Melbourne’s Best Australia Day Parties

The most Australian day of the year is coming up, and no, it’s not Grand Final Day. It’s of course Australia Day, where there’s plenty of red, white and blue, or green and yellow, on show around the streets. Since you’ve got a day off from work, what can you do to celebrate our federation?

Milk Bar Mag has plenty of ideas for you guys to celebrate the day without doing the usual stuff like hit the beach or have a barbie. Not that they’re bad of course, but it doesn’t hurt how ‘Straylian you are in new ways, does it?

Here are some of our top picks for the day:

Royal Croquet Club, Birrarung Marr, Melbourne
Croquet has always been something of a niche sport and very English. Being that Australia is one of the British empire’s children, it would actually be quite fitting to recognise our early heritage by doing something British. There will be food trucks from Hammer and Tong, Beatbox Kitchen, Cornucopa, Little Mushroom Co., Nuoc Mama, Shari D’s, Toasta, Trailer Made and RTW Bagels; yum yum!

Beer Deluxe, 329 Burwood Road, Hawthorn
What kind of Australia Day would it be if the beer wasn’t cheap? The staff will be pouring you $6 pints of some of Australia’s best craft breweries, such as Stone & Wood, Two Birds, Mornington and Boatrocker. And naturally, there will be true blue Aussie tucker being served, such as the Aussie Lamb Burger with chips for $15.

The Railway Hotel, 29 Chapel Street, Windsor
Chapel Street is one of the “most Melbourne” places imaginable, so it’s awesome that their deck is where they will be hosting their Australia Day party, so you’ll get to see the vibrant Chapel Street and drink up at the same time. With plenty of traditional Aussie grub on offer, it’ll be both true blue and sophisticated (it is Chapel Street after all).

Brunswick Street Cider House, 386 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
There used to be a vacant lot at the back of the bar last year, and this year the team behind the Cider House have utilised it to accommodate all the many people that will flock here on Australia Day. They had to turn back a lot of people last year, vowing not to do the same this year. Now prettied up with grass and white picket fences, it looks gorgeous (definitely better than the concrete lot it used to be!). Peeps will get slow cooked pork or vegan rolls, apple crumble with calvados creme anglaise and vanilla ice cream.

Happy Australia Day from Milk Bar Mag!