Things i bet you never knew about Melbourne

Since i have said goodbye to Melbourne, i thought I would post a few interesting facts that ive learnt about Melbourne.

Did you know that

Black Box flight recorders were invented in Melbourne ?
A Melbourne man invented the "black box" flight recorder. Nobody in Australia was interested in David Warren's invention, developed at the Aeronautical Research Laboratories in Melbourne in 1956, but he was invited to develop it in the UK. Soon, the "black box" was in use world-wide and in 1960 all Australian airlines were compelled to install them

Vegemite was invented in Melbourne in 1923 (and subsequently did you know every jar of Vegemite 'ever made' has come from the Melbourne factory at Fisherman Bend !!)

Amazingly, the Dim Sim was invented in Melbourne in 1945, by chinese chef William Wing Young (that really astounded me.)


The world's first feature film was shot in Melbourne. 'The Story of the Kelly Gang'

ACDC Lane in Melbourne's centre celebrates the heavy metal rock group AC/DC. ACDC Lane is off Flinders Lane, a block and a half from Swanston Street, where the video clip to 'Long Way' to the Top was filmed.


Also, The worlds first McCafe was in Melbourne.
And the worlds first Blood Bank was in Melbourne. (founded by Dr. Lucy Meredith BRYCE)

Did you know the term "Call Girl" for prostitute was invented in Melbourne in 1891

Melbourne had the first gay and lesbian radio station in the world. Starting with a 90 day test licence in 1993, Joy Radio was one of only four community stations to receive a full licence in 2001.

The site of the popular Queen Victoria Market, opened in 1878, was once a cemetery. There are still roughly 9,000 people buried under the sheds and car park of the market. Every time work is carried out at the market, bones are disturbed.


Melbourne's Luna Park is the world’s oldest amusement park under private management. The St Kilda landmark opened in 1912 on the site of 'Dreamland' which closed in 1909.

Melbourne was briefly named 'Batmania' after one of its founders, John Batman. Other proposed names included Bearbrass, Bareport, Bareheep, Barehurp and Bareberp.

But Funniest of all, is the Moobma Festival in Melbourne
The word Moomba may actually be an insult. Melbourne’s popular annual festival was supposed to be named after an Aboriginal word meaning 'let's get together and have fun' but some experts say differently...

“…one wonders how anyone could be naive enough to believe that all this can be expressed in two syllables. In fact 'moom' (mum) means 'buttocks' or 'anus' in various Victorian languages and 'ba' is a suffix that can mean 'at', 'in' or 'on'. Presumably someone has tried to render 'up your bum' in the vernacular.” (Barry Blake, Australian Aboriginal Languages).