Once again Melbourne has been placed in the number one spot of the world’s most livable cities in a survey which ranked 140 cities around the world. The yearly report from the Economist Intelligence Unit assesses locations around the world which provide the best and worst living conditions according to culture, environment, infrastructure, education, healthcare and stability and we are proud to add that Sydney, Perth and Adelaide have also been ranked within the top 10. So what makes Melbourne so special? Good food, multi-cultural ethnic groups, major sporting events, healthcare, environment or just simply excellent Feng Shui?
Located in the South East of Australia, Melbourne and its many suburbs are situated in Port Phillip Bay and benefit from what we call in Feng Shui terms an ‘embrace formation’. In addition the city of Melbourne itself is positioned in the center of this embrace point. As can be seen from this map, the left wing (Portsea to Mornington) of Port Phillip Bay extends out more than the right wing (Queenscliff to Geelong) in an embrace formation. Both wings also curve inwards which creates great potential to accumulate wealth within Port Phillip Bay, as the heads allow only a relatively small gap for the water to flow in and be retained.
For power, support and authority the ranges and hills which surround Melbourne also provide great support. In addition King Island, which is situated beyond Port Phillip Bay, is known as a ‘Table Mountain’ and stores the ‘Chi’ which completes an overall excellent natural formation. Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra utilizes the same Feng Shui concept with man-made forms. For Melbourne however these are all based on natural forms or ‘San He’ (Environment & Landscape Form) Feng Shui, which ultimately is one of the most powerful schools of Feng Shui.
Based on Classical Feng Shui principles Melbourne’s ‘land embrace’ formation is most beneficial to the men of the city and can benefit up to 10 sons (in Feng Shui terms), as the land embrace covers those areas beneficial to all sons of the family. Thus I am sure you will agree that Melbourne men are good looking with great fashion sense and fine qualities! In fact Melbourne has also previously been ranked as the second best city for men after New York in a poll by the website Askmen.com. This ranked 29 cities across the globe based on how good it was for men to live, work and play in.
It was also based on other factors such as the amount of annual leave and the ratio of men to women.
Overview of Melbourne
History
Melbourne is the capital of Victoria with a population close to 4 million people. It was first occupied by the Wurundjeri Indigenous tribe of the Woiwurrung language group, which belongs to the Kulin nation that lived in this area for approximately 30,000 years before the arrival of the European Colonization.
During the 19th Century various settlers explored the land around Port Philip Bay, but there weren’t any permanent settlers until 1835. John Batman, a successful farmer from Tasmania struck a deal to buy 600,000 acres of land from the local Wurundjeri people, paying for it with goods such as scissors, flannel jackets, shirts, handkerchiefs, blankets, knives, looking glasses, flour and the promise of a yearly tribute.
He then built up the settlement area with John Pascoe Fawkner and founded what we now call Melbourne, although initially it was known as ‘Batmania.
Thus Melbourne was born in its own unique way as a settlement of free people and not of convicts.
Marvelous Melbourne – The Boom Years
During the forty years which followed there was a rapid growth of schools, churches, libraries, art galleries and learned societies and the city was famously known as ‘Marvelous Melbourne’. This title was bestowed upon it by an English journalist George Augustus Henry Sala during his visit in 1885 and is still very much used by Melbournians today.
Many historical buildings were erected during this period of time and the first Australian steam railway was completed between Flinders Street and Port Melbourne. The wonderful Queen Victoria Market was also founded during this ‘boom’ period with the city streets lit up for the first time by gas lighting.
Other famous historical buildings were constructed between the 1850’s and 1880’s which include the Melbourne Football Club, the National Gallery of Victoria, the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the Town Hall and the magnificent Royal Exhibition Building.
The first cable tramline commenced operation when the Town Hall was completed and thanks to the Gold Rush of the 1850’s, the wealth of the city was reflected in its ornate and grand architecture. Chinatown was also established during the Gold Rush era and not long after that Melbourne city overtook Sydney as the largest city in Australia. Might I add that many of these historical buildings (built over 150 years ago), seem to have a better Feng Shui sense than their modern counterparts, which appear to be designed with quite a few Feng Shui obstacles.
Political Scene
In 1901 the first parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia was opened in Melbourne. It was inaugurated by The Prince George who later became King George V. The parliament was first held in The Royal Exhibition Building, which was large enough to accommodate 14,000 people. In 1927 the Parliament then moved to the new national capital in Canberra.
On a side note it is interesting to note that probably because of the natural and excellent Feng Shui landform which supports power and authority, Victoria has produced the most Prime Ministers to date.
Wealth
Melbourne has always been rated as one of the wealthiest states in Australia, thanks in great part to the discovery of gold in 1851. This led Melbourne to become a major port which provided most services for the region and created a rapid growth for the city. The Victorian gold rush also lead to a huge influx of migrants, most arriving by sea and the population of Melbourne quickly grew as gold fever took hold.
Stories from the gold fields told of nuggets being picked up off the ground and brought an enormous influx of wealth which contributed to Victoria being known as the ‘paradise of the working man’. The economic boom of the Victorian gold rush reached its peak in the 1880’s and made Melbourne the richest city in the world at that time.
This wealth was then accumulated within the city and thus it is significant for a city to face the sea in the correct manner. This reflects the same logic in Classical Feng Shui which states that a property should have a sea-facing front, rather than have the sea behind the property.
Economy
Power and authority is also created for Melbourne from the mountain ranges which provide the city with natural support. Combine this with the wealth that is accumulated within Port Philip Bay and the settlement of good ‘Qi’ thanks in some part to the ‘Table Mountain’ landform of King Island and Melbourne becomes a highly diversified economic strength in many different areas.
In fact Melbourne became the headquarters for many of Australia’s largest corporations which include five of the ten largest in the country based on revenue, and five of the six largest in the country based on market capitalization, including companies from the mining, banking and telecommunication sectors.
The city has the busiest seaport in Australia and handles more than $75 billion in trade every year and Melbourne Airport is the second busiest hub in Australia, providing entry points for national and international visitors.
Melbourne is undoubtedly an important financial hub and boasts two of the four major bank headquarters. The city has carved out a niche as Australia’s leading centre for pension funds with 40% total and 65% industrial super-funds including $40 billion-dollar Federal Government Future Fund.
Other than housing the financial wealth, Melbourne is Australia’s Industrial centre with many manufacturing facilities ranging from petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and aircraft parts to paper manufacturing, food processing and fashion garments.
Melbourne is also a major city when it comes to tourism. This industry generates around $15.8 billion annual revenue with approximately 2 million international visitors and 7.6 million domestic visitors.
Education and Health
In recent years the number of international students has risen rapidly in Melbourne, as the city provides quality education and prestigious universities.
In 2008 Melbourne was ranked as the world’s fourth top university city and in the recent National ranking for higher education, Melbourne University was at the top of the list. This esteemed tertiary institution is also recognized by Times Higher Education Supplement (a British magazine) to be a top ranking university.
Medicare also provides the people of Melbourne (and Australia) with a great public health care system which funds access to a range of hospital and medical treatments. Many other support and welfare groups also help to make Australia the ‘lucky country’.
With great natural Feng Shui not only does Melbourne hold great wealth and power, but it also a centre for health and knowledge.
Culture, Film and Sports
Not only does Melbourne produce political figures, but also internationally renowned actors such as Cate Blanchett, Kylie Minogue, Geoffrey Rush, Rachel Griffiths, Guy Pearce, Eric Bana and Chris Hemsworth. Melbourne was the birthplace of television in Australia and the city boasts an extensive cinematic history, with some of the world’s first feature films produced here.
In 2004 the construction of Australia’s largest film and television studio complex was completed in the Docklands. This facility is responsible for many domestic films and televisions shows, as well as international features films such as Ghost Rider, Charlotte’s Web and Knowing.
The city celebrates a wide variety of annual sporting, cultural events and festivals including the Spring Racing Carnival which features the world famous Melbourne Cup, the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, the Australian Tennis Open, Melbourne International Film Festival, Comedy Festival, Fringe Festival and Arts Festival. The Australian Ballet Company and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra are also based here. Thanks to such a wide variety of cultural events Melbourne has been voted the second city in the world to be named as a UNESCO City of Literature.
Furthermore the annual gathering of senior Feng Shui Masters, practitioners and enthusiasts from around the world will head to Melbourne this year, making it the first International Feng Shui Convention (IFSC) to be held outside of Singapore since the event’s inception in 2004.
In the sense of Feng Shui, when there is already an excellent natural landform formation then power, wealth, knowledge and health will follow, along with reputation, fame and recognition.
Pursuit of Happiness – Melbourne Feng Shui
So what does a great natural Feng Shui landscape do for people? Well, I am happy to report that Melbourne is rated as the top happiest city in Australia and ranked in the top 5 worldwide.
Victoria may not have the mining resources that other states have, but the people here are relatively happy with their lot in life. This is reflected in the great economy, a firm housing sector and low unemployment. Victorians are predominantly optimistic and contented with their lifestyle, as is often expressed in their saying “No Worries Mate!”
So is this just pure coincidence or is it human luck provided by the excellent Feng Shui landform? You could even say that this city has all the ‘Eight Aspirations’ of power, support and authority luck, wealth luck, health luck, knowledge and education luck, career luck, love and happiness luck, fame and recognition luck and producing quality children luck.
Melbournians are an open-minded group of people who are willing to go the extra mile to improve their life and are not afraid to take on challenges. I suppose with great Feng Shui comes great quality people. Marvelous! Just Marvelous Melbourne!
