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In a year that brought us Trump, Brexit, the deaths of far too many iconic artists and countless other horrors, it can be easy to forget that Melbourne also experienced a few shining moments. These were times – on the stage or on the streets – that brought our city together in the pursuit of equality, that laid the foundations of better times to come, and that served as proof that Melbourne is a city of talented, creative and forward-thinking individuals. In no particular order, we bring you Melbourne's 16 best moments of 2016.
1. Thousands of Melburnians took to the streets for the #LetThemStay rally
In February this year, more than 1,000 Melburnians gathered at the State Library of Victoria to protest the High Court ruling that the federal government's offshore processing policy was constitutional. Incredibly, the protest was organised in a matter of a days, and saw crowds passionately (and peacefully) expressing their disgust of the government's treatment of refugees and asylum seekers; particularly, the announcement that nearly 100 babies and young children would be sent back to Nauru.
2. Melbourne got 24-hour public transport on weekends
On January 1, 2016, the Victorian government rolled out all-night public transport on weekends – and we haven't looked back. It's a fundamental part of the City of Melbourne's plan to make Melbourne a safe, vibrant and thriving 24-hour city: you can read more about making the most of late-night Melbourne here.
3. Matilda The Musical made everyone cry in 'When I Grow Up'
In a world that can often seem unjust – especially towards those less privileged – Matilda The Musical was a welcome reminder of the power inside us all to stand up for what we believe is right, no matter how big or small we might be. Audience members young and old cried nostalgic, bittersweet tears in 'When I Grow Up'; an almost unbearably real reminder to stay true to our inner child and draw on the resilience that lies within. Read our full review.
4. Gay comedians Zoe Coombs Marr and Rhys Nicholson got married
In April, during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney comedians Zoe Coombs Marr (winner of this year's Barry Award for her brilliant show Trigger Warning) and Rhys Nicholson got hitched in what was technically Australia's first 'gay marriage'. And while the whole ceremony (which was open to the public, but comprised mostly of fellow comedians and involved the likes of Judith Lucy and Denise Scott as flower girls) was very tongue-in-cheek, it wasn't all laughs. Hannah Gadsby took to the stage as emcee, and delivered a speech that remains one of the most powerful pieces of writing this reviewer encountered all year. "To actively isolate a human being is nothing short of structural violence," she said. "Rhys and Zoe are doing this for the children. Because at this moment, what they are doing in this country is saying to all the children is that it's OK to exclude a minority. That it's OK to be a bully." Read the full speech here.
5. Ai Weiwei made a defiant artwork about free speech out of donated Lego pieces
The National Gallery of Victoria's celebrated Andy Warhol/Ai Weiwei exhibition was always going to be highly political – especially given that Ai Weiwei was commissioned to create several brand new pieces. However, things really heated up late last year once Lego refused to sell any of their product to the Beijing artist. In true Ai Weiwei fashion, he instead put word out to his immense social network, asking galleries all over the world to set up Lego drop-off points. Out of donated Lego, he made an entire room dedicated to people – mostly Australians – who stand up for free speech; among them Julian Assange, Rosie Batty and Peter Greste.
6. Marios Café celebrated 30 years on Brunswick Street by reverting to 1986 prices
Running a successful restaurant or café isn't easy, which makes it all the more impressive that Marios – a Brunswick Street Italian stalwart – celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. To commemorate this milestone, co-owners Mario Maccarone and Mario de Pasquale reverted back to 1986 prices for the day. What followed was a warm-hearted gathering of regular customers, old faces and curious locals all reminiscing while eating bolognese that has been cooked the same way for three decades.
7. The Secret River at Arts Centre Melbourne became essential viewing
Time Out Sydney gave Neil Armfield's production of the adaptation of Kate Grenville's novel five stars when it first premiered in 2013, and again when it was performed in 2016 in Sydney and Melbourne. Time Out's Dee Jefferson wrote: “There’s something spiritually profound and politically important about sitting in a room with other humans and watching your shared history performed on stage – and never more so than when that history traverses the best and worst of human nature, and is an urgent call for understanding and reconciliation.”
8. A café for dogs opened in Collingwood
Sure, it's not the most profound thing to have happened in 2016 – but this was a year where little things like a dog café helped to make some of the more difficult things bearable. Dog House gave Melbourne – a city unashamedly obsessed with our four-legged friends – what it had dreamed of for years, providing tasty treats for dogs and humans alike.
9. Hundreds of redheads gathered for the Ginger Pride Rally
This year's inaugural Ginger Pride Rally drew nearly 1,000 loud and proud rangas out onto the streets of Melbourne (appropriately covered with sunscreen, obviously) in a celebration of uniqueness. The really ace thing about the event was that, given many redheads are unfortunately still bullied, money was raised for the Bully Zero Charity. Stay weird and generous, Melbourne.
10. Daniel Andrews proved he was down with the kids
As we've reported before, everyone is jealous that Victoria gets Daniel Andrews as premier. This is a guy who apologised to the LGBTI community of Victoria for state-sanctioned homophobia in the past, and who took two young kids from Nauru to the Melbourne Zoo, for a start. But in September this year, Andrews posted this Drake-inspired image on the Facebook event page for Laundry Bar's 'Drake vs Rihanna' night. When asked about it in an interview, Andrews admitted that one of his staff had posted the photo, and that he wasn't really a fan of Drizzy. Ah well. Nobody's perfect.
11. Missy Higgins performed her heart-wrenching song about asylum seekers with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
In February this year, much-loved Melbourne singer-songwriter Missy Higgins wrote a beautiful, heartbreaking song called 'Oh Canada' in response to the death of three-year-old Syrian asylum seeker Alan Kurdi. In November, Higgins performed the song on the Hamer Hall stage with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; her voice soaring with the strings out into a very emotional audience. We spoke to Missy Higgins about her upcoming album, motherhood and her feelings about asylum seekers in October this year – read our full interview.
12. The Stokehouse re-opened
In 2014, the Stokehouse – a St Kilda fine dining icon – was razed by a fire. Finally, just in time for summer, the restaurant is back and better than ever. Diners will now find a beachfront fine dining restaurant, a more casual grill restaurant called Pontoon, and a casual fish and chippery called Paper Fish right on the sand.
13. Readings officially became the best bookshop in the world
In April, the London Book Fair confirmed what we already knew: that Readings in Carlton is the best bookshop in the world world. The judges recognised that Readings has an incredibly strong history of community outreach and support for non-profit organisations – and we recognise that it's the best place in Melbourne to find a great read, and an essential part of Lygon Street's identity.
14. The Western Bulldogs won the AFL Grand Final
Of course this was going to be on our 'best of 2016' list: it involves beating Sydney at something, after all. But seriously, watching the underdogs rise up and take out the AFL Grand Final was not only a triumphant moment for Melbourne, but especially for those living in the western suburbs, who hadn't seen their team win a Grand Final in 62 years. Pubs all over the west were painted red, white and blue, and when the final siren went, celebrations took to the streets of Footscray and beyond.
15. Backstage in Biscuit Land was the most triumphant and important show at the Melbourne Festival
This year's Melbourne Festival brought with it a plethora of genre-defying, boundary-breaking and fascinating theatre, dance, music, visual art and live art. Our highlights were many, but Jess Thom's hilarious and poignant Backstage in Biscuit Land stole our hearts. An exploration into Thom's experiences living with Tourette's, the show toed the line between being uproariously funny while not shying away from the difficulties of living in a world in which she is differently abled and misunderstood. And more broadly, she reminded us all of the need for, and all the as-yet untapped benefits of, a world that celebrates greater diversity.
16. Hot Brown Honey smashed gender and racial stereotypes
"We do this for the women who cannot speak. We are taught that silence will save us. But we will make noise!" One of our highlights on Melbourne's stages this year was Hot Brown Honey; a defiant alt-cabaret by six First Nations women who refuse to conform to any stereotype. Our reviewer wrote: "The Honeys refuse to temper their rage or apologise for who they are; and yet, they manage to create a space where everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, race or cultural background, is completely welcome and encouraged to join the fight for equality. This is theatre with a purpose; devastating, empowering and uplifting.”