Above: Walking group with ‘Kenny’ (Shane Jacobson) on the Marvellous Smellboom Tour
Melbourne Walks is probably Melbourne’s oldest walking company, Our first walk in 1991 on the trail of an escaped convict has evolved into today’s 100 different tours. We have over twelve history books published in our mission to promote and preserve Melbourne’s heritage and environment. Our clients include 2000 school students annually for whom we design imaginative and unique learning adventures.
The miners dug for gold. We dig for hidden stories in the landscape to offer our walkers rich personal experiences of the unseen world around us. Every walk is a unique interaction between participants, place and memories.
We are passionate about sustainability promoting it to thousands of participants through tours such as the Sustainability tour, Indigenous Landscapes, Social Justice, and Liveability tours.
We have partnered with our traditional custodians to express our commitment to reconciliation and social justice including two award-winning Indigenous history books.
Meyer Eidelson and traditional owner Carolyn Briggs at the St Kilda Ngargee Tree
Melbourne Walks is accredited with the Professional Tour Guides Association of Australia and with Guides of Australia. We maintain public liability insurance, Working with Children Check, First Aid Certificates.
In 2015 two of our books won awards at the Victorian Community History Awards. The judges described Melbourne Dreaming: A Guide to Important Places of the Past and Present as ‘a finely crafted example of a historical guide that provides inspiration for other guide writers.’
See Our 15 books
1991 Successful submission to the government creating St Kilda Breakwater Penguin Sanctuary – now thriving, Go look from the pier!
1997 Australian Sister City Award: ‘Alfreda the City Penguin’ (children’s book in English and Japanese)
2001 Australian Centenary Medal: ‘contribution to community tourism‘
2002 Victorian Community History Awards – Best Walk/Tour Commendation
2007 Civic Project of the Year Award – Port Phillip (Coordinator St Kilda Children’s History Project)
2007 Citizen of the Year nomination – Port Phillip
2010 Port Phillip Business Excellence Awards: finalist in three categories ‘Tourism’, ‘Environmental Sustainability’ & ‘Service Excellence’
2011 Indigenous Victorian Home and Community Care Award (VICAAD)
2011 Immigration Museum Exhibition ‘Fighting for Equality’ (six-months) – ADEC Coordinator
2011 Civic Project of the Year Award – Port Phillip (Publishing Coordinator of MPHG book & film ‘The Heart of Middle Park’)
2012 St Kilda Film Festival: Our film ‘A Century of Lunacy: The Story of Luna Park’.
2014 Finalist: City of Port Phillip Business Excellence Awards – Tourism
2015 Lonely Planet votes Melbourne Walk’s Literary Tour as one of the ten best in the world.