Melbourne is a city in

Brevard County, Florida Brevard County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county seat is located in ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. It is located southeast of

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

. As of th
2020 Decennial Census
there was a population of 84,678. The municipality is the second-largest in the county by both size and population. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1969, the city was expanded by merging with nearby

Eau Gallie Eau Gallie () is a section of the city of Melbourne, Florida, located on the city's northern side. It was an independent city in Brevard County from 1860 until 1969. That year residents of Eau Gallie and Melbourne voted to merge their governmen ...

History

Early human occupation

Evidence for the presence of Paleo-Indians in the Melbourne area during the late

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

epoch was uncovered during the 1920s. C. P. Singleton, a

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

, discovered the bones of a

mammoth A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus'', one of the many genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks an ...

('' Mammuthus columbi'') on his property along Crane Creek, from Melbourne, and brought in

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educati ...

paleontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

Frederick B. Loomis to excavate the skeleton. Loomis found a second elephant, with a "large rough flint instrument" among fragments of the elephant's ribs. Loomis found in the same

stratum In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as e ...

mammoth,

mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of the ...

, horse,

ground sloth Ground sloths are a diverse group of extinct sloths in the mammalian superorder Xenarthra. The term is used to refer to all extinct sloths because of the large size of the earliest forms discovered, compared to existing tree sloths. The Caribb ...

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inh ...

, peccary,

camel A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. ...

, and saber-tooth cat bones, all extinct in Florida since the end of the Pleistocene 10,000–8,000 BCE. At a nearby site a human rib and charcoal were found in association with '' Mylodon'', ''

Megalonyx ''Megalonyx'' ( Greek, "large claw") is an extinct genus of ground sloths of the family Megalonychidae, native to North America during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. It became extinct during the Quaternary extinction event at the end ...

'', and '' Chlamytherium'' (ground sloth) teeth. A finely worked spear point found with these items may have been displaced from a later stratum. In 1925 attention shifted to the Melbourne golf course. A crushed human skull with finger, arm, and leg bones was found in association with a horse tooth. A piece of

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals i ...

that appeared to have been modified by humans was found at the bottom of the stratum containing bones. Other finds included a spear point near a mastodon bone and a turtle-back scraper and blade found with bear, camel, mastodon, horse, and tapir bones. Similar human remains, Pleistocene animals and Paleo-Indian artifacts were found in Vero Beach, south of Melbourne, and similar Paleo-Indian artifacts were found at the

Helen Blazes archaeological site The Helen Blazes archaeological site is an archaeological site near Lake Hell 'n Blazes in Brevard County, Florida, United States, which was excavated in the 1950s. Stone artifacts from Paleo-Indians (prior to 8000 BCE), the Archaic period (800 ...

, southwest of Melbourne.

Settlement

The first settlers arrived after 1877. They included Richard W. Goode, his father John Goode, Cornthwaite John Hector, Captain Peter Wright, Balaam Allen, Wright Brothers, and Thomas Mason. Three of these men, Wright, Allen, and Brothers were black freedmen. The city, formerly called "Crane Creek", was named Melbourne in honor of its first postmaster, Cornthwaite John Hector, an Englishman who had spent much of his life in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

, Victoria, Australia (which was in turn named after the British Prime Minister

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, (15 March 177924 November 1848), in some sources called Henry William Lamb, was a British Whig politician who served as Home Secretary (1830–1834) and Prime Minister (1834 and 1835–1841). His first prem ...

). He is buried in the Melbourne Cemetery, along with many early residents in the area. The first school in Melbourne was built in 1883 and is on permanent exhibit on the campus of

Florida Institute of Technology The Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech or FIT) is a private research university in Melbourne, Florida. The university comprises four academic colleges: Engineering & Science, Aeronautics, Psychology & Liberal Arts, and Business. App ...

. By 1885, the town had 70 people.Kellersberger, Julia Lake. ''Rooted in Florida Soil'', Florida Institute of Technology Press, 1971, p. 12. The Greater Allen Chapel

African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexional polity. The African Methodist Episcopal ...

was founded in 1885 and is still active. In the late 1890s, the Brownlie-Maxwell Funeral Home opened and it is still in business. The oldest black-owned business in the county is Tucker's Cut-Rate plumbing. It opened in 1934. In the early 1900s, houses were often built in the frame vernacular style. In 1919, a fire destroyed most of the original downtown along Front Street. At the time, it was rebuilt west of US Hwy 1. During the

Jim Crow The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Other areas of the United States were affected by formal and informal policies of segregation as well, but many states outside the Sou ...

years, black people were required to enter movie theaters via a different entrance from whites and sit in the balcony. Gas stations had signs for rest rooms labeled "Men", "Women", and "Colored." This persisted until integration in the late 1960s. In late 1942 the

Naval Air Station Melbourne Naval Air Station (NAS) Melbourne was a United States Naval Base in Melbourne, Florida. The Navy used NAS Melbourne for gunnery training for pilots of carrier-based fighter aircraft and as a base for WAVES during World War II. While operatio ...

was established as a site to train newly commissioned

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

and

Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

pilots for

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. The program ran until 1946, and the land that was used for that program makes up most of what is currently the Melbourne Orlando International Airport. In 1969, the cities of

and Melbourne voted to merge, forming modern-day Melbourne.

Postwar

In the 1950s, Babcock Street was extended north to intersect with US 1. The Melbourne Shopping Center was constructed on Babcock, the area's first

strip mall A strip mall, strip center or strip plaza is a type of shopping center common in North America where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front. ...

. Consumers were sufficiently attracted to this new mall, that the traditional downtown, off New Haven, suffered. Urban blight was successfully mitigated in the 1980s. A board was created by the legislature to spend a 10% tax on electric bills. This was used by the Melbourne Civic Improvement Board to build the Melbourne Auditorium, the first library and fire station, and various parks. The board was dissolved when Melbourne was merged with Eau Gallie in 1969. That merger doubled the size of Melbourne. Streetlights were gradually added until, by the early 1960s, streets east of Babcock Street had lights. Lights were added to streets west of Babcock after the early 1960s. In 1969, the city elected Julius Montgomery, its first black councilman. Montgomery was also the first African American student of Brevard Engineering College, later Florida Institute of Technology which named their Pioneer Award after him. On August 2, 1995, the city received a record of rainfall from Hurricane Erin. During the week of August 22, 2008, a record of rain fell caused by Tropical Storm Fay. A 2009

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

street party sponsored by a downtown restaurant attracted an estimated 8,000–10,000 people. This overwhelmed the downtown area. Street parties were curtailed until public safety issues were addressed. On February 18, 2017, president Donald J. Trump held his first post-inauguration rally at the Orlando-Melbourne International Airport drawing a crowd of approximately 9,000 people according to the Melbourne police department.

Geography

Melbourne is located approximately southeast of

on the

Space Coast The Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It is one of several "themed" coasts around Florida. All orbital launches from American soil carrying NASA ast ...

, along

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

. It is approximately midway between

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

and

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (14.42%) is water. The east–west street named Brevard Drive was historically the "center" of town; with addresses called "north" and "south" of this street. The north–south Babcock Street provided the same centerline for "east" and "west" directions. Melbourne Beachside has a small presence on the

South Beaches South Beaches is an unofficial area in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It includes cities, towns and unincorporated area on the barrier island south of Patrick Space Force Base. The cities and towns include: South Patrick Shores, Satelli ...

barrier island. It is often confused with Melbourne Beach, a separate political entity.

Climate

Melbourne, Florida has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( ''Cfa''), bordering closely to a tropical savanna climate. Melbourne has a distinctly seasonal precipitation pattern, with a hot and wet season (late May through October) and a warm and dry season (November through April). The climate is strongly influenced by the nearby Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream, as well as incursions of cold fronts from the north in winter months. Melbourne averages of rainfall annually, much of it coming in convective thunderstorms in the late May to early October time period. The record rainfall occurred on August 20, 2008, when Tropical Storm Fay dropped . Melbourne can sometimes have moderate to severe drought conditions from late fall through spring, with brush fires occurring and water restrictions put in place. Melbourne averages 2 days per year with frost, although several years might pass without a frost in the city of Melbourne or at the ocean beaches. On Christmas Eve 2003, the city as others in east central coast of Florida received snow from the ocean effect, when cold air passes over the considerably hotter ocean and causes the rise of air with higher temperature to bring moisture into the higher portions of the

atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A ...

Flora

Tropical flora typical of more southerly locations is grown in the Melbourne area (coconut palms, royal palms, Christmas palms, and bananas), but can be damaged or killed when subjected to infrequent light freezes or cooler temperatures, although several years might pass without a freeze in the Melbourne area. The Melbourne area has many lush gardens and public landscapes, and is noted for the botanical northern limit of cultivated coconut palms on the Florida East Coast.

Environment

The

Florida Department of Environmental Protection The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the Florida government agency responsible for environmental protection. History By the mid-1960s, when the federal government was becoming increasingly involved in initiatives desig ...

has ordered the city to reduce pollution of the

Indian River Lagoon The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: the Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida; one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the Northern Hemisphere and is home to more than 4,30 ...

, which it borders; about 80% of the city's landmass drains in the direction of the lagoon. The city must reduce run-off by of nitrogen and of phosphorus. The city responded by banning the use of fertilizer before flood and storm warnings.

Demographics

As of 2010, there were 38,955 households, out of which 12.6% were vacant. As of 2000, 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.82. In 2000, the city the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. The per capita income for the city was $19,175. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $34,571, and the median income for a family was $42,760. Males had a median income of $32,242 versus $22,419 for females. In Melbourne, about 8.6% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Languages

As of 2000, 90.39% of residents spoke English as their

first language A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother to ...

, while 4.69% spoke Spanish, 0.84% spoke French, 0.73% spoke German, and 0.55% spoke

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

as their

mother tongue A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tong ...

. In total, 9.60% of the total population spoke languages other than English.

Government

Melbourne City Hall (Melbourne, Florida) 001

The Melbourne City Council consists of the mayor and six district council members. Melbourne uses a Council-Manager form of government. City officials * Paul Alfrey, Mayor – Elected November 2020, term expires November 2024 * Tim Thomas, District 1 Council Member – Elected in November 2016. Re-elected in November 2020, term expires November 2024 * Mark LaRusso, Vice Mayor & District 2 Council Member – Elected in November 2018. Re-elected in November 2022, term expires November 2026 * Yvonne Minus, District 3 Council Member – Elected in November 2016. Re-elected in November 2020, term expires November 2024 * Rachael Bassett, District 4 Council Member – Elected in November 2022, term expires November 2026 * Mimi Hanley, District 5 Council Member – Elected in November 2020, term expires November 2024 * Julie Sanders, District 6 Council Member – Elected in November 2018. Re-elected in November 2022, term expires November 2026 The following are appointed by the council: * City Attorney * City Manager Melbourne city officials created the Babcock Street Redevelopment District in 1998 to stimulate new development along Babcock Street from

U.S. 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...

south to U.S. 192. A 218-unit apartment complex built in 2005 is most recent step in an effort to revitalize this area. In 2010, the Eau Gallie Arts District received its designation as a Florida Main Street. Established in 1860 along the Indian River, the arts district (called EGAD!) has proven to be highly successful in its redevelopment of the community of art galleries, shops, restaurants, Melbourne's first microbrewery (Intracoastal Brewing Company), and contains the city civic center and public library with a public pier, Historic Rossetter House and Gardens, Pineapple Park, a few businesses over 40 years old, and a community park and band shell, which is the center of many community activities. It is now a non-accredited main street program. A $180.8 million Operating and Capital Budget was passed for the 2014–2015 fiscal year. In 2007, the city had a taxable real estate base of $4.96 billion. A 2011 study rated the general pension fund for city employees highly at 190%. Less favorably rated were the pension plans for fire and police employees. In 2009, the city had 870 full-time employees and 176 part-time employees.

Economy

Industry

Melbourne Orlando International Airport is located near the center of the city. Melbourne contains defense and technology companies with a high concentration of

high-tech High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...

workers. The following corporations have operations in Melbourne: * DRS Technologies employed 910 workers in 2009. Another reference says 1,800 workers in 2009, 1,300 in 2010. *

Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational corporation, multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the A ...

Signaling Operations Transportation Systems * L3Harris Technologies (corporate headquarters) *

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military tech ...

employed 1,640 workers in 2009. *

Rockwell Collins Rockwell Collins was a multinational corporation headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, providing avionics and information technology systems and services to government agencies and aircraft manufacturers. It was formed when the Collins Radio Co ...

employed 1,430 in 2009. *

Embraer Embraer S.A. () is a Brazilian multinational aerospace manufacturer that produces commercial, military, executive and agricultural aircraft, and provides aeronautical services. It was founded in 1969 in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, where ...

completed a hangar and administrative office at the Melbourne Airport in February 2011. * LiveTV has its headquarters in Melbourne.Where we are
" LiveTV. Retrieved on January 19, 2010.
eviCore Healthcare
has one of its main office in Melbourne. * Avidyne Corporation an avionics company has their HQ in Melbourne and is a developer of Integrated Avionics Systems, multi-function displays, and traffic advisory systems for light

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

(GA) aircraft.

Workforce

In 2007, the average size of Melbourne's labor force was 39,391. Of that group, 37,708 were employed and 1,683 were unemployed, for an unemployment rate of 4.3%.Melbourne Community Data Sheet
Economic Development Council of Florida's Space Coast. Retrieved on July 23, 2009.

Housing

In 2008, 259 building permits were issued for 263 units. There were 209 permits issued for 320 units in 2007, which was down from 329 permits for 512 units in 2006. The

median home price Real estate appraisal, property valuation or land valuation is the process of developing an opinion of value for real property (usually market value). Real estate transactions often require appraisals because they occur infrequently and every prop ...

in 2007 was $215,000. In May 2005, the Melbourne– Titusville– Palm Bay area was among the top 20 in home price appreciation from 2003 to 2004.

Competitiveness

In 2009, ''Forbes'' ranked the area 18th out of 100

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

s and first out of 8 metros in Florida for affordable housing, and short commute times, among others.

Retail and commerce

Melbourne has two downtown business districts, a result of the merger of Eau Gallie into Melbourne: * Eau Gallie Arts District—located along the Indian River Lagoon with two public parks, two fine art galleries, a microbrewery and several other restaurants contained within one block. Known as EGAD, it is on the Florida Humanities FLORIDA STORIES historic audio-based walking tours app (download to your phone from the app store) and contains over 30 murals and three sculptures. * Historic Downtown Melbourne – among other retail outlets, this has 26 eating and drinking establishments within a four block extent.

Healthcare

The city has three hospitals, day care for senior citizens, hospice, walk-in, and urgent care facilities. There is Holmes Medical Center, and Melbourne Regional Medical Center. Kindred Hospital is a chronic care facility for ventilated patients and does not accept emergency patients. A new Viera hospital was opened in May 2011.

Tourism

The city has two

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". ...

s. There were 96,477 rounds played in 2009–10. Revenues were $2,207,502. Rounds and revenue have been dropping since 2006. in 2011, the city raised rates for residents to the same as for non-residents, $27 per round or $522 annual fee. The Eau Gallie Arts District is regularly highlighted as a top destination in the national rankings that are published. Rea
more

Retail

Brevard Mall, the area's first mall, was built in 1962. It was followed by Melbourne Square in 1982.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

In February or March: * The Annual IndiaFest is held in February or March. In April: * The Melbourne Arts Festival, held in April in Wickham Park, draws from 50,000 to 60,000 visitors In August: * The Annual India Day is held in August. In September: * The Melbourne Area Pilots Association hosts a General Aviation Day at Melbourne International Airport in September In October: * The Melbourne

Oktoberfest The Oktoberfest (; bar, Wiesn, Oktobafest) is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or ...

has been held each October since 1977; most recently, this was held at the Wickham Park Pavilion In December: * Christian churches have been producing a "Bible on Parade" since 1990, each participating church portrays a book of the Bible. A spokesperson said in 2011 that it may be the only one of its kind in America.

Museums and points of interest

Historic sites

There are four places on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

: * Florida Power and Light Company Ice Plant (1927) located at 1604 South Harbor City Boulevard * William H. Gleason House at 1736 Pineapple Avenue *

James Wadsworth Rossetter House The James Wadsworth Rossetter House is a historic home in the U.S. located at 1320 Highland Avenue, Melbourne, Florida. The original address of the home was 1328 Houston Street. On July 27, 2005, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Histo ...

(c. 1860s) at 1320 Highland Avenue * Green Gables at Historic Riverview Village 1501 South Harbor City Blvd The following places also are historic: *

Henegar Center The Henegar Center is a historic U.S. building located at 625 East New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, Florida. Built in 1919, it is one of Brevard County’s oldest public buildings. On March 12, 1963, the building received its name in honor of Ruth H ...

(1919) located at 625 East New Haven Avenue * Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (1886) at 50 West Strawbridge Avenue *

Melbourne Bone Bed Melbourne Bone Bed is a paleontological site located at Crane Creek in Melbourne, in the U.S. state of Florida. This site contains fossils from the Late Pleistocene period 20,000 to 10,000 years before present.Brevard County Historical Commiss ...

at Crane Creek *

Nannie Lee House The Nannie Lee House, often referred to as Strawberry Mansion, is a historic U.S. home located at 1218 East New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, Florida. John B. Lee and his wife Nannie McBride Lee from Albion, New York built the house in 1905. Lily Tid ...

– Strawberry Mansion (1905) at 1218 East New Haven Avenue *

Roesch House The Roesch House is a historic U.S. home located at 1320 Highland Avenue, Melbourne, Florida. The house is owned by The Rossetter House Foundation, Inc., managed by the Florida Historical Society The Florida Historical Society is an organizati ...

(c. 1901) at 1320 Highland Avenue *

Winchester Symphony House Winchester Symphony House is a historic home located in the Eau Gallie-section of Melbourne, Florida Florida is a U.S. state, state located in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered t ...

(1890s) at 1500 Highland Avenue ;Walking historic tours Eau Gallie Arts District has an established historical walking tour that includes over 20 historical buildings or locations in the arts district available through a FLORIDA STORIES app to your phone.

Museums

Historic Rossetter House Museum The Historic Rossetter House Museum is located at 1320 Highland Avenue, Melbourne, Florida in the historic section of Eau Gallie. The museum consists of the James Wadsworth Rossetter House and Gardens (1908), the William P. Roesch House (1901), ...

at 1320 Highland Avenue * Liberty Bell Memorial Museum at 1601 Hickory Street * (Green Gables at Historic Riverview Village) at 1501 South Harbor City Blvd.

Performing arts

* Melbourne Civic Theater

Groups

* Brevard Symphony Orchestra * City of Melbourne Pipes and Drums * Strawbridge Art League and Gallery

Buildings

for the Arts * Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts * Melbourne Auditorium located on Hibiscus Boulevard

Sports

Melbourne was an official host city for the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay. There are co-ed adult and youth sports programs in

flag football Flag football is a variant of American football where, instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier ("deflagging") to end a down. The sport has a strong amateur following ...

and

ultimate frisbee Ultimate, originally known as ultimate Frisbee, is a non-contact team sport played with a frisbee Flying disc sports, flung by hand. Ultimate was developed in 1968 by AJ Gator in Maplewood, New Jersey. Although ultimate resembles many traditiona ...

The city of Melbourne hosts an annual indoor

pickleball Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor racket/paddle sport where two players (singles), or four players (doubles), hit a perforated hollow polymer ball over a net using solid-faced paddles. Opponents on either side of the net hit the ball back and ...

tournament called the Melbourne Meltdown Pickleball Championship. The third annual tournament was played on March 4–6, 2021 at the Melbourne Auditorium.

Parks, recreation, and attractions

The city of Melbourne contains over of city park land, including 17 community parks, 13 neighborhood parks, and five smaller city parks. *

Brevard Zoo Brevard Zoo is a 75-acre nonprofit facility located in Melbourne, Florida, United States, that is home to more than 900 animals representing more than 195 species from Florida, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The zoo features animal f ...

* Wickham Park *

Lake Washington Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It borders the cities of Seattle on the west, ...

One of the many forms of recreation is local fishing in places such as Lake Washington.

Public Libraries

Melbourne houses three branches of Brevard County Public Libraries including the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Library, Eau Gallie Public Library, and the Melbourne Public Library. The first home of the Melbourne Public Library was established in 1924 with funds raised by the Library Association of Melbourne. The current Melbourne Public Library is a 25,000 square ft building located in Wells Park. It was first opened to the public in July 1989. The Eau Gallie Public Library was also first opened in the 1920s, starting as a library for the Eau Gallie Woman's Club. In 1939, the club officially sponsored the small library, beginning with only 22 books. The current building opened in 1962, gradually expanding over the years. In October, 1990 the Eau Gallie Public Library had a collection of 67,023 volumes and over 25,000 registered borrowers, a testament to the faith of the founders of the Eau Gallie Woman's Club. The library is located in Riverfront Park overlooking the Indian River.

Education

Of all residents 25 years or older, 88.5% are high school graduates, and 25.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher. Public schools are run by the Brevard County School Board. Prior to 1964, segregated schools were maintained for white students and black students under the doctrine of

Separate but equal Separate but equal was a legal doctrine in United States constitutional law, according to which racial segregation did not necessarily violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which nominally guaranteed "equal protec ...

education. Black students were educated at Melbourne Vocational School from 1921 until it burned in 1953. For the next five years they met in the former hospital of the Naval Air Station, until Stone High School was opened in 1958. In 1964 the schools were integrated and Stone was repurposed as Stone Middle School.

Colleges and universities

* Eastern Florida State College *

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

Satellite Campus * Keiser University – Melbourne *

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State Universi ...

Regional Campus *

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It offers undergraduate and graduate program ...

– Patrick Space Force Base Campus

Elementary schools

* Roy Allen Elementary * Ascension Catholic School * Brevard Academy for Individual Excellence * Dr. W. J. Creel Elementary * Croton Elementary * Harbor City Elementary * Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy Lower School (Pre-K–6) * Longleaf Elementary * Meadowlane Primary * Meadowlane Intermediate * New Covenant Christian School * Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School * Quest Elementary * Sabal Elementary * Sherwood Elementary * Suntree Elementary * University Park Elementary * West Melbourne Elementary

Middle schools

* Ascension Catholic School * Brevard Academy for Individual Excellence * DeLaura Middle School * Central Middle School * Covenant Christian School * Florida Preparatory Academy * Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy Upper School * Johnson Middle School * Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School * Stone Middle School

High schools

;Public * Eau Gallie High School * Melbourne High School *

Palm Bay High School Palm Bay Magnet High School is a public high school located in Melbourne, Florida, north of the boundary of Palm Bay, Florida. It is part of the Brevard County School District. History The school originally opened as Southwest Junior High ...

* West Shore Junior – Senior High School ;Private * Brevard Academy for Individual Excellence * Brevard Christian School *

Florida Preparatory Academy Florida Prep (FPA) is a private boarding and day school founded in 1961 by Jonathan Dwight, located in Melbourne, Florida. Students in grades 6 -12 are provided a college-preparatory education that emphasizes leadership, character, accountability ...

* Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy Upper School * Melbourne Central Catholic High School * New Covenant Christian School

Adult education

* Palm Bay High Adult/Community Education * South Area Adult Center

Media

Print

''Brevard Business News'' is a weekly newspaper in Melbourne,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

covering business news and trends for the

. Fred Krupski started ''Brevard Business News'' in 1981, and Adrienne B. Roth purchased it in 1986. ''

Florida Today ''Florida Today'' is the major daily newspaper serving Brevard County, Florida. Al Neuharth of the Gannett corporation started the paper in 1966, and some of the things he did with this newspaper presaged what he would later do at USA Today. ...

'' is the major daily newspaper serving

. The

Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors ...

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major roads

The city is responsible for about of road. It would like to resurface 5% () of that each year. It was able to afford to pave half of that in 2013. Roads in the older part of the city, in what is today the southeast, are oriented toward the north–south road, Babcock Street, with compass directions measured east and west from that road. In the same area, a very minor east–west road, Brevard Drive, separates compass directions north and south. * US 1

– Known officially as Harbor City Boulevard, this road runs parallel to the Indian River on the far eastern side of the city. The highway is six-lanes throughout the city. Within the city limits, this road intersects two causeways: the

and Melbourne Causeways. Major intersections include University Boulevard, New Haven Avenue, U.S. 192, SR 508, CR 507, CR 5054, SR 518, CR 511, Lake Washington Road, and Post Road. * US 192

U.S. 192 – Locally named New Haven Avenue, and Strawbridge Avenue in downtown, this road passes through commercial, entertainment, and retail areas of Melbourne. It serves as a route to

Kissimmee Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...

and the tourist corridor of

to the west, and the town of Indialantic to the east via the Melbourne Causeway. Major intersections include Evans Road/Hollywood Boulevard, Dairy Road, SR 507/CR 507, New Haven Avenue, and U.S. 1. * I-95

– This highway is six-lanes throughout its run in Melbourne. There are three exits within city limits: Exit 180 (U.S. 192), Exit 182 (Ellis Road), and Exit 183 (SR 518). * Florida A1A

SR A1A – This road runs along the barrier island portion of Melbourne and provides access to Indian Harbour Beach and Indialantic. There is only one major intersection: SR 518. * Florida 507

SR 507 – The state road portion of Babcock Street, this road runs from the city limits of Palm Bay to U.S. 192, serving the

along the way. Major intersections include Florida Avenue, University Boulevard, and U.S. 192. * Brevard County Road 507 FL

CR 507 – The county road portion of Babcock Street, this road runs from U.S. 192 to U.S. 1, serving one of the main economic centers of Melbourne. Major intersections include U.S. 192, SR 508, and U.S. 1. * Florida 508

SR 508 – This road runs from U.S. 1 to the Melbourne Orlando International Airport. Major intersections include Air Terminal Parkway, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, CR 507, and U.S. 1. * Brevard County Road 509 FL

CR 509 – Known locally as Wickham Road, this is one of the busiest roads in Melbourne: Up to 38,680 cars use Wickham Road weekdays, and the average is 33,850. Major intersections include Ellis Road/NASA Bouelvard, SR 5054/CR 5054, SR 518, CR 511, Lake Washington Boulevard, and Post Road. * Brevard County Road 511 FL

CR 511 – Known almost universally as John Rodes Boulevard while north–south and Aurora Road while east–west, this road enters from West Melbourne and ends at U.S. 1, running through some impoverished areas of the town. Major intersections include Ellis Road, SR 518, CR 509, and U.S. 1. * Florida 518

SR 518 – Known locally as Eau Gallie Boulevard, this road's run is entirely in Melbourne, running from Interstate 95 to SR A1A over the Eau Gallie Causeway. It runs through the Eau Gallie Arts District. Major intersections include Interstate 95, SR 5054, CR 509, U.S. 1, SR 513, and SR A1A. * Florida 5054

SR 5054 – The state road designation being entirely unsigned, the road is mostly known as Sarno Road. It has a short run from SR 518 to CR 509, where Sarno Road continues as CR 5054. * Brevard County Road 5054 FL

CR 5054 – The more urban portion of Sarno Road. Major intersections include CR 509, Croton Boulevard, Apollo Boulevard, and U.S. 1.

Rail

The Union Cypress Company Railroad ran east to west through south Melbourne in the early 1900s. The

mill town A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories, usually cotton mills or factories producing textiles. Europe Italy * '' Crespi d'Adda'', UNESCO World ...

Hopkins Hopkins is an English, Welsh and Irish patronymic surname. The English name means "son of Hob". ''Hob'' was a diminutive of ''Robert'', itself deriving from the Germanic warrior name ''Hrod-berht'', translated as "renowned-fame". The Robert spe ...

was near the present-day streets of Mill Street and Main Street. The

Florida East Coast Railway The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México. Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a p ...

(FEC) runs through Melbourne, staying west of U.S. 1 through its entire run. Into the early 1960s, passengers could take one of two

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

-bound trains (on alternating days), the ''

City of Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...

'' or the '' South Wind'' (both via

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

) and the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

-bound '' East Coast Champion,'' ''Havana Special,'' and ''Miamian'' from Melbourne's Florida East Coast station. Into the latter 1950s, passengers could take the '' Dixie Flagler'' to Chicago via

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

from the station. The FEC operated local passenger service between

and the Miami area until July 31, 1968. The Brightline passenger rail company is considering service to extend north from West Palm Beach to the Space Coast, but so far, has passed over Melbourne for

Cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter an ...

Bus

* Space Coast Area Transit operates a public bus service in Melbourne and vicinity. The city subsidizes two routes internal to the city so Melbourne residents ride for free. * Greyhound Bus Lines has a bus station in Melbourne

Airport

Melbourne Orlando International Airport is located about northwest of the city's original business district. The airport has daily flights on six passenger airlines and a cargo one, including Delta, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Elite Airways.

Utilities

Power is provided by

Florida Power and Light Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), the principal subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc. (formerly FPL Group, Inc.), is the largest power utility in Florida. It is a Juno Beach, Florida-based power utility company serving roughly 5 million customers ...

. Gas is provided by Florida City Gas. Cable TV service is provided by

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors ...

. Traditional landline telephone service is mainly provided by

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile ...

, while some cable customers use

digital telephone (VOIP) service. Internet service providers in Melbourne range from various 56 kbit/s providers, AT&T (formerly BellSouth) FastAccess DSL, and

cable internet. Fiber-optic networks are installed in the city mainly for business purposes and have not been integrated for home use. The Water Department not only provides water for the city, but for surrounding towns and cities for a premium, including Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach, Palm Shores, Melbourne Village, West Melbourne, and a portion of unincorporated Brevard County south of the

Pineda Causeway State Road 404 (SR 404), the Pineda Causeway, is an east–west divided highway currently running from Interstate 95 (I-95) to SR A1A at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, US. It was opened as a toll road in 1971 and classified a ...

. In 2020, it served about 170,000 people. Wholesale water service is provided to West Melbourne. The total distribution area is about Two water treatment plants take water from

and deep wells, providing of drinking water per day. This water is treated with

chloramine Chloramines refer to derivatives of ammonia and organic amines wherein one or more N-H bonds have been replaced by N-Cl bonds. Two classes of compounds are considered: inorganic chloramines and organic chloramines. Inorganic chloramines Inorgan ...

and

ozone Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the l ...

. Almost annually, the city is obliged to substitute the stronger

free chlorine Sodium hypochlorite (commonly known in a dilute solution as bleach) is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula NaOCl (or NaClO), comprising a sodium cation () and a hypochlorite anion (or ). It may also be viewed as the sodium salt of hy ...

for the summer months when algae blooms are prevalent. In 2003, water rates were $2.27/ sewer $4.47/. Solid waste removal and recycling is provided by Solid Waste Management, part of the city of Melbourne's Environmental Community Outreach (ECO) Division.

Namesakes

Melbourne Square, in the city of Melbourne, located on US 192 west of downtown, is one of the largest shopping centers in Brevard County. In the 1960s, the motto of Melbourne was, "Crossroads to the Universe".

Notable people

* Oliver Askew, professional racing driver for

Andretti Autosport Andretti Autosport is an auto racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000, and Formula E. The team also has a 37.5% ownership stake in the Australian Supercars Championship touring car team, Walkinshaw Andretti ...

Thomas Barbour Thomas Barbour (August 19, 1884 – January 8, 1946) was an American herpetologist. From 1927 until 1946, he was director of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) founded in 1859 by Louis Agassiz at Harvard University in Cambridge, ...

, author and naturalist, lived in

as a boy * Peter Blount, former member of the World Cup Bobsled Team and of the US National Track and Field Team *

Bruce Bochy Bruce Douglas Bochy (; born April 16, 1955), nicknamed "Boch" and "Headly", is an American professional baseball manager and former catcher who is the current manager of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He managed the San Dieg ...

, manager of the World Champion San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball team * Robbie Carrico, Season 7 contestant on ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...

'' * Bobby Dall, bass player for the band

Poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

, resides in Melbourne *

Cecil Fielder Cecil Grant Fielder (; born September 21, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Fielder was a power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UN ...

, professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

player * Prince Fielder, professional baseball player, son of Cecil Fielder, went to Eau Gallie High School * William Henry Gleason, founded and lived in Eau Gallie *

Kristin Grubka Kristin Nicole Grubka (born December 17, 1992) is an American soccer player. College career Florida State University, 2011–2014 Grubka played for the Florida State Seminoles from 2011 to 2014. In her senior year she started all 26 games, help ...

, professional women's soccer player, FSU women's soccer national champion in 2014 * Darrell Hammond, comedian and actor, born and resided in Melbourne from 1955 to 1975 *

Kim Hammond Kim Crane Hammond (October 12, 1944 – July 16, 2017) was a judge in Flagler County, Florida and was a quarterback for Florida State University. For Seminole fans, he is best remembered for quarterbacking the team's first victory over riva ...

, former judge and former quarterback for

and

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

, played football, basketball and baseball for Melbourne High School * C.J. Hobgood, 2001 ASP world champion surfer, born in Melbourne *

Damien Hobgood Damien Hobgood is a professional surfer from Satellite Beach, Florida. He is known for having once held the highest two-wave grand final score in pro surfing by scoring 19.9 out of 20 at The Quiksilver Pro Fiji in 2004 until Kelly Slater eclips ...

, professional surfer born in Melbourne * Devon Hughes, professional wrestler, better known as Brother Devon from

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the prom ...

Vicky Hurst Vicky Hurst (born June 19, 1990) is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour. She turned professional as a 17-year-old in 2008, while still in high school. Playing on the Futures Tour that year, she won five times and s ...

, professional golfer, graduated from Holy Trinity *

Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891 – January 28, 1960) was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s American South and published research on hoodoo. The most popular of her four n ...

, author, lived in

in the 1920s and 1950s *

Billy Lane William David Lane (born February 6, 1970 in Miami, Florida) is an American builder of custom motorcycles, owner of Choppers Inc. in Melbourne, Florida, known for his 2009 conviction and imprisonment in Florida for a drunk-driving incident in 2006 ...

, owner of Choppers, Inc. and builder of custom motorcycles *

Jeff Lett Cartel is an American pop punk band from Conyers, Georgia, United States, that formed in 2003.Cartel
. (2008). " ...

, bass player of

Cartel A cartel is a group of independent market participants who collude with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the market. Cartels are usually associations in the same sphere of business, and thus an alliance of rivals. Mos ...

, born in Melbourne * Marcus Maye, professional NFL player for the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...

, attended Holy Trinity *

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and err ...

, lead singer for

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

, born in Melbourne *

Henry Mucci Henry Andrews Mucci (March 4, 1909 – April 20, 1997) was a colonel in the United States Army Rangers. In January 1945, during World War II, he led a force of 121 Army Rangers on a mission which rescued 513 survivors of the Bataan Death Marc ...

, US Army colonel who led the Great Raid in World War II to free the

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the enti ...

survivors, retired to Melbourne *

Bill Nelson Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician and attorney serving as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Nelson previously served as a United States Senator from Flo ...

, long-time U.S. senator from Florida, raised in Melbourne and graduated from Melbourne High School in 1960 * Reggie Nelson, safety for NFL's

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...

* Jamie Noble, professional wrestler *

Hans von Ohain Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain (14 December 191113 March 1998) was a German physicist, engineer, and the designer of the first operational jet engine. Together with Frank Whittle he is called the "father of the jet engine". His first test unit ra ...

, one of the first people to develop the jet engine, retired and died in Melbourne * Stanford Parris, former U.S. congressman from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, was a primary resident of Melbourne after leaving Congress * Will Perdue, NBA forward and center (

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

), sportscaster, born in Melbourne * Toni Pressley, professional women's soccer player, graduated from West Shore High School in 2008 * Tom Rapp, singer-songwriter, leader of 1960s/1970s band

Pearls Before Swine A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

* Taylor Rowan, American football placekicker *

Melana Scantlin Melana Scantlin (born December 4, 1977 Gladstone, Missouri) is an American entertainment journalist, sports journalist and former Miss Missouri USA, and reality TV star who also competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss USA pageants. In college, she ...

, actress * Stefanie Scott, teenage actress born in Melbourne, stars on the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

show ''

A.N.T. Farm ''A.N.T. Farm'' is an American teen sitcom which originally aired on Disney Channel from May 6, 2011 to March 21, 2014. It first aired on May 6, 2011, as a special one-episode preview and continued as a regular series starting on June 17, 2011 ...

'' * Lee Stange, professional baseball pitcher * Jason Steele, state representative from 1980 to 1982 *

Robbin Thompson Robert Wickens "Robbin" Thompson (June 16, 1949 – October 10, 2015) was an American singer-songwriter based in Richmond, Virginia. Since 1976 he recorded several albums which included guest appearances by Melissa Manchester, Steve Cropper, Wa ...

, singer-songwriter * Amber Torrealba, professional skimboarder * George Trofimoff, former U.S. Army colonel and convicted spy for the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

, lived in Melbourne from 1994 to 2000 * Kate Upton, model, 2012 ''Sports Illustrated'' swimsuit issue cover girl * Tim Wakefield, baseball pitcher for the (

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

), born in Melbourne * Matt Walters, defensive end for the

Leonard Weaver Leonard Toney Weaver III (born September 23, 1982) is a former American football fullback who last played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Carson-Newman College. He was signed ...

, National Football League fullback * Larry Wolfe, Major League Baseball infielder *

Mickey Zofko Michael Joseph Zofko (born June 8, 1949) is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played for the Detroit Lions and New York Giants. He played college football for the Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are t ...

, National Football League

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...

The Learning Station The Learning Station is an American educational children's musical group, comprising the husband-and-wife team Don and Laurie, and their friend Jan. History and music career Couple Laurie and Don Monopoli founded the group in Connecticut before ...

, kids' band founded in 1987

References

External links

* * {{authority control 1867 establishments in Florida Helen Blazes Cities in Brevard County, Florida Cities in Florida Populated coastal places in Florida on the Atlantic Ocean Populated places established in 1867 Populated places on the St. Johns River