, which was lower than Melbourne Airport's 3.1 per cent growth

Strictly Ballroom the Musical to blitz Melbourne

PREPARE to bask in the glow of one of the world’s biggest disco balls.

Strictly Ballroom the Musical is coming to Melbourne and will open at Her Majesty’s Theatre in January.

The glitzy stage version of Baz Luhrmann’s feel-good film will transfer from Sydney’s Lyric Theatre, where the world premiere in April evoked an instant standing ovation.

The date for Melbourne’s opening night is yet to be confirmed, but it will likely be mid-January before the show runs for a limited season.

Producer Carmen Pavlovic, of Global Creatures, said she hoped the show would follow the well-worn musical path of a national tour and then a stint in Asia.

Opening night of “Strictly Ballroom the Musical” in Sydney. Picture: James Morgan Source: Supplied

“There’s no doubt audiences are loving the show. It feels like a rock concert most nights I go in,” Pavlovic said. “I think the comment we’re most hearing is that it makes you feel good and just really puts a smile on your face.”

The stage show unites Strictly Ballroom’s original creative team, with Luhrmann as director and his Academy Award-winning wife Catherine Martin the creative brains behind the dazzling sets and costumes.

Two previously little-known performers, Thomas Lacey and Phoebe Panaretos, lead of cast of 43 which includes Bob Baines, Drew Forsythe, Natalie Gamsu and Robert Grubb.

The musical’s Sydney opening received mixed reviews from critics, some of whom praised the visual spectacle but were less impressed with the show’s emotional engagement.

Pavlovic — whose company also brought us King Kong and How to Train Your Dragon: Live Spectacular — said Strictly Ballroom got off to a solid start.

“I thought the reviews overall were good. They were mixed in some ways; some of that’s fair, some of it we’re working on as we go along,” she said.

“But that’s all part and parcel of creating a new show. It’s a very dynamic process. You have to remember that we’re creating new work here, unlike a lot of shows that come from the West End or Broadway, have been mounted several times and have all their kinks ironed out.”

Strictly Ballroom combines Broadway dazzle and kitch Aussie fun to tell the inspiring story of a champion dancer who breaks the rules to follow his heart.

There is no doubting the show’s eye-popping design, which extends to bright, sparkly covers on all the chairs in the theatre.
“The idea of Catherine’s design is that it really draws the audience into the performance and that ethos will be carried over into Melbourne,” Pavlovic said.

“Something the show does very well is invite the audience in and permit them to really feel part of it. I think that invitation is extended to audiences from the minute they step into the auditorium, right through to the end of show when the last people to take a bow at the end of the night are the audience.”

Tickets for the Melbourne season will go on sale on July 21 from Ticketek.

Source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/strictly-ballroom-the-musical-to-blitz-melbourne/story-fni0fcgk-1226955888143


Coming to Melbourne for Strictly Ballroom the Musical?

Book your next stay at Metro Apartments on Bank Place: www.metrohotels.com.au/hotels/victoria/metro-apartments-on-bank-place

These serviced boutique apartments in the Mebourne CBD are located within easy reach to public transport.

It is just a walk out the front door to a large variety of restaurants, bars and coffee shops and is in walking distance to Melbourne's famous Bourke Street Mall, the Southgate complex, Crown Casino and Southbank Promenade. Major Sporting venues including Etihad Stadium, the MCG and the Rod Laver Arena are just a short tram ride away.

Stop by reception and our friendly staff will be glad to give you tram and shuttle information to get you to the South Melbourne Market, Bridge Road Richmond, Chapel Street South Yarra, Melbourne Zoo, Melbourne Aquarium, Imax Theatre and Melbourne Museum, The Arts Centre, Old Melbourne Goal, Immigration Museum and many more cultural and entertainment attractions in the city.

Enjoy a short break this Winter at Metro Apartments on Bank Place

Winter is the perfect time to book a short break in Melbourne with its labyrinth of hidden laneways lined with boutique shops and European style cafes, and its choice of art galleries, museums, cultural and sporting events, and restaurants.

Melbourne has a well-earned reputation as the cultural and sporting capital of Australia, and this Winter is no exception.  Melbourne will play host to a number of exciting sporting events, including the AFL Finals Series, commencing September 5 and culminating in the AFL Grand Final on September 27, a number of NRL games, and USA and Canada will battle it out in an exhibition Ice Hockey match in Melbourne on July 25.

There is also a whole range of cultural events taking place this Winter in Melbourne, including the Melbourne International Film Festival (July 31- August 17), Melbourne Writers Festival (August 21 - 31), and Melbourne Cabaret Festival (June 19 – July 6). Throughout August and September, major international artists are scheduled to perform in venues throughout Melbourne, including George Benson (August 21), Lady Gaga (August 23), Queen & Adam Lambert (August 29), Kanye West (September 9), Robbie Williams (September 16), and Justin Timberlake (September 18 & 19).

Reed Gift Fair, the biggest gift and homewares trade show in the Southern Hemisphere, will run from August 2 – 6, and the National 4X4 & Outdoors Show and Fishing & Boating Expo will return to the Melbourne Showgrounds from August 22 – 24.

Metro Apartments on Bank Place, in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, is the ideal accommodation choice for those attending Melbourne’s myriad of sporting events, cultural festivals and concerts. Metro Apartments on Bank Place offers inner city apartment style accommodation that lives up to the city’s European charm. Tucked away down a cobbled laneway, the surrounding heritage-listed piazza introduces you to Melbourne’s charming lanes and city precinct with its range of cafes, restaurants and enticing shopping.

Bustling by day and alive with al fresco dining by night, Bank Place is situated a short stroll away from all of Melbourne’s sought after attractions: Bourke Street Mall, Federation Square, Southgate Centre and Crown Casino. Hop on one of Melbourne’s famous trams to spend the day at the MCG or the National Gallery of Victoria, and take in a show at the Victorian Arts Centre – only a short ride away by taxi or tram.

The property offers 46 apartments, a choice of either studio or one-bedroom suites, as well as a split level, two bedroom penthouse. All suites include a kitchenette and laundry facilities.

To book your stay with Metro Apartments on Bank Place, visit our website http://www.metrohotels.com.au/hotels/victoria/metro-apartments-on-bank-place/welcome/, or call 1800 004 321.

Studio accommodation at Metro Apartments on Bank Place

Our comfortable and convenient Studio Apartments  feature a kitchenette and modern amenities such as complimentary Wi-Fi and Foxtel. With easy access to the business end of Melbourne with the ASX, Melbourne law courts, and the financial district a quick walk away. Some of Melbourne’s most popular shopping and attractions including Southbank, Bourke Street Mall, and Crown Casino are also within easy reach.

With one queen bed, this room is suitable for up to 2 guests.

Amenities:

• Complimentary Wi-Fi access
• Kitchenette
• Air Conditioning
• Alarm Clock/Radio
• Cable TV (Foxtel)
• Coffee/tea making facilities
• Flat screen TV
• Direct dial telephone
• Hair Dryer
• Iron/Ironing Board
• Small refrigerator
• Work desk with lamp

View this room at: http://www.metrohotels.com.au/hotels/victoria/metro-apartments-on-bank-place/accommodation/studio/