Melbourne tourist attractions: The big names behind the city’s iconic places that get millions of visitors a year

Sofia, 12, at the Melbourne Skydeck on the Eureka Tower’s 88th level – the highest observation platform in the Southern Hemisphere. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Millions of visitors use the holidays to flock to Victoria’s biggest and most beloved tourist attractions.

While the places of interest themselves are famous, many people don’t realise the iconic sites are owned by a variety of local and international names including mega-successful business moguls and entertainment powerhouses.

With other owners like the state government and local councils, some of the properties are worth hundreds of millions, and even billions of dollars.

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Gambling and shopping mecca Crown Casino, in Melbourne’s Southbank, sold in an $8.9bn package deal that incorporated two other casinos – in Perth and Sydney – during 2022.

US-based private equity group Blackstone purchased the casinos from the wealthy Packer family.

Covering a total 510,000sq m, Crown’s complex features 2628 gaming machines, 540 gaming tables, three hotels, a spa and the 900-seat performance venue, The Palms.

There are also a 7350sq m conference centre, 1500-seat ballroom, restaurants, bars and shops.

In Melbourne’s CBD, Collins St’s Rialto Towers is owned by the property, tourism and investment company Grollo Group and investment group Dexus.

The latter bought out the Kuwaiti government’s stake in the Rialto for $635m in 2020.

Last valued at more than $1.2bn, the Rialto is known as both a dining destination and for its office space where tenants include the Australian Securities Exchange, the Bank of Melbourne, Mitsubishi Australia Ltd and Pfizer.

The 57-storey building, which measures more than 250m tall at its highest point, was last valued at more than $1.2bn.

Melbourne’s Crown Casino was sold as part of a $8.9bn deal in 2022. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Luis Ascui.

Melbourne Skydeck, at the Eureka Tower, includes the Voyager Theatre which features 24 pod chairs that take guests on a virtual reality journey through 16 famous Melbourne locations.

A view of the Yarra River from the Eureka Tower. Picture: David Crosling.

Another city skyscraper, the Eureka Tower in Southbank, is where the Melbourne Skydeck, which is visited by more than 500,000 people every year, is located.

Sydney property fund RF CorVal, that’s linked to multiplex scion Andrew Roberts, spent $60m to acquire the almost-300m high observation deck in 2021.

Home to more than 10,000 animals such as sharks, stingrays and seahorses, the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, belongs to the UK-based Merlin Entertainments.

The company operates more than 130 attractions and 19 hotels across the world, and also owns the Legoland Discovery Centre at Chadstone shopping centre.

This year, Sea Life has welcomed many visitors who wanted to catch a glimpse of its viral star, the young king penguin Pesto.

More than 1.9 billion social media users have viewed the aquarium’s posts about Pesto, who weighed 21kg at his live-streamed gender reveal in September, making him the largest king penguin chick to ever live at the aquatic wonderland.

Eric, six years old, and his brother Freddie, five, enjoy some pirate dress-ups at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium that’s owned by Merlin Entertainments. Picture: Tony Gough.

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium inhabitant Pesto the penguin, pictured at nine months old, became an online superstar in 2024. Picture: Andrew Henshaw.

A winter night market at the Queen Victoria Market, which belongs to the City of Melbourne.

Victoria’s oldest prison, the Old Melbourne Gaol, is owned by the state government while the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) is its appointed committee of management.

Between 1842 and its 1929 closure, 133 people were hung at the goal, legendary bushranger Ned Kelly and serial killer Frederick Deeming among them.

Now a museum, the Russell St site is believed to be haunted.

Staff and visitors have reported seeing spectres clad in old-fashioned prison outfits and with horrible faces.

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Another historic property popular with tourists is the Queen Victoria Market, built upon land that previously served as Melbourne’s first cemetery from 1837 to 1854.

The market is now owned by the City of Melbourne and managed by Queen Victoria Market Pty Ltd, consisting of a board of directors and an executive team.

Trucking billionaire Lindsay Fox has a share in St Kilda’s Luna Park, while the majority owner is Melbourne investment group Virtual Communities.

The Lower Esplanade amusement park fetched more than $7m, when a consortium including Fox purchased it, in 2005.

Luna Park in St Kilda, which opened in 1912, last sold in 2005. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images.

Visitors aged 16 years old and above can go on a tour titled ‘Ghosts! What Ghosts? at the Old Melbourne Gaol, which is believed to be haunted. Picture: Supplied.

An illustration of bushranger Ned Kelly’s execution in 1880, after which he was buried at Old Melbourne Gaol. Picture: State Library of Victoria.

Further out of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula tourist attraction Arthurs Seat Eagle

began life in 1931.

The site was developed into a tourism venue known as the Garden of the Moon, which had a dance hall, camera obscura, giant telescopes, a swimming pool and lookout tower.

In the 1960s, a chairlift was opened but closed in 2006 and was later dismantled.

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Almost a decade ago, the PGA Group signed a 50-year lease with the Victorian government to take over the Eagle.

PGA Group’s major shareholders are NAB non-executive director Simon McKeon and transport, logistics and property billionaire Peter Gunn and his family.

Under their direction, a gondola-style lift running from a base station in Dromana to the Arthur’s Seat summit was built.

Earlier this year, the Eagle operators submitted a $25m proposal to the Victorian Planning Authority to upgrade the attraction.

The Arthurs Seat Eagle features a gondola-style lift which takes in views of the Mornington Peninsula.

Daisy, 14, and Kitty, 10, enjoy a rollercoaster ride at Gumbuya World. A consortium of business identities owns the Tynong North theme park. Picture: Mark Stewart.

Arthurs Seat Eagle chief executive Matthew Mulkearns said that if approved, the redevelopment would showcase a new food and beverage offering, luge ride and “a new immersive gateway experience at the base station that speaks to the history and amenity of the Mornington Peninsula”.

“We think it would be a staged development over a period of time, almost like three or four different projects in one,” he said.

Mr Mulkearns said that a former 1930s-era observation tower with 360-degree views of Western Port Bay and Port Phillip Bay could also be rebuilt.

He added that about 270,000 groups visited the Eagle every year and it was hoped the redevelopment would boost midweek visitation, as well as interstate and overseas visitors.

“We really want to work with the local community down there to increase the new benefit for the local area,” he said.

The MCG, which is about 20,000sq m in size, is owned by the Victorian government. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Crosling.

Six-year-old Jasmine on a tennis court at Rod Laver Arena, which is also owned by the Victorian government. Picture: Tony Gough

More than 63km southeast of Melbourne’s CBD is the Gumbuya World Theme Park in Tynong North.

Featuring water slides, roller-coasters, rides, shows and wildlife, the park opened in 1978.

In 2017, a consortium involving Jayco Caravans’ founder Gerry Ryan, Carsales.com.au founder Wal Pisciotta, Car Megamart director Ray Weinzierl and Campbell Constructions’ directors Adam Campbell and Brett Murray acquired the site before giving it a $50m makeover.

Melbourne’s famous sports locations include the MCG, which is owned by the Victorian government and operated by the Melbourne Cricket Club.

Latest annual report figures show its buildings and plants were valued at $371.4m in June, 2024.

Rod Laver Arena, home of the Australian Open, is also the state government’s property, although it’s operated by the Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust.

Marvel Stadium belongs to the AFL, which paid about $200m for the site in 2016.

It was valued at $250m in 2022, but has since undergone a $225m upgrade.

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