The Victorian Andrews Labor Government has built a virtual world of Melbourne’s underground history and landmarks – including the Metro Tunnel – in Minecraft to help students hone their creativity and problem-solving skills. Minister for Education James Merlino and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan launched a Minecraft collaboration between the Department of Education and Training, and the Metro Tunnel Project today. “Mini Melbourne in Minecraft is a fantastic resource that will enable Victorian government school students to learn more about Melbourne and its past.” Minister for Education James Merlino commented “Innovations such as this engage young people in problem solving and STEM subjects, inspiring them to work on city-shaping projects.”
Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said that Minecraft enthusiasts around the world will be able to immerse themselves in ‘Mini Melbourne’ featuring familiar sights such as Flinders Street Station, St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne Town Hall and Federation Square.
“Mini Melbourne is a Minecraft world-first, teaching students about the biggest public transport project in Victoria’s history.” Minister Allan commented “Young Victorians will gain a new appreciation for the Metro Tunnel, which will deliver more trains more often.”
Minister Allan pointed out that that the Mini Melbourne edition is available to all Minecraft users for download. Players can explore, build and design their own virtual corners of the city. Primary and secondary students from government schools across Victoria can take part in an Archaeology Adventure as virtual archaeologists working at the Metro Tunnel dig site in Swanston Street and learn about artefacts recently uncovered.
Minister Merlino explained that Mini Melbourne is a Minecraft world-first – the first ‘virtual city’ built as an educational resource for students to learn more about our great city. Minecraft is a global phenomenon with more than 154 million copies sold, making it the second best-selling video game of all time behind Tetris. The software is used for education purposes in more than 100 countries, as students encounter real-world learning during their virtual exploration.