Melbourne

A way of life, inspired by a city’s collective creativity.

The great city of Melbourne has consistently been acclaimed as one of the best cities in the world for quality of living, education and healthcare. It’s also established itself as a bastion of international sports, hosting renowned events such as the Melbourne Cup, Australian Open tennis and Formula One Grand Prix. The enviable Melbourne lifestyle is accented by sophisticated food, wine and arts festivals, sizzling entertainment, chic shopping precincts and a famous collection of serene parks and botanic gardens. 

Located on the northern edge of inner metropolitan Melbourne is the City of Darebin, with its vibrant suburbs of Northcote and Preston. CENTVM is at the geographic heart of this great city.  To the south, Westgarth and Northcote  are full of popular cafes, bars, small fashion boutiques and restaurants, with the landmark Westgarth Picture Theatre, the oldest purpose-built cinema still operating in Melbourne. To the north, High Street’s retail and commercial precinct extends to the Preston Civic Centre and Preston Markets.  

This well-established multicultural community has an extraordinary variety of retail, commercial, recreational and entertainment facilities all within easy walking distance of each other. The city boasts major landmarks such as La Trobe University, Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre, Northland Shopping Centre and the Preston Markets. Enterprising urban planning has ensured the community has easy access to major metropolitan traffic routes while being efficiently served by a comprehensive network of trams, buses and trains.

The importance of Preston and Northcote as hubs for business, culture and a number of communities has been recognised by their designation as Major Activity Centres that are an integral part of the State Government’s regional planning and development strategies for northern Melbourne.