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Sydney - South West vs Melbourne - Inner

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 685 km apart · Sydney - South West profile · Melbourne - Inner profile

Sydney - South West Melbourne - Inner

Melbourne - Inner and Sydney - South West are very different urban hubs. Melbourne - Inner is a highly educated and affluent area where 51.4% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher and the typical weekly income is $1,137. It is a place of smaller households, with 39.1% of people living alone. In contrast, Sydney - South West is shaped by larger families, with 20.9% of the population being children under 15 and 79.4% of homes having three or more bedrooms. Cultural profiles also differ sharply; Sydney - South West has a much higher share of people using a language other than English at home (58.6%) and a far higher proportion of residents born overseas (47.4%).

Despite these contrasts, the two areas share a similar number of schools and nearly identical typical monthly home-loan payments. They also have almost the same share of people providing unpaid care and those who served in the Defence Force. While they share these basic traits, many of the gaps between them have grown since 2011, particularly regarding typical incomes and the share of adults with university degrees.

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Where they differ most

Other language: 30.1 pts higher in Sydney - South West No religion: 36.2 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner Bachelor+: 33.6 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner Living alone: 22.6 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner Separate houses: 54.7 pts higher in Sydney - South West

Demographics & Identity

Population in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +142,588 larger in Melbourne - Inner gap steady
474,430 87th pct 617,018 92nd pct
Median age in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +1 yrs older in Sydney - South West gap steady
35 yrs 14th pct 34 yrs 1st pct
First Nations in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +0.8 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap steady
1.3% 25th pct 0.5% 8th pct
Aged 65+ in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +1.3 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap widening
13.3% 24th pct 11.9% 15th pct
Under 15 in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +10.0 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap steady
20.9% 90th pct 10.9% 11th pct
De facto in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +13.1 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
5.7% 0th pct 18.8% 96th pct

Age structure

28.1% Young adults (25–44) +15.1 pts ▸ 43.2%
24.1% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.2 pts 20.9%
20.9% Children (0–14) ◂ +10.0 pts 10.9%
13.7% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.6 pts 13.1%
13.3% Seniors (65+) ◂ +1.3 pts 11.9%

Marital status

34.2% Never married +22.6 pts ▸ 56.8%
49.4% Married ◂ +18.9 pts 30.4%
7.8% Divorced ◂ +0.5 pts 7.4%
4.8% Widowed ◂ +1.8 pts 3.0%
3.8% Separated ◂ +1.4 pts 2.4%

Age & sex structure

Sydney - South West Melbourne - Inner

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +11.6 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap narrowing
47.4% 100th pct 35.9% 83rd pct

Country of birth

47.3% Australia +11.4 pts ▸ 58.8%
8.5% Vietnam ◂ +7.2 pts 1.4%
1.5% China +2.5 pts ▸ 4.0%
0.7% England +2.7 pts ▸ 3.3%
1.9% India +0.9 pts ▸ 2.8%
1.4% New Zealand +0.9 pts ▸ 2.3%
1.6% Philippines ◂ +0.8 pts 0.8%
1.2% Italy +0.2 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.5% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%
0.2% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

Ancestry

10.8% English +17.3 pts ▸ 28.2%
13.6% Australian +7.9 pts ▸ 21.5%
2.4% Irish +10.3 pts ▸ 12.6%
10.8% Vietnamese ◂ +9.0 pts 1.8%
8.4% Chinese +1.2 pts ▸ 9.7%
2.0% Scottish +7.5 pts ▸ 9.5%
5.9% Italian +2.1 pts ▸ 7.9%
1.5% Greek +2.8 pts ▸ 4.3%
4.0% Indian ◂ +0.7 pts 3.3%
1.1% German +2.6 pts ▸ 3.7%
2.4% Filipino ◂ +1.3 pts 1.1%
0.3% Dutch +1.2 pts ▸ 1.5%

Language

Other language in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +30.1 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap narrowing
58.6% 100th pct 28.5% 80th pct
Limited English in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +10.8 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap steady
14.7% 100th pct 3.9% 79th pct

Language used at home

34.9% English only +31.1 pts ▸ 66.0%
11.4% Vietnamese ◂ +9.8 pts 1.6%
10.2% Arabic ◂ +9.1 pts 1.1%
1.7% Mandarin +3.4 pts ▸ 5.1%
0.9% Greek +1.8 pts ▸ 2.7%
1.7% Italian +0.5 pts ▸ 2.2%
2.2% Cantonese ◂ +0.6 pts 1.6%
2.1% Hindi ◂ +1.2 pts 0.9%
0.9% Tagalog ◂ +0.6 pts 0.3%
0.5% Punjabi ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

Religion

No religion in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +36.2 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
14.9% 0th pct 51.1% 100th pct

Religious affiliation

14.9% No religion +36.2 pts ▸ 51.1%
50.6% Christianity ◂ +19.6 pts 31.0%
11.3% Buddhism ◂ +8.1 pts 3.2%
10.2% Islam ◂ +7.4 pts 2.8%
7.0% Not stated +0.3 pts ▸ 7.2%
3.6% Hinduism ◂ +0.9 pts 2.7%
2.4% Other religions ◂ +1.8 pts 0.6%
0.0% Judaism +1.3 pts ▸ 1.3%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +22.8 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap narrowing
56.6% 64th pct 79.4% 100th pct
Bachelor+ in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +33.6 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
17.7% 47th pct 51.4% 100th pct
Schools in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +7 more in Melbourne - Inner
140 79th pct 147 84th pct
Schools/1k kids in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +0.78 more in Melbourne - Inner
1.41 12th pct 2.20 51st pct
Students in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +16,568 more in Sydney - South West
95,387 89th pct 78,819 86th pct
Avg size in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +144 larger in Sydney - South West
691 93rd pct 547 73rd pct
ICSEA in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +117 higher in Melbourne - Inner
1,001 43rd pct 1,118 91st pct

Highest year of school

56.6% Year 12 +22.8 pts ▸ 79.4%
17.0% Year 9 or below ◂ +12.2 pts 4.8%
15.1% Year 10 ◂ +10.8 pts 4.3%
4.3% Year 11 +0.9 pts ▸ 5.1%

Highest qualification level

26.2% Bachelor degree +15.4 pts ▸ 41.6%
24.6% Certificate III / IV ◂ +15.6 pts 9.0%
7.3% Postgraduate degree +13.0 pts ▸ 20.3%
17.3% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +6.0 pts 11.3%
1.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +3.7 pts ▸ 5.6%
2.1% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.3 pts 0.7%

Field of qualification

21.4% Management & commerce +0.2 pts ▸ 21.6%
10.9% Society & culture +4.7 pts ▸ 15.5%
13.7% Engineering & related ◂ +5.7 pts 8.0%
8.1% Health +1.4 pts ▸ 9.5%
2.7% Creative arts +6.7 pts ▸ 9.5%
7.2% Education ◂ +1.3 pts 5.9%
5.3% Architecture & building ◂ +0.8 pts 4.5%
5.0% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.7 pts 3.3%
2.8% Natural & physical sciences +2.1 pts ▸ 4.8%
4.4% Information technology +0.4 pts ▸ 4.8%
0.8% Agriculture & environment +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +$517 higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
$620 5th pct $1,137 86th pct
Household income in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +$293 higher in Melbourne - Inner gap narrowing
$1,713 55th pct $2,006 76th pct
Family income in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +$983 higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
$1,850 35th pct $2,833 88th pct
High earners in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +15.0 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
6.8% 22nd pct 21.8% 88th pct
High-income homes in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +8.4 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap steady
21.2% 57th pct 29.6% 80th pct

Household income distribution

30.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.7 pts 29.9%
26.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +5.5 pts 21.3%
10.4% $4,000 or more +8.5 pts ▸ 18.9%
15.2% Under $650 ◂ +0.8 pts 14.4%
10.8% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.2 pts 10.6%

Personal income distribution

47.7% Under $650 ◂ +17.9 pts 29.8%
29.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.3 pts 28.4%
13.4% $1,500–$2,999 +11.7 pts ▸ 25.1%
1.9% $3,000 or more +8.2 pts ▸ 10.1%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +3.3 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
21.5% 14th pct 24.8% 28th pct
Mental health in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +5.3 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
5.1% 11th pct 10.3% 69th pct
Needs assistance in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +3.4 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap steady
7.4% 88th pct 3.9% 17th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

5.1% Mental health +5.3 pts ▸ 10.3%
5.9% Asthma +2.1 pts ▸ 8.0%
7.6% Other condition even 7.6%
6.4% Arthritis ◂ +1.2 pts 5.1%
5.9% Diabetes ◂ +3.2 pts 2.7%
3.1% Heart disease ◂ +0.7 pts 2.4%
1.7% Cancer +0.5 pts ▸ 2.2%
1.0% Lung condition ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%
0.8% Stroke ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%
0.6% Dementia ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

Number of long-term health conditions

70.1% None ◂ +2.4 pts 67.7%
15.0% One condition +3.5 pts ▸ 18.6%
4.2% Two conditions +0.4 pts ▸ 4.6%
2.3% Three or more ◂ +0.6 pts 1.7%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +8.7 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap narrowing
6.3% 4th pct 15.0% 53rd pct
Unpaid carers in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +0.7 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap narrowing
11.1% 36th pct 10.4% 26th pct
Unpaid child care in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +6.5 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap steady
23.7% 27th pct 17.2% 10th pct
Defence service in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner even
1.1% 3rd pct 1.1% 4th pct
Housework 15h+ in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +4.0 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap steady
18.2% 25th pct 14.2% 13th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +3,050 larger in Sydney - South West
6,396 58th pct 3,346 33rd pct
Median age in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +7 yrs older in Melbourne - Inner
22 yrs 14th pct 29 yrs 86th pct
Year 12 in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +32.3 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
38.1% 48th pct 70.4% 100th pct
Unemployment in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +2.2 pts higher in Sydney - South West
8.7% 24th pct 6.6% 7th pct
Median income in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +$312 higher in Melbourne - Inner
$590 50th pct $902 88th pct
Household income in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +$333 higher in Melbourne - Inner
$1,607 54th pct $1,940 86th pct
Indigenous language in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +2.8 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
5.7% 51st pct 8.6% 76th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +1.2 larger in Sydney - South West gap steady
3.2 100th pct 2.0 2nd pct
One-parent in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +6.2 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap steady
17.0% 84th pct 10.8% 12th pct
Living alone in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +22.6 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
16.5% 0th pct 39.1% 100th pct

Family composition

66.5% Couples with children ◂ +19.9 pts 46.7%
15.3% Couples without children +24.6 pts ▸ 39.9%
17.0% One-parent families ◂ +6.2 pts 10.8%
1.2% Other families +1.4 pts ▸ 2.6%

Household size

16.5% 1 person +22.6 pts ▸ 39.1%
24.3% 2 people +11.7 pts ▸ 36.0%
20.4% 4 people ◂ +11.4 pts 9.0%
18.4% 3 people ◂ +5.8 pts 12.7%
11.4% 5 people ◂ +8.9 pts 2.5%
9.0% 6 or more ◂ +8.3 pts 0.7%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +$4 higher in Sydney - South West gap narrowing
$405 73rd pct $401 72nd pct
Mortgage in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +$33 higher in Sydney - South West gap narrowing
$2,200 84th pct $2,167 82nd pct
People / bedroom in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner even gap steady
1.00 93rd pct 1.00 93rd pct
Renting in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +17.0 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap narrowing
35.4% 80th pct 52.5% 97th pct
Owned outright in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +4.3 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap steady
25.7% 17th pct 21.4% 9th pct
Separate houses in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +54.7 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap widening
75.0% 28th pct 20.3% 0th pct
3+ bedrooms in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +46.1 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap widening
79.4% 57th pct 33.3% 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

35.4% Rented +17.0 pts ▸ 52.5%
35.6% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +12.0 pts 23.6%
25.7% Owned outright ◂ +4.3 pts 21.4%
1.8% Not stated ◂ +0.7 pts 1.1%
1.5% Other tenure even 1.5%

Types of homes

75.0% Separate house ◂ +54.7 pts 20.3%
13.7% Flat or apartment +43.6 pts ▸ 57.3%
10.8% Townhouse / semi-detached +10.8 pts ▸ 21.6%
0.2% Other dwelling +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%

Bedrooms per home

15.3% 2 bedrooms +28.2 pts ▸ 43.5%
36.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +28.6 pts 7.5%
32.9% 3 bedrooms ◂ +8.8 pts 24.0%
3.3% 1 bedroom +17.7 pts ▸ 21.0%
10.5% 5 or more ◂ +8.7 pts 1.8%
0.4% Studio / none +0.8 pts ▸ 1.1%

Weekly rent distribution

48.5% $350–$549 ◂ +4.0 pts 44.5%
20.7% $200–$349 +1.8 pts ▸ 22.6%
14.8% $550–$749 +0.5 pts ▸ 15.2%
10.7% Under $200 ◂ +3.4 pts 7.3%
1.3% $750 or more +6.4 pts ▸ 7.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

38.1% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +8.9 pts 29.2%
23.7% $3,000 or more +6.9 pts ▸ 30.6%
19.2% $1,000–$1,799 +3.4 pts ▸ 22.6%
11.7% Under $1,000 even 11.8%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +16.5 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
8.2% 80th pct 24.7% 100th pct
Work from home in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +14.8 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
27.4% 84th pct 42.2% 95th pct
PT commute in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +5.6 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap narrowing
2.2% 50th pct 7.8% 95th pct
PT stops in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +301 more in Melbourne - Inner
2,267 83rd pct 2,568 88th pct
Stops/1k in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +0.62 more in Sydney - South West
4.78 57th pct 4.16 33rd pct
Departures/1k in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +1,595.0 more in Melbourne - Inner
1,298.4 65th pct 2,893.3 99th pct
PT routes in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +103 more in Melbourne - Inner
71 44th pct 174 89th pct

How people get to work

45.0% Car (driver) ◂ +21.2 pts 23.9%
27.4% Worked at home +14.8 pts ▸ 42.2%
1.3% Walked +4.8 pts ▸ 6.1%
3.7% Car (passenger) ◂ +2.1 pts 1.5%
0.1% Bicycle +2.6 pts ▸ 2.8%
1.6% Train +1.1 pts ▸ 2.7%
0.6% Bus ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

Motor vehicles per home

32.2% 1 vehicle +17.0 pts ▸ 49.3%
36.2% 2 vehicles ◂ +15.9 pts 20.3%
8.2% No vehicle +16.5 pts ▸ 24.7%
14.3% 3 vehicles ◂ +10.3 pts 4.0%
9.1% 4 or more ◂ +7.3 pts 1.7%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +18.1 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap steady
36.4% 27th pct 54.5% 93rd pct
Recent arrivals in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +16.3 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap narrowing
10.8% 31st pct 27.2% 91st pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +1.9 pts higher in Sydney - South West gap steady
7.0% 86th pct 5.1% 58th pct
Participation in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +21.5 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
49.5% 13th pct 71.1% 100th pct
Full-time in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +8.5 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening
54.6% 20th pct 63.1% 85th pct

Industries people work in

5.5% Professional & technical +10.8 pts ▸ 16.3%
13.0% Health care & social assistance ◂ +0.2 pts 12.7%
10.3% Retail trade ◂ +2.5 pts 7.8%
7.4% Education & training +2.2 pts ▸ 9.6%
9.2% Manufacturing ◂ +5.5 pts 3.7%
9.0% Construction ◂ +3.7 pts 5.3%
5.2% Accommodation & food +2.9 pts ▸ 8.0%
7.9% Transport & warehousing ◂ +5.0 pts 2.9%
5.7% Public administration & safety +0.6 pts ▸ 6.3%
4.9% Finance & insurance +1.4 pts ▸ 6.3%
3.6% Wholesale trade ◂ +1.5 pts 2.1%
3.5% Other services ◂ +0.8 pts 2.8%

Occupations people work in

19.5% Professionals +20.9 pts ▸ 40.4%
10.6% Managers +6.1 pts ▸ 16.8%
15.2% Clerical & administrative ◂ +3.9 pts 11.3%
12.2% Technicians & trades ◂ +4.7 pts 7.5%
11.2% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +9.2 pts 2.0%
10.2% Labourers ◂ +5.8 pts 4.4%
10.2% Community & personal service ◂ +1.1 pts 9.1%
8.4% Sales workers ◂ +1.6 pts 6.7%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +185,792 higher in Melbourne - Inner
527,701 87th pct 713,493 92nd pct
Growth in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +3.0 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
10.8% 84th pct 13.8% 99th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +346 higher in Sydney - South West
977 59th pct 631 28th pct
Max temp in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +4.5 higher in Sydney - South West
24.9 61st pct 20.4 17th pct
Min temp in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +0.2 higher in Melbourne - Inner
11.1 44th pct 11.3 46th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +3.1 higher in Melbourne - Inner
6.1 72nd pct 9.3 100th pct
Types ≤15 min in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +2.0 more in Melbourne - Inner
5.9 72nd pct 7.9 100th pct
15-min city in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +25.5 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
74.2% 71st pct 99.7% 100th pct
Walk to shops in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +28.4 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
71.1% 72nd pct 99.5% 100th pct
Walk to transit in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +9.4 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
90.6% 70th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to school in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +15.4 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
83.4% 76th pct 98.8% 100th pct
Walk to a park in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +7.9 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
91.9% 57th pct 99.8% 97th pct
Walk to health in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +50.4 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
48.3% 60th pct 98.7% 100th pct
Amenities/1k in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +7.1 more in Melbourne - Inner
9.7 0th pct 16.7 55th pct
Intersections/km² in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +533 higher in Melbourne - Inner
64 73rd pct 597 100th pct
Mean slope in Sydney - South Westin Melbourne - Inner +1.8 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner
4.6% 27th pct 6.4% 71st pct

Compare Sydney - South West with nearby areas

Sydney - Blacktown Sydney - Parramatta Sydney - Inner South West Sydney - Inner West Sydney - Ryde Sydney - Sutherland Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby Sydney - City and Inner South Sydney - Outer South West Sydney - Eastern Suburbs Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains Sydney - Northern Beaches

Compare Melbourne - Inner with nearby areas

Melbourne - Inner South Melbourne - Inner East Melbourne - North East Melbourne - West Melbourne - North West Melbourne - Outer East Mornington Peninsula Melbourne - South East Geelong Ballarat Hume Bendigo

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Sydney - South West vs Melbourne - Inner [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/127/sydney-south-west/vs/206/melbourne-inner