30 August 2008 marks 173 years since the founding of Melbourne – the day the first European settlers landed on the north banks of the Yarra River aboard the schooner Enterprize. This pioneering group was led by Captain John Lancey with Launceston builder George Evans and his servant Evan Evans, carpenters William Jackson and Robert Hay Marr, ploughman Charles Wise and blacksmith James Gilbert and his wife Mary making up the party.

It was on 30 August 1835 that these first settlers landed and commenced with the building of a thatched storage hut and the clearing of land along the north bank of the Yarra River. This location today is known as Enterprize Park where Williams Street and Flinders Street meet near the old Customs House.

The people of the Kulin nation are the traditional owners of the land that became Melbourne, including the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung, Taungurung and Djadjawurrung people, who gathered in this place for ceremonies and cultural activities.

Melbourne Day celebrates much more than just the day the city was founded. It represents the point at which the proud community of Melbourne began to form and is a day to celebrate all the elements that contribute to making Melbourne one of the world’s most liveable cities.

An array of must-see events is planned for Melbourne Day in 2008 to commemorate 173 years of settlement and celebrate how great it is to be a Melburnian!