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Melbourne is the second most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3.7 million (2006 estimate). Located in the country's south-east, Melbourne is the state capital of Victoria and is home to over 70% of all Victorians.
Founded by British free-settlers in 1835, 47 years after the first European settlement of Australia, Melbourne was transformed from a small pastoral settlement situated around the Yarra River into a growing metropolis by the Victorian gold rush in the 1850s. By 1865, "Marvellous Melbourne" was Australia's most populous and important city. It served as the temporary national capital from the Federation of Australia until the construction of Canberra in 1927.
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