Victoria (Australia)        Email Print    Bookmark   Link     Victoria (Australia)   Home Discussion     Topics Victoria (Australia) Topic Home language / tribal territories]] Victoria is a state States and territories of Australia The Australia is made up of six states and two major mainland territories. There are also lesser territories that are under the administration of the federal government....  located in the southeastern corner of Australia Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans.... . It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most densely populated Population density Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....  and urbanised. Prior to European settlement, some 30,000 Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians are the first human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands and their descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Australian Aborigines or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's population....  are estimated to have lived in the area now occupied by the state. Discussion Ask a question about 'Victoria (Australia)' Start a new discussion about 'Victoria (Australia)' Answer questions from other users Full Discussion Forum Encyclopedia language / tribal territories]] Victoria is a state States and territories of Australia The Australia is made up of six states and two major mainland territories. There are also lesser territories that are under the administration of the federal government....  located in the southeastern corner of Australia Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans.... . It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most densely populated Population density Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....  and urbanised. Prior to European settlement, some 30,000 Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians are the first human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands and their descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Australian Aborigines or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's population....  are estimated to have lived in the area now occupied by the state. By contrast, over five million people now inhabit the region. European settlement in Victoria began in the 1830s as a farming community. The discovery of gold Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79. It is a highly sought-after precious metal, having been used as money, as a store of value, in jewelry, in sculpture, and for ornamentation since the beginning of recorded history....  in 1851 transformed it into a leading industrial and commercial centre. Victoria is the second most populous Australian state, after New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland.... , with an estimated population of 5,205,200 as of June 2007. Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....  is Victoria's capital and largest city, with more than 70% of all Victorians living there. Etymology Victoria, like Queensland Queensland Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south.... , was named after Queen Victoria, the monarch at the time. History After the founding of the colony of New South Wales in 1788, the continent was divided into an eastern half named New South Wales, and a western half named New Holland New Holland (Australia) New Holland is a history name for the island continent of Australia. The name was first applied to Australia in 1644 by the Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman as Nova Hollandia, naming it after the Dutch province of Holland, and remained in use for 180 years.... , under the administration Administration (government) The term administration, as used in the Context of government, differs according to jurisdiction....  of the colonial government in Sydney Sydney Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia.... . The first European settlement in Victoria which was established in October 1803 under Lieutenant-Governor David Collins at Sullivan Bay, Victoria Sullivan Bay, Victoria Sullivan Bay lies 60 km due south of Melbourne on Port Phillip Bay, one km east of Sorrento, Victoria. It was established as a short lived convict settlement in 1803 by Lieutenant David Collins ....  on Port Phillip Bay. It consisted of 308 convicts, 51 marines, 17 free settlers, 12 civil officers, a missionary and his wife. They had been sent from England in HMS Calcutta HMS Calcutta Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Calcutta, after the Indian city of Calcutta .* The first HMS Calcutta was a 54-gun fourth-rate ship, originally the East Indiaman Warley and purchased in 1795, captured by the French in 1805 and destroyed by British ships in 1809....  under the command of Captain Daniel Woodriff, principally out of fear that the French, who had been exploring the area, might establish their own settlement and thereby challenge British 'rights' to the continent. Victoria's next settlement was at Portland Portland, Victoria The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria , Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg.... , on the west coast of what is now Victoria. Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....  was founded in 1835 by John Batman John Batman John Batman was an Australian farmer and businessman who was one of the first settlers of the Melbourne area and known for founding Victoria .... . From settlement the region around Melbourne was known as the Port Phillip District, and this gained some administrative status prior to separation from New South Wales and declaration as the Colony of Victoria in 1851. In 1851 gold was discovered near Ballarat Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat is a city in Victoria , Australia, and Victoria's largest inland city. It is well-known for its history and heritage.It is approximately 105 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, Australia, with an urban population of 88,437 people.... , and subsequently at Bendigo Bendigo, Victoria Bendigo is a regional city in central Victoria, Australia, located in the City of Greater Bendigo. The Greater Bendigo municipality is home to around 100,000 while the city has a steadily growing urban population of about 80,000 people which places it as the fourth largest regional centre in Victoria after Ballarat, Victoria, Geelong, Victo... . Later discoveries occurred at many sites across Victoria. This triggered one of the largest gold rushes Victorian gold rush The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria , Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s.During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output....  the world has ever seen. The colony grew rapidly in both population and economic power. In ten years the population of Victoria increased sevenfold from 76,000 to 540,000. All sorts of gold records were produced including the "richest shallow alluvial goldfield in the world" and the largest gold nugget Welcome Stranger The "Welcome Stranger" was the name given to a large gold nugget, measuring 61 cm by 31 cm, discovered by John Deason and Richard Oates at Moliagul, Victoria, Australia on 5 February 1869 about 9 miles north-west of Dunolly, Victoria.... . Victoria produced in the decade 1851-1860 20 million ounces of gold, one third of the world's output. Immigrants arrived from all over the world to search for gold, especially from Ireland Ireland Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....  and China China China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia.... . Many Chinese miners worked in Victoria, and their legacy is particularly strong in Bendigo and its environs. Although there was some racism Racism Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that Race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race....  directed at them, there was not the level of anti-Chinese violence that was seen at the Lambing Flat riots Lambing Flat riots The Lambing Flat riots or Lambing Flat massacre were a series of violent anti-Chinese Australian demonstrations that took place in the Burrangong region, in New South Wales, Australia....  in New South Wales. However, there was a riot at Buckland Valley near Bright Bright, Victoria Bright , is a small sized town, located in Victoria , Australia, 319 metres above sea level and in North Eastern Victoria at the southeastern end of the Ovens Valley....  in 1857. Conditions on the gold fields were cramped and unsanitary; an outbreak of typhoid at Buckland Valley in 1854 killed over 1,000 miners. In 1854 there was an armed rebellion against the government of Victoria by miners protesting against mining taxes Miner's Licence The Miner's Licence was the colonial government's response to the Australian gold rushes and the need to provide infrastructure including policing....  (the "Eureka Stockade Eureka Stockade The Eureka Stockade was the setting of a gold miners' revolt in 1854 near Ballarat, Victoria, Victoria, Australia, Australia, against the officials supervising the mining of gold in the region.... "). This was crushed by British troops, but some of the leaders of the rebellion subsequently became members of the Victorian Parliament, and the rebellion is still sometimes regarded as a pivotal moment in the development of Australian democracy. The first foreign military action by the colony of Victoria was to send troops and a warship to New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....  as part of the Maori Wars. Troops from New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....  had previously participated in the Crimean War Crimean War The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Oriental War was fought between the Russian Empire on one side and an alliance of France, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire on the other.... . In 1901 Victoria became a state in the Commonwealth of Australia. As a result of the gold rush, Melbourne had by then become the financial centre of Australia Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....  and New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands.... . Between 1901 and 1927, Melbourne was the capital of Australia while Canberra Canberra Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....  was under construction. It was also the largest city in Australia at the time and the second largest city in terms of population of the British Empire British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, and other Dependent territory ruled or administered by the United Kingdom , that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries....  (after London, England). Whilst Melbourne remains an important and influential financial centre, home to many national and international companies, it was slowly overtaken by Sydney Sydney Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia....  in business importance around the 1970s and 1980s. On 7 February 2009, the state was affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires. The fires have so far resulted in at least 200 deaths, and 100 people have been admitted to hospitals across Victoria with burns, at least 20 in a critical condition, and 9 on life support Life support Life support, in the medical field, refers to a set of therapies for preserving a patient's life when essential body systems are not functioning sufficiently to sustain life unaided....  or in intensive care. Government Composition of the Parliament of Victoria Political Party Legislative Assembly Legislative Council ALP Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an List of political parties in Australia.Known as the Australian Labor Party#Etymology for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the Australian federal election, 2007.... 55 19 Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Founded a year after the Australian federal election, 1943 to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office.... 23 15 National National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Traditionally representing rural voters, it was originally called the Country Party, but adopted the name National Country Party in 1975 and changed to its present name in 1982.... 9 2 Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is a Worldwide green parties List of political parties in Australia.The party has its eastern Australian origins in the Franklin Dam campaign in Tasmania in the 1980s, and in Western Australia arising from concerns about nuclear disarmament.... 0 3 DLP Democratic Labor Party The Democratic Labor Party is a small historic political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. It is descended from, but not legally the same as, the Democratic Labor Party which existed from 1955 to 1978, and which until 1974 played an important role in Australian politics.... 0 1 Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent is a politician who is not affiliated with any political party. Independents may hold a Centrism viewpoint between those of major political parties, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do not feel that any major party addresses.... 1 0 Source: Victorian Electoral Commission Parliament Victoria has a parliament Parliament A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom.... ary form of government based on the Westminster System Westminster System The Westminster system is a Democracy parliamentary system of government modelled after the British government . The term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the UK Parliament.... . Legislative power resides in the Parliament consisting of the Governor (the representative of the Queen), the executive (the Government), and two legislative chambers. The Parliament of Victoria Parliament of Victoria The Parliament of Victoria is a bicameral, or two-house, legislature. It comprises the Monarchy of Australia, the Victorian Legislative Assembly or Lower House and the Victorian Legislative Council or Upper House....  consists of the lower house Legislative Assembly Victorian Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of Victoria in Australia. The other is the Victorian Legislative Council.... , the upper house Legislative Council Victorian Legislative Council The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia. The other is the Victorian Legislative Assembly....  and the Queen of Australia. Eighty-eight members of the Legislative Assembly are elected to four-year terms from single-member electorates. In November 2006, the Victorian Legislative Council elections were held under a new multi-proportional representation system. The State of Victoria was divided into eight electorates with each electorate represented by five representatives elected by Single Transferable Vote Single transferable vote The Single transferable vote is a voting system of preferential voting designed to minimize wasted votes and provide proportional representation while ensuring that votes are explicitly expressed for individual candidates rather than for party lists....  proportional representation Proportional representation Proportional representation , sometimes referred to as full representation, is a category of voting systems aimed at a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive .... . The total number of upper house members was reduced from 44 to 40 and their term of office is now the same as the lower house members — four years. Elections for the Victorian Parliament are now fixed and occur in November every four years. Prior to the 2006 Election the Legislative Council consisted of 44 members elected to eight-year terms from 22 two-member electorates. Premier and Cabinet The Premier of Victoria is the leader of the political party or coalition with the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Premier is the public face of government and, with Cabinet, sets the legislative and political agenda. Cabinet consists of representatives elected to either house of parliament. It is responsible for managing areas of government that are not exclusively the Commonwealth's, by the Australian Constitution, such as education, health and law enforcement. The current premier of Victoria is Mr John Brumby. Governor Executive authority is vested in the Governor of Victoria who represents and is appointed by Queen Elizabeth II. The post is usually filled by a retired prominent Victorian. The governor acts on the advice of the premier Premier A premier is a title for the head of government in some countries.In many nations, the title "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister": for example, the "Italy Premier" is the same person as the "Italian President of the Council of Ministers"....  and cabinet. Constitution Victoria has a written constitution. Enacted in 1975, but based on the 1855 colonial constitution, it establishes the parliament as the state's law-making body for matters coming under state responsibility. The Victorian Constitution can be amended by the parliament of Victoria. Under new provisions to be enacted, changes to the Victorian Constitution will be subjected to a plebiscite of votes, voting in a referendum. Politics The centre-left Centre-left The centre-left is a politics term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political party or organisations whose views stretch from the centrism to the left-wing on the Left-Right politics, excluding far left stances....  Australian Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an List of political parties in Australia.Known as the Australian Labor Party#Etymology for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the Australian federal election, 2007....  (ALP), the centre-right Centre-right The centre-right is a politics term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political party, or organisations whose views stretch from the centrism to the right-wing on the Left-Right politics, excluding far right stances....  Liberal Party of Australia Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Founded a year after the Australian federal election, 1943 to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office....  and the rural-based National Party of Australia National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Traditionally representing rural voters, it was originally called the Country Party, but adopted the name National Country Party in 1975 and changed to its present name in 1982....  are Victoria's major political parties. Traditionally, Labor is strongest in Melbourne's inner, working class and western and northern suburbs, Morwell, Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong. The Liberals' main support lies in Melbourne's more affluent eastern and outer suburbs, and some rural and regional centres. The Nationals are strongest in Victoria's North Western and Eastern rural regional areas. The ALP government of former Premier Steve Bracks Steve Bracks Stephen Philip Bracks is a former Australian politician, and the 44th Premiers of Victoria, holding the position for eight years, from 1999 to 2007....  has been in office in Victoria since 1999 and was re-elected in 2002 and on 25 November 2006. See Victorian state election, 2006 Victorian state election, 2006 An election for the 56th Parliament of Victoria took place on Saturday, 25 November 2006. Just over 3 million Victoria registered to vote elected 88 members to the Legislative Assembly of Victoria and, for the first time, 40 members to the Victorian Legislative Council under a Single Transferable Vote system.... , and 2006 Victorian election campaign. Following the 2006 Victorian election, the balance of power in the Legislative Council is now held by the Australian Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is a Worldwide green parties List of political parties in Australia.The party has its eastern Australian origins in the Franklin Dam campaign in Tasmania in the 1980s, and in Western Australia arising from concerns about nuclear disarmament.... . This means that by combining with the Liberal and National Party members, the Greens can defeat proposed Government legislation. On 27 July 2007, Premier Steve Bracks announced his resignation from politics, saying that he needed to spend more time with his family. The deputy premier, John Thwaites John Thwaites (Australian politician) Johnstone William "John" Thwaites , Australian politician, was Deputy Premier of the state of Victoria from 1999 to 2007.... , announced later that day that he too would resign. Former Treasurer John Brumby John Brumby John Mansfield Brumby , Australian Labor Party politician, is the 45th Premiers of Victoria, assuming office on 30 July 2007 after the resignation of Steve Bracks....  was elected unopposed by the Labor caucus as the new leader and became the 45th Premier of Victoria on Monday 30 July 2007. Federal government Victorian voters elect 49 representatives to the Parliament of Australia Parliament of Australia The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislature of government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster System, but with some influences from the United States Congress.... , including 37 members of the House of Representatives Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house, the upper house being the Australian Senate....  and 12 members of the Senate Australian Senate The Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. The lower house is known as the Australian House of Representatives.... . Since 2007, the ALP has held 21 Victorian house seats, the Liberals 14 and the Nationals two. As of 1 July 2008, the Liberals will hold six senate seats, the ALP five and the Family First Party Family First Party The Family First Party is a Social conservatism minor political party in Australia. It has parliamentary representation federally through Senator Steve Fielding, and in the state parliaments of Western Australia and South Australia....  one. Local government Victoria is incorporated into 79 municipalities Municipality A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them....  for the purposes of local government Local government Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a state. The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government.... , including 39 shires, 32 cities, seven rural cities and one borough. Shire and city councils are responsible for functions delegated by the Victorian parliament, such as city planning, road infrastructure and waste management. Council revenue comes mostly from property taxes and government grants. Source: Victorian Parliamentary Library, Department of Victorian Communities, Australian Electoral Commission Demographics Population growth estimates for Victoria 2007 5,087,000 2010 5,290,000 2015 5,526,575 2020 5,764,271 2025 5,988,957 2030 6,189,345 Source: Dept of Sustainability and Environment The 2006 Australian census reported that Victoria had 4,932,422 people resident at the time of the census, an increase of 6.2% on the 1996 figure. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Bureau of Statistics File:ABS House.jpgThe Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistics government agency. It came into being, as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent....  estimates that by June 2007 the state's population reached 5,205,200 and may well reach 7.2 million by 2050. Victoria's founding Anglo-Celtic Anglo-Celtic Anglo-Celtic is a macro-cultural term used to collectively describe the cultures native to Great Britain and Ireland and the significant diasporas located in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States....  population has been supplemented by successive waves of migrants Immigration to Australia Immigration to the Australian continent is estimated to have begun around 50,000 years ago when the ancestors of Australian Aborigines arrived on the continent via the islands of the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea....  from southern and eastern Europe Europe Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast.... , Southeast Asia Southeast Asia Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia....  and, most recently, the Horn of Africa Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts for hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea, and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden....  and Middle East Middle East File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East.... . Victoria's population is ageing in proportion with the average of the remainder of the Australian population. The government predicts that nearly a quarter of Victorians will be aged over 60 by 2021. The 2006 census reveals that Australian average age has crept upward from 35 to 37 since 2001 which reflects the population growth Population growth Population growth is the change in population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....  peak of 1969-72. More than 70% of Victorians live in Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria .... , located in the state's south. The greater Melbourne metropolitan area is home to an estimated 3.64 million people. Leading urban centres include Geelong Geelong, Victoria Geelong is the second largest List of cities in Australia in the States and territories of Australia of Victoria , Australia and is the largest regional centre in the state....  , Ballarat Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat is a city in Victoria , Australia, and Victoria's largest inland city. It is well-known for its history and heritage.It is approximately 105 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, Australia, with an urban population of 88,437 people.... , Bendigo Bendigo, Victoria Bendigo is a regional city in central Victoria, Australia, located in the City of Greater Bendigo. The Greater Bendigo municipality is home to around 100,000 while the city has a steadily growing urban population of about 80,000 people which places it as the fourth largest regional centre in Victoria after Ballarat, Victoria, Geelong, Victo... , Shepparton Shepparton, Victoria Shepparton is the fifth largest List of cities in Australia in Victoria , Australia. The population of the municipality of City of Greater Shepparton in 2005 was estimated to be at 60,403 residents.... , Mildura Mildura, Victoria Mildura is a regional city in northwestern Victoria , Australia, part of the Rural City of Mildura. Mildura is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the banks of the Murray River.... , Warrnambool Warrnambool, Victoria Warrnambool is a regional city on the south-western coast of Victoria , Australia, located in the municipality City of Warrnambool. It is at the western end of the Great Ocean Road, but is more quickly reached along the Princes Highway, 265 kilometres and 3 hours from Melbourne by road or rail....  and the Latrobe Valley Latrobe Valley The Latrobe Valley is nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges and the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, Australia, Australia. It is named after the Latrobe River which flows, eastwards, through it.... . Victoria is Australia's most urbanised state, with nearly 90% of residents living in cities and towns. Since 1871, more than half of all Victorians have lived in urban areas. Today, just over 12% of Victorians live in rural areas. The drift of people into Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....  continues despite government efforts to encourage Victorians to settle in regional areas. About 72% of Victorians are Australian-born. This figure falls to around 66% in Melbourne but rises to higher than 95% in some rural areas in the north west of the state. Around two-thirds of Victorians claim Australian, English English people The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England who speak English language in England. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....  or Irish Irish people The Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha D? Danann and the Milesians ?the last group supposedly representing the "pure" Gaelic a...  ancestry. Less than 1% of Victorians identify themselves as Aboriginal Australian Aborigines Australian Aborigines are a Class of peoples who are identified by Australian law as being members of a Race indigenous to the Australia .In the High Court of Australia, Australian Aborigines have been specifically identified as a group of people who share, in common, biological ancestry back to the original occupants of this continent.... . The largest groups of people born outside Australia came from the British Isles Anglo-Celtic Australian Anglo-Celtic Australian describes Australians with British people and/or Irish people ancestral origins.... , China China China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia.... , Italy, Vietnam Vietnamese Australian A Vietnamese Australian is an Australian either born in Vietnam or is an Australian descendant of the former. Communities of Overseas Vietnamese are referred to as Overseas Vietnamese or Ngu?i Vi?t h?i ngo?i.... , Greece Greek Australian Greeks are the seventh-largest ethnic group in Australia, after those declaring their ancestry simply as "Australian". The 2006 census recorded 97,218 people of Greek Ancestry born in Greece and 18,381 in Cyprus, though it is uncertain how many of the latter are Greek Cypriots....  and New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands.... . In 2007, Victoria recorded a TFR Total Fertility Rate The total fertility rate of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates through her lifetime, and she were to survive from birth through the end of her reproductive life....  of 1.87, the highest after 1978. Religion About 60.5% of Victorians describe themselves as Christian Christianity Christianity is a Monotheistic religion #Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as New Testament view on Jesus' life.... . Roman Catholics form the single largest religious group in the state with 27.5% of Victorian population, followed by Anglicans and members of the Uniting Church. Catholics and Protestants Protestantism Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....  (including Anglicans) in Victoria each form around 30% of the population. Buddhism Buddhism Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religionand is based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as "The Buddha" , who was born in what is today Nepal.... , the state's largest non-Christian religion, is also the fastest growing with 132,634. Victoria is also home of 109,370 Muslims Islam in Australia Islam is the fourth largest religious grouping in Australia after Christianity in Australia, 'Irreligion in Australia' and Buddhism in Australia....  and 41,105 Jews. Around 20% of Victorians claim no religion. Education Primary and secondary Victoria's state school Public school The term public school has two distinct meanings depending on the location of usage:* in the United States, Australia and Canada: A school funded from tax revenue and most commonly administered to some degree by government or local government agencies....  system dates back to 1872, when the colonial government legislated to make schooling both free and compulsory. The state's public secondary school system began in 1910. Before then, only private secondary schooling was available. Today, a Victorian school education consists of seven years of primary schooling, including one preparatory year and six years of secondary schooling. The final years of secondary school are optional for children aged over 15 (16 as of 2007). Victorian children generally begin school at age five. On completing secondary school, students earn the Victorian Certificate of Education. Students who successfully complete their secondary education also receive a tertiary entrance ranking, or ENTER score, to determine university admittance. Victorian schools are either publicly or privately funded. Public schools, also known as state or government schools, are funded and run directly by the Victoria Department of Education Government of Victoria The Government of Victoria , under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas....  . Students do not pay tuition fees, but some extra costs are levied. Private fee-paying schools include parish schools run by the Roman Catholic Church Roman Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....  and elite independent schools similar to English public schools. Independent schools are usually affiliated with Protestant churches. Victoria also has several private Jewish and Islamic primary and secondary schools. Private schools also receive some public funding. All schools must comply with government-set curriculum standards. As of August 2005, Victoria had 1,613 public schools, 484 Catholic schools and 208 independent schools. Just under 537,000 students were enrolled in public schools, and 289,000 in private schools. Nearly two-thirds of private students attend Catholic schools. More than 455,000 students were enrolled in primary schools and more than 371,000 in secondary schools. Retention rates for the final two years of secondary school were 77% for public school students and 90% for private school students. Victoria has about 60,200 full-time teachers. Tertiary Victoria has nine universities List of universities in Australia This is a list of University and other higher education institutions in Australia.The Commonwealth Higher Education Support Act 2003 sets out three groups of higher education providers.... . The first to offer degrees, the University of Melbourne University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria . The second oldest university in Australia, and the oldest in Victoria, its main campus is in Parkville, Victoria, an inner suburb just north of the Melbourne CBD.... , enrolled its first student in 1855. The largest, Monash University Monash University Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Australia. It is Australia's largest university with about 55,000 students.The University has a total of eight campuses: six in Victoria, Australia , one in Monash University Malaysia Campus and one in Monash South Africa.... , has an enrolment of nearly 56,000 students—more than any other Australian university. Both the University of Melbourne and Monash University are purportedly ranked highly among the world's best universities requiring a fairly high entry score, passing of mature age entrance exams or direct payment for student admission into their courses. The number of students enrolled in Victorian universities was 241,755 at 2004, an increase of 2% on the previous year. International students made up 30% of enrolments and account for the highest percentage of pre-paid university tuition fees. The largest number of enrolments were recorded in the fields of business Business A business is a legally recognized organization designed to provide good s and/or Service to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalism economies, most being privately owned and formed to earn profit that will increase the wealth of its owners.... , administration and economics Economics File:Ballard Farmers' Market - vegetables.jpgEconomics is the Social sciences that studies the Production theory basics, Distribution , and Consumption of Good and Service .... , with nearly a third of all students, followed by arts ARts aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is most famous for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer.... , humanities Humanities The humanities are academic disciplines which study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytic, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural science and social sciences.... , and social science, with 20% of enrolments. Victoria also has 19 government run TAFE institutes. The first vocational institution in the state was the Melbourne Mechanics Institute (established in 1839), which is now the Melbourne Athenaum Athenaeum, Melbourne The Athenaeum or Melbourne Athenaeum is one of the oldest public institutions in Victoria , Australia, founded in 1839. The first President was William Lonsdale , the first Patron was the Superintendent of Port Philip, Charles La Trobe and the first books were donated by Vice-President Henry Fyshe Gisborne.... . More than 1,000 adult education organisations are registered to provide recognised TAFE programs. In 2004, there were about 480,700 students enrolled in vocational education Vocational education Vocational education or Vocational Education and Training , also called Career and Technical Education , prepares learners for jobs that are based in manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academics and totally related to a specific trade, employment or vocation, hence the term, in which the learner participates....  programs in the state. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Department of Education and Training (Victoria), Department of Education, Science and Training (Commonwealth), National Centre for Vocational Education Research Libraries The State Library of Victoria State Library of Victoria The State Library of Victoria is the central library of the States and territories of Australia of Victoria , Australia, located in Melbourne. It is on the block bounded by Swanston Street, La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Russell Street, Melbourne, and Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne Streets, in the northern centre of the Melbourne central busi...  is the State's research and reference library. It is responsible for collecting and preserving Victoria's documentary heritage and making it available through a range of services and programs. Material in the collection includes books, newspapers, magazines, journals, manuscripts, maps, pictures, objects, sound and video recordings and databases. Many local government councils maintain local libraries, some with more than one branch in their areas. Economy The Victorian economy is the second largest in Australia, accounting for a quarter of the nation's gross domestic product Gross domestic product File:GDP nominal per capita world map IMF 2008.pngThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is one of the measures of national income and output for a given country's economy.... . The total gross state product Gross state product Gross state product is a measurement of the economic output of a State or province. It is the sum of all value added by industries within the state and serves as a counterpart to the gross domestic product or GDP....  (GSP) at current prices for Victoria was at just over A$222 billion, with a GSP per capita of A$44,443. The economy grew by 3.4% in 2004, less than the Australian average of 5.2%. Finance Finance The field of finance refers to the concepts of time, money and risk and how they are interrelated. Banks are the main facilitators of funding through the provision of credit, although private equity, mutual funds, hedge funds, and other organizations have become important.... , insurance Insurance Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to Hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed small loss to prevent a large, possibly devastating los...  and property services Real estate Real estate is a law term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings, specifically property that is fixed in location. form Victoria's largest income producing sector, while the community, social and personal services sector is the state's biggest employer. Despite the shift towards service industries, the troubled manufacturing Manufacturing Manufacturing is the use of machine, tool and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to Industry production, in which raw material are transformed into finished good on a large scale....  sector remains Victoria's single largest employer and income producer. 1990s economic slump Victoria experienced an economic slump from 1989 to 1992 during the term of John Cain John Cain II John Cain , Australian Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.... . This was largely attributable to lagging property markets, reduced protection of manufacturing sectors as well as a financial crash involving industry giants such as the Pyramid Building Society Pyramid Building Society The Pyramid Building Society, the Geelong Building Society and the Countrywide Building Society together made up the Farrow Group of building societies, based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia....  and the collapse of The State Bank of Victoria State Bank of Victoria The State Bank of Victoria was a bank that existed from 1842 until 1991 when it was taken over by the Commonwealth Bank. It was owned by the Government of Victoria.... , in particular its merchant banking arm Tricontinental. The result was a loss of employment and a drain of population to New South Wales and Queensland. In the mid to late 1990s, the Victorian state government of Premier Jeff Kennett Jeff Kennett Jeffrey Gibb Kennett Order of Australia , Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria from 1992 to 1999. He was the founding Chairman of beyondblue and President of the Hawthorn Football Club....  (LIB Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Founded a year after the Australian federal election, 1943 to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office.... ) sought to reverse this trend with massive cuts to state expenditure, shrinking of the state public sector and the aggressive development of new public works, mainly centred around the state capital of Melbourne. These included the Melbourne Museum Melbourne Museum The Melbourne Museum is located in the Carlton Gardens, Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia. It shares these gardens with the Royal Exhibition Building.... , Federation Square Federation Square Federation Square is a cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Australia. It comprises a series of buildings containing a public broadcaster, art galleries, a museum, cinemas, exhibition spaces, auditoria, restaurants, bars and shops around two major public spaces, one covered , the other open to the sky, and composed of two spaces that... , the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is the name for two buildings on opposite sides of the Yarra River in South Wharf, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia....  (nicknamed "Jeff's Shed"), Crown Casino Crown Casino Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex is a casino and entertainment precinct on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia attracting on average 16 million visitors yearly.... , capital works such as the CityLink CityLink CityLink is a system of Toll road urban freeways in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia. The company Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two existing freeways and construct two new freeways—labelled the Western and Southern Links—directly linking a number of existing freeways to provide a continuous, high-capacity road rout...  tollway, the sale of state assets (including the State Electricity Commission State Electricity Commission of Victoria The State Electricity Commission of Victoria was a monopoly electricity generation, transmission and supply utility located in Victoria , Australia....  and some state schools), the pruning of state services and a public relations campaign promoting Melbourne's merits, aimed at Melbourne residents and visitors alike. Under the government of former Premier Steve Bracks Steve Bracks Stephen Philip Bracks is a former Australian politician, and the 44th Premiers of Victoria, holding the position for eight years, from 1999 to 2007....  (ALP Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an List of political parties in Australia.Known as the Australian Labor Party#Etymology for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the Australian federal election, 2007.... ), there was less emphasis on capital works and more on expansion of public services. Population increase now outstrips the national trend. Agriculture During 2003-04, the gross value of Victorian agricultural production Agriculture Agriculture refers to the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of civilization, with the animal husbandry of domestication animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more Population density and Social stratification societies....  increased by 17% to $8.7 billion. This represented 24% of national agricultural production total gross value. As of 2004, an estimated 32,463 farms occupied around 136,000 square kilometre Square kilometre Square kilometre , symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI Units of measurement of surface area, the square metre, one of the SI derived units.... s (52,500 sq mi Square mile The square mile is an Imperial system and US customary system of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one mile. It should not be confused with miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared.... ) of Victorian land. This comprises more than 60% of the state's total land surface. Victorian farms range from small horticultural outfits to large-scale livestock Livestock Livestock is the term used to refer to a domesticated animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce things such as food or fibre, or for its labour....  and grain GRAIN GRAIN is an international non-governmental organization based in Barcelona, Spain, which works toward sustainable agriculture. It was formed upon the realization that the genetic diversity of the world's food crops are being drastically eliminated....  productions. A quarter of farmland is used to grow consumable crops. More than 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi) of Victorian farmland is sown for grain, mostly in the state's west. More than 50% of this area is sown for wheat Wheat Wheat , is a worldwide cultivated Poaceae from the Levant region of the Middle East. Globally, after maize, wheat is the second most-produced food among the cereal just above rice.... , 33% for barley Barley Barley is an annual plant cereal grain derived from the grass Hordeum vulgare. It serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting and in health food, as well as the making of alcoholic beverages beer and whisky....  and 7% for oats. A further 6,000 square kilometres (2,300nbsp;sq mi) is sown for hay. In 2003-04, Victorian farmers produced more than 3 million tonne Tonne A tonne or metric ton , also referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms, or 2204.6226 pounds.... s of wheat and 2 million tonnes of barley. The state also grows about half of Australia's tobacco Tobacco Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines.... . Victorian farms produce nearly 90% of Australian pears and third of apples. It is also a leader in stone fruit production. The main vegetable crops include asparagus Asparagus Asparagus officinalis is a flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus from which the vegetable known as asparagus is obtained.... , broccoli Broccoli Broccoli is a plant of the cabbage family Brassicaceae .It is classified as the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli possesses abundant arboreal, luscious, fleshy, flower heads, usually green in color, arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible, sturdy, meaty stalk.... , carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. Last year, 121,200 tonnes of pears and 270,000 tonnes of tomatoes were produced. More than 14 million sheep Sheep #REDIRECT Domestic sheep...  and 5 million lambs graze over 10% of Victorian farms, mostly in the state's north and west. In 2004, nearly 10 million lambs and sheep were slaughtered for local consumption and export. Victoria also exports live sheep to the Middle East Middle East File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....  for meat and to the rest of the world for breeding. More than 108,000 tonnes of wool Wool Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells, called follicles, of animals in the Caprinae family, principally domestic sheep, but the hair of certain species of other Mammalia such as cashmere goat, llamas, rabbits and keeshonds may also be called wool....  clip was also produced—one-fifth of the Australian total. Victoria is the centre of dairy farming Dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale....  in Australia. It is home to 60% of Australia's 3 million dairy cattle Dairy cattle Dairy cattle, generally of the species Bos taurus, are domesticated animals bred to produce large quantities of milk. For general information on milk production see dairy farming....  and produces nearly two-thirds of the nation's milk Milk Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals . It provides the primary source of nutrition for newborn mammals before they are able to digestion other types of food.... , almost 6.4 million litres. The state also has 2.4 million beef cattle Cattle Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domestication ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. They are raised as livestock for meat , dairy products , leather and as draft animals .... , with more than 2.2 million cattle and calves slaughtered each year. In 2003-04, Victorian commercial fishing Commercial fishing File:Greetsiel 33 Poseidon 01.jpgCommercial fishing, also known as industrial fishing, is the activity of capturing fish and other seafood for Commerce profit, mostly from Wild fisheries of the world....  crews and aquaculture Aquaculture Aquaculture is the farming of freshwater and saltwater organisms including molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Unlike fishing, aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, implies the cultivation of aquatic populations under controlled conditions....  industry produced 11,634 tonnes of seafood valued at nearly $A109 million. Blacklipped abalone Abalone Abalone are medium-sized to very large edible sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis....  is the mainstay of the catch, bringing in $A46 million, followed by southern rock lobster Rock lobster Jasus edwardsii, the southern rock lobster, red rock lobster, or spiny rock lobster, is a species of spiny lobster found throughout coastal waters of southern Australia and New Zealand including the Chatham Islands....  worth $A13.7 million. Most abalone and rock lobster is exported to Asia Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population.... . Industry Machinery and equipment manufacturing is the state's most valuable activity, followed by food and beverage manufacturing and petroleum Petroleum Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.... , coal Coal Coal is a readily combustion black or brownish-black sedimentary rock. The harder forms, such as anthracite, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure....  and chemical manufacturing. More than 15% Victorian workers are employed in manufacturing Manufacturing Manufacturing is the use of machine, tool and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to Industry production, in which raw material are transformed into finished good on a large scale....  industries. Victoria has 318,000 manufacturing workers. The state is marginally behind New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....  in the value of manufacturing output. Major industrial plants belong to the car manufacturers Ford, Toyota Toyota Australia Toyota Motor Corporation Australia, or Toyota Australia, is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, which is based in Japan. TMCA markets Toyota products and manages motorsport, advertising and business operations for Toyota Motor Corporation in Australia....   and Holden Holden GM Holden Ltd is an Australian Automotive industry based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was originally independent, but since 1931 has been a subsidiary of General Motors .... ; Alcoa Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals is a joint venture between Alumina Limited and Alcoa and is abbreviated to AWAC. AWAC's business is the mining of bauxite, the extraction of alumina and the smelting of aluminium.... 's Portland Portland aluminium smelter The Portland aluminium smelter is located atPortland%2C_Victoria, Australia.The smelter has a production capacity of 345,000 tonnes of aluminium per year...  and Point Henry Point Henry smelter The Point Henry aluminium smelting is located near Geelong, Victoria in the suburb of Moolap, Victoria. The smelter has a production capacity of 185,000 tonnes of aluminium a year....  aluminium smelters; oil refineries at Geelong Geelong, Victoria Geelong is the second largest List of cities in Australia in the States and territories of Australia of Victoria , Australia and is the largest regional centre in the state....  and Altona Altona, Victoria Altona is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay.... ; and a major petrochemical facility at Laverton Laverton, Victoria Laverton is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of City of Hobsons Bay and City of Wyndham.... . Victoria also plays an important role in providing goods for the defence industry Defence industry of Victoria This article provides information on the industrial sector in Victoria that supplies goods and services to defence and military customers and associated supply chain.... . Melbourne is the centre of manufacturing in Victoria, followed by Geelong. Energy production has aided industrial growth in the Latrobe Valley Latrobe Valley The Latrobe Valley is nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges and the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, Australia, Australia. It is named after the Latrobe River which flows, eastwards, through it.... . Mining Mining Mining Mining is the extraction of value minerals or other geology materials from the earth, usually from an ore body, vein or seam. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, Sodium chloride and potash....  in Victoria contributes around A$3 billion to the gross state product but employs less than 1% of workers. The Victorian mining industry is concentrated on energy producing minerals, with brown coal, petroleum and gas Natural gas Natural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills....  accounting for nearly 90% of local production. The oil and gas industries are centred off the coast of Gippsland Gippsland Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria , Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south....  in the state's east, while brown coal mining and power generation is based in the Latrobe Valley Latrobe Valley The Latrobe Valley is nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges and the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, Australia, Australia. It is named after the Latrobe River which flows, eastwards, through it.... . In the 2005/2006 fiscal year, the average gas production was over per day (M cuft/d) and represented 18% of the total national gas sales, with demand growing at 2% per year. In 1985, oil production from the offshore Gippsland Basin peaked to an annual average of 450,000 barrels per day Barrels per day Barrel per day is a measurement used to describe the amount of crude oil produced or consumed by an entity in one day. For example, an oil field might produce 100,000 bpd, and a country might consume 1 million bpd.... . In 2005-2006, the average daily oil production declined to 83,000 bbls/d, but despite the decline Victoria still produces almost 19.5% of crude oil in Australia. Brown coal is Victoria's leading mineral, with 66 million tonnes mined each year for electricity generation in the Latrobe Valley, Gippsland. The region is home to the world's largest known reserves of brown coal. Despite being the historic centre of Australia's gold rush, Victoria today contributes a mere 1% of national gold production. Victoria also produces limited amounts of gypsum Gypsum Gypsum is a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula calciumsulfuroxygen4?2water....  and kaolin. Services The service industries sector is the fastest growing component of the Victorian economy. It includes the wide range of activities generally classified as community, social and personal services; finances, insurance and property services, government services, transportation and communication, and wholesale and retail trade. Most service industries are located in Melbourne and the state's larger regional centres. As of 2004-05, service industries employed nearly three-quarters of Victorian workers and generated three-quarters of the state's GSP. Finance, insurance and property services, as a group, provide a larger share of GSP than any other economic activity in Victoria. More than a quarter of Victorian workers are employed by the community, social and personal services sector. Geology and geography Victoria's northern border is the southern bank of the Murray River Murray River The Murray River, or River Murray and sometimes informally referred to as the "Mighty Murray", is Australia's largest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between... . It also rests at the southern end of the Great Dividing Range Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the 4th longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan_Island,_Queensland off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through New South Wales, then into Victoria... , which stretches along the east coast and terminates west of Ballarat Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat is a city in Victoria , Australia, and Victoria's largest inland city. It is well-known for its history and heritage.It is approximately 105 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, Australia, with an urban population of 88,437 people.... . It is bordered by South Australia South Australia South Australia is a States and territories of Australia of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....  to the west and shares Australian's shortest land border with Tasmania Tasmania Tasmania is an Australian island and States and territories of Australia of the same name. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait.... . The official border between Victoria and Tasmania is at 39°12' S, which passes through Boundary Islet Boundary Islet Boundary Islet is an islet about 60,000 square metres in size in the Hogan Group of islands and islets at latitude 39?12' S, south of the Wilson's Promontory, the southernmost part of both mainland Australia and mainland Victoria ....  in the Bass Strait Bass Strait Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland specifically the state of Victoria ....  for 85 metres. Victoria contains many topographically, geologically and climatically diverse areas, ranging from the wet, temperate Temperate In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold....  climate of Gippsland Gippsland Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria , Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south....  in the southeast to the snow-covered Victorian alpine areas which rise to almost 2,000 metres (6,500 ft), with Mount Bogong Mount Bogong Mount Bogong, located in the Alpine National Park, is the highest mountain in Victoria_, Australia. Big River separates the massif of the mountain from the Bogong High Plains to the south....  the highest peak at 1,986 m; (6,516 ft). There are extensive semi-arid plains to the west and northwest. There is an extensive series of river systems in Victoria. Most notable is the Murray River Murray River The Murray River, or River Murray and sometimes informally referred to as the "Mighty Murray", is Australia's largest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between...  system. Other rivers include: Ovens River Ovens River The Ovens River is a river in the Australian state of Victoria .Hume and Hovell expedition the area in 1824, naming the Ovens River. The river was called Burwang by the local Australian Aborigines.... , Goulburn River, King River, Campaspe River Campaspe River The Campaspe River is a river in Victoria , Australia, and was named, by Major Mitchell for Campaspe, a mistress of Alexander the Great.The river was known as yalooka by the local aboriginal people.... , Loddon River Loddon River The Loddon River is a 392-km long tributary of the Murray River that flows through central and northern Victoria , Australia. The river rises near Trentham, Victoria and flows by Glenlyon, Victoria.... , Wimmera River Wimmera River The Wimmera River is a river in Western Victoria , Australia. It begins in the Pyrenees , and flows into Lake Hindmarsh and Lake Albacutya, although in many years flows do not reach these terminal lakes and the river contracts to a series of pools of varying sizes.... , Elgin River, Barwon River Barwon River (Victoria) The Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges of Victoria , Australia, runs through Winchelsea, Victoria and the city of Geelong, Victoria, where it is joined by the Moorabool River, and enters the sea at Barwon Heads, Victoria after passing through Lake Connewarre on the Bellarine Peninsula.... , Thomson River, Snowy River Snowy River While the river's course and surroundings have remained almost entirely unchanged, the majority of it being protected by the Snowy River National Park, its flow was drastically reduced in the mid 20th century, to less than 1%, after the construction of various dams and reservoirs at its headwaters in New South Wales, as part of the Snowy Mountains... , Latrobe River Latrobe River The Latrobe River is a river in Gippsland, Victoria , Australia. It begins in the Australian Alps, and flows south and east through the Latrobe Valley into Lake Wellington, one of the Gippsland Lakes.... , Yarra River Yarra River The Yarra River, originally known as Birrarung, is a river in central Victoria , Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne, Victoria was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches.... , Maribyrnong River Maribyrnong river The Maribyrnong River rises about 50 km north of Melbourne, Victoria , near Mount Macedon, Victoria. It flows generally southward and combines with the Yarra River to flow into Port Phillip.... , Mitta River, Hopkins River, Merri River and Kiewa River Kiewa River The Kiewa River is a major tributary of the Murray River in Australia.The river's headwaters include Victoria 's highest mountain, Mount Bogong, and wind their way north-west about 100 kilometres, gradually slowing before joining the Murray east of Albury, New South Wales.... . The state symbols include the Pink Heath Pink heath Epacris impressa, also known as Common Heath, is a shrub that is native to the south-east of Australia. The pink-flowered form, often referred to as Pink Heath, is the floral emblem of the state of Victoria ....  (state flower), Leadbeater's Possum Leadbeater's Possum Leadbeater's Possum is an endangered possum restricted to small pockets of remaining old growth Eucalyptus regnans forests in the central highlands of Victoria, Australia north-east of Melbourne....  (state animal) and the Helmeted Honeyeater (state bird). The state's capital, Melbourne, contains approximately 70% of the state's population and dominates its economy, media, and culture. For other cities and towns, see List of localities (Victoria) List of localities (Victoria) This is a list of places in the States and territories of Australia of Victoria , Australia. It is presently highly incomplete but an expansion and completion project is underway....  and Local Government Areas of Victoria Local Government Areas of Victoria There are 79 Local Government Areas in the Australian state of Victoria . LGA's are constituted as cities, shires, rural cities and, in one case, a borough.... . Transport Victoria has the highest population density in any state in Australia, with population centres spread out over most of the state, with only the far northwest and the Victorian Alps lacking permanent settlement. The Victorian road network services the population centres, with highways generally radiating from Melbourne and other major cities and rural centres with secondary roads interconnecting the highways to each other. Many of the highways are built to freeway Freeway A freeway is a type of road designed for Road safety#Motorway high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections....  standard ("M" freeways), while most are generally sealed and of reasonable quality. Rail transport in Victoria Rail transport in Victoria Rail transport in Victoria , Australia, is provided by a number of railway operators who operate over the government owned railway lines. Victorian lines use Victorian broad gauge, with the exception of a number of standard gauge freight and interstate lines, a few experimental Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways lines, and variou...  is provided by several private and public railway operators who operate over government-owned lines. Major operators include: Connex Melbourne Connex Melbourne Connex Melbourne is a wholly owned subsidiary of List of French companies Veolia Environnement, which has a Franchising from the Government of Victoria to operate all Railways in Melbourne in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....  which runs an extensive, electrified, passenger system throughout Melbourne and suburbs; V/Line V/Line V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger Rail transport and Coach service in Victoria , Australia. It was created after the split-up of Victorian Railways in 1983....  which is now owned by the Victorian Government, operates a concentrated service to major regional centres, as well as long distance services on other lines; Pacific National Pacific National Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings.... , CFCLA, El Zorro El Zorro El Zorro can refer to:*El Zorro , Mexican professional wrestler*El Zorro , Australian railway operatorSee also*Zorro ...  which operate freight services; Great Southern Railway Great Southern Railway Great Southern Railway can refer to:* Great Southern Railway - tourism and rail operator* Great Southern Railway - Former railway serving the South Gippsland region in Victoria, Australia...  which operates The Overland The Overland |}The Overland is a passenger train between Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia. The train started in 1887 as the "Adelaide Express" and was given its current name in 1926....  Melbourne-Adelaide; and CountryLink CountryLink CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and from New South Wales into Queensland and Victoria, Australia....  which operates XPTs Melbourne-Sydney. There also are several smaller freight operators and numerous tourist railways operating over lines which were once parts of a state-owned system. Victorian lines mainly use the broad gauge Victorian broad gauge Rail gauge in Australia displays much variation, which is an ongoing problem for transportation on the continent.The most used gauges are* Standard gauge 17,678 km - mainly Rail transport in New South Wales and the interstate rail network... . However, the interstate trunk routes, as well as a number of branch lines in the west of the state have been converted to standard gauge Standard gauge The standard gauge is a widely-used rail gauge. Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge . The distance between the inside edges of the rails of standard gauge track is .... . Two tourist railways operate over narrow gauge Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways The former Victorian Railways, the state railway authority in Victoria , Australia built a number of experimental narrow gauge railway lines around the beginning of the 20th century....  lines, which are the remnants of five formerly government-owned lines which were built in mountainous areas. Melbourne has the world's largest tram network Trams in Melbourne Trams were introduced into Melbourne, Australia in 1885 and it is now home to the largest tram network in the world. The network consists of of track, 500 trams, 28 routes, and 1,813 tram stops .... , currently operated by Yarra Trams Yarra Trams Yarra Trams is a tram operating company in Melbourne, Australia. It is a partnership between French company Transdev and Australian company Transfield Services.... . As well as being a popular form of public transport, over the last few decades trams have become one of Melbourne's major tourist attractions. There are also tourist trams operating over portions of the former Ballarat and Bendigo systems. There are also tramway museums at Bylands Tramway Museum Society Of Victoria The Tramway Museum Society of Victoria was founded in 1962 in Victoria , Australia. Its aim is the preservation, restoration and operation of trams....  and Haddon. Melbourne Airport Melbourne Airport Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport or the local colloquialism Tulla, is the primary airport List of airports in the Melbourne area and the List of the busiest airports in Australia....  is the major domestic and international gateway for the state. Avalon Airport Avalon Airport Avalon Airport is the second busiest of List of airports in the Melbourne area and is located in Avalon, Victoria, Victoria , Australia. It is located north-east of the city of Geelong, Victoria and is to the south-west of the state's Capital city of Melbourne....  is the state's second busiest airport, which is complements Essendon Essendon Airport Essendon Airport is located at Essendon Fields, Victoria, in Melbourne's northern suburbs, Victoria , Australia. It is located next to the Tullamarine Freeway on 3.05 square kilometres, from the Melbourne Central Business District and from Melbourne Airport....  and Moorabbin Airport Moorabbin Airport Moorabbin Airport is a general aviation airport for light aircraft located in Mentone, Victoria. The airport grounds are treated as their own suburb, designated the Postal code 3194.... s to see the remainder of Melbourne's Melbourne Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....  air traffic. Hamilton Airport Hamilton Airport (Australia) Hamilton Airport is located about 12 km from Hamilton, Victoria, Victoria , Australia. The airport is about 400km west of Melbourne and is home to Sharp Airlines and the Hamilton Aero Club.... , Mildura Airport Mildura Airport Mildura Airport is located in Mildura, Victoria, Victoria , Australia. It is the busiest regional airport in Victoria and has twice been named Australia's Rural Airport of the Year.... , Mount Hotham Mount Hotham Mount Hotham is a Mountain in Victoria , Australia. It is home to Mount Hotham Village, and Mount Hotham Ski Resort. The mountain is located approximately 357 kilometres north east of Melbourne, 746 kilometres from Sydney, and 997 kilometres from Adelaide by road....  and Portland Airport Portland Airport (Australia) Portland Airport is located at Portland, Victoria, Victoria , Australia, 365 km southwest of Melbourne along the Princes Highway. The airport is home to the Portland Aero Club and the Sharp Airlines maintenance base....  are the remaining airports with scheduled domestic flights. There are no fewer than 27 other airports List of airports in Australia This is a list of airports in Australia. It includes licensed airports, with the exception of private airports. Airfields here are listed with their 4-letter ICAO code, and 3-letter IATA code ....  in the state with no scheduled flights. The Port of Melbourne Port of Melbourne The Port of Melbourne is Australia busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Australia, Victoria, Australia on the mouth of the Yarra River, which is at the head of Port Phillip Bay....  is the largest port for containerised and general cargo in Australia, and is located in Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....  on the mouth of the Yarra River Yarra River The Yarra River, originally known as Birrarung, is a river in central Victoria , Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne, Victoria was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches.... , which is at the head of Port Phillip Bay. Additional seaports are at Westernport Bay, Geelong Port of Geelong The Port of Geelong is located on the shores of Corio Bay in Geelong, Victoria, Victoria , Australia. The port is the sixth-largest in Australia by tonnage.... , and Portland Portland, Victoria The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria , Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg.... . Climate Average monthly maximum temperature in Victoria Month Melbourne Mildura January 25.8 °C 32.8 °C February 25.8 °C 32.7 °C March 23.8 °C 29.3 °C April 20.2 °C 24.1 °C May 16.6 °C 19.6 °C June 14.0 °C 16.0 °C July 13.4 °C 15.4 °C August 14.9 °C 17.7 °C September 17.2 °C 21.1 °C October 19.6 °C 25.0 °C November 21.8 °C 29.0 °C December 24.1 °C 31.7 °C Source: Bureau of Meteorology Victoria has a varied climate Climate Climate encompasses the temperatures, humidity, atmospheric pressure, winds, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and numerous other Meteorology elements in a given region over long periods of time, as opposed to the term weather, which refers to current activity of these same elements....  despite its small size. It ranges from semi-arid Semi-arid A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climate regions that receive low annual rainfall . A more precise definition is given by the K?ppen climate classification that treats steppe climates as intermediates between the desert climates and humid climates in ecological characteristics and agricultural potential....  and hot in the north-west, to temperate Temperate In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold....  and cool along the coast. Victoria's main land feature, the Great Dividing Range, produces a cooler, mountain climate in the centre of the state. Victoria's southernmost position on the Australian mainland means it is cooler and wetter than other mainland states and territories. The coastal plain Coastal plain A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in western South America....  south of the Great Dividing Range has Victoria's mildest climate. Air from the Southern Ocean Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Great Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean and the South Polar Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean south of 60th parallel south latitude....  helps reduce the heat of summer and the cold of winter. Melbourne and other large cities are located in this temperate region. The Mallee Mallee Mallee may refer to:* Mallee , the habit of woody plants that grow with multiple stems from underground lignotubers* Mallee , a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia...  and upper Wimmera Wimmera The Wimmera is a region in the west of the Australian state of Victoria .It covers the dryland farming area south of the range of Division of Mallee scrub, east of the South Australia border and north of the Great Dividing Range....  are Victoria's warmest regions with hot winds blowing from nearby deserts. Average temperatures top 30 °C (86°F) during summer and 15 °C (59°F) in winter. Victoria's highest maximum temperature of 48.8°C (119.8°F) was recorded in Hopetoun Hopetoun Hopetoun may refer to:* Earl of Hopetoun, a courtesy title given to the heir of the Marquess of Linlithgow, head of the Scottish noble family of Hope...  on 7 February 2009. The Victorian Alps in the northeast are the coldest part of Victoria. The Alps are part of the Great Dividing Range mountain system extending east-west through the centre of Victoria. Average temperatures are less than 9°C (48°F) in winter and below 0°C (32°F) in the highest parts of the ranges. The state's lowest minimum temperature of -12.8°C (9.0°F) was recorded at Mount Hotham Mount Hotham Mount Hotham is a Mountain in Victoria , Australia. It is home to Mount Hotham Village, and Mount Hotham Ski Resort. The mountain is located approximately 357 kilometres north east of Melbourne, 746 kilometres from Sydney, and 997 kilometres from Adelaide by road....  on 13 August 1947. Rainfall Victoria is the wettest Australian state after Tasmania Tasmania Tasmania is an Australian island and States and territories of Australia of the same name. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait.... . Rainfall in Victoria increases from north to south, with higher averages in areas of high altitude. Median annual rainfall exceeds 1,800 millimetres (71 inches) in some parts of the northeast but is less than 250 millimetres (10 inches) in the Mallee. Rain is heaviest in the Otway Ranges and Gippsland in southern Victoria and in the mountainous northeast. Snow generally falls only in the mountains and hills in the centre of the state. Rain falls most frequently in winter, but summer precipitation is heavier. Rainfall is most reliable in Gippsland and the Western District Western District The Western District is a region of Australia located in the south-west corner of the state of Victoria , extending to Ballarat, Victoria in the east and as far north as Ararat, Victoria where it borders the Wimmera region.... , making them both leading farming areas. Victoria's highest recorded daily rainfall was 375 millimetres (14.7 in) at Tanybryn in the Otway Ranges on 22 March 1983.

Source: Bureau of Meteorology, Department of Primary Industries, Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Tourism

Some major tourist destinations in Victoria are:

• The metropolis of Melbourne, particular its inner city suburbs (known also for shopping tourism) and the attractions of the city centre
  Melbourne city centre
  
  Melbourne also known as the Melbourne city centre is a locality surrounded by Melbourne which comprises the original settlement, the central business district, parkland and other built-up areas....
   such as Crown Casino
  Crown Casino
  
  Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex is a casino and entertainment precinct on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia attracting on average 16 million visitors yearly....
  , Melbourne Zoo
  Melbourne Zoo
  
  The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens, commonly known as the Melbourne Zoo, contains more than 350 animal species from Australia and around the world and is considered by experts as one of the world's great zoos....
  , Melbourne Museum
  Melbourne Museum
  
  The Melbourne Museum is located in the Carlton Gardens, Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia. It shares these gardens with the Royal Exhibition Building....
  , the Melbourne Aquarium
  Melbourne Aquarium
  
  Melbourne Aquarium is a Southern Ocean and Antarctic aquarium in central Melbourne, Australia. It is located on the banks of the Yarra River beside and under the Flinders Street Viaduct and the King Street Bridge ....
  , tourism precincts such as Melbourne Docklands
  Melbourne Docklands
  
  Melbourne Docklands is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia, 2 km west from Melbourne's Melbourne city centre. Its Local Government Areas of Victoria is the City of Melbourne....
  , Southbank
  Southbank, Victoria
  
  Southbank is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia, 1 km south from Melbourne's Melbourne city centre. Its Local Government Areas of Victoria are the Cities of City of Melbourne and City of Port Phillip....
   and St Kilda
  St Kilda, Victoria
  
  St Kilda is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's Melbourne city centre. Its Local Government Areas of Victoria is the City of Port Phillip....
   as well as cultural and sporting tourist icons such as The Arts Centre, National Gallery of Victoria
  National Gallery of Victoria
  
  The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia....
  , the Melbourne Cricket Ground
  Melbourne Cricket Ground
  
  The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne in inner Melbourne, home to the Melbourne Cricket Club....
  , also known as the MCG
  McG
  
  Joseph "McG" McGinty Nichol is an American film and television Film producer and Film director. He was nicknamed McG from birth to differentiate him from his uncle and grandfather, both of whom are also named Joe....
  , and the Eureka Tower
  Eureka Tower
  
  Eureka Tower is a skyscraper located in the Southbank, Victoria precinct of Melbourne, Australia. Construction began in August 2002 and the exterior completed on 1 June 2006....
  , tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, with its Skydeck 88.
• The former Goldfields region featuring the historic cities of Ballarat, Beechworth, Bendigo, Castlemaine
  Castlemaine, Victoria
  
  Castlemaine is a city in Victoria , Australia, in the "Goldfields" region about 120 kilometres northwest by road from Melbourne, and about 40 kilometres from the major provincial centre of Bendigo, Victoria....
  , Maldon
  Maldon, Victoria
  
  Maldon is a town in Victoria , Australia, in the Shire of Mount Alexander local government area. It has been designated "Australia's first notable town" and is celebrated for its 19th-century appearance, maintained since Victorian Gold Rush days....
   and Daylesford
  Daylesford, Victoria
  
  Daylesford is a town located in the Shire of Hepburn, Victoria , Australia. It is a former goldmining town about 115 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range....
  .
• Natural attractions, such as The Twelve Apostles
  The Twelve Apostles, Victoria
  
  The Twelve Apostles are a collection of limestone stack off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria , Australia....
  , Wilson's Promontory, The Grampians
  Grampians National Park
  
  The Grampians National Park is a national park in Victoria , Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne, Australia. The Park was listed on the National Heritage List on 15 December 2006 for its outstanding natural beauty and being one of the richest Indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern Australia....
  , the Fairy Penguin
  Little Penguin
  
  Korora redirects here. For the Kororaa Linux operating system, see Kororaa.The Little Penguin is the smallest species of penguin. The penguin, which is about 43 cm tall, is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile....
  s (particularly at Phillip Island and St Kilda
  St Kilda, Victoria
  
  St Kilda is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's Melbourne city centre. Its Local Government Areas of Victoria is the City of Port Phillip....
  ), the Buchan Caves
  Buchan Caves
  
  The Buchan Caves are a group of caves that include Royal Cave and Fairy Cave, located in Buchan, Victoria, with limestone formations created by underground rivers cutting through limestone rock almost 400 million years ago....
   and the Gippsland Lakes
  Gippsland Lakes
  
  The Gippsland Lakes are a network of lakes, marshes and lagoons in east Gippsland, Victoria , Australia covering an area of about 600 km sq, The largest of the lakes are Lake Wellington , Lake King and Lake Victoria....
  .
• The Dandenong Ranges
  Dandenong Ranges
  
  The Dandenong Ranges, originally known as Corhanwarrabul, are a set of low mountain ranges, rising to 633 metres at Mount Dandenong, approximately 35km east of Melbourne, Victoria , Australia....
   (in particular the Puffing Billy Railway
  Puffing Billy Railway, Melbourne
  
  The Puffing Billy Railway is a narrow gauge railway gauge heritage railway in the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne, Australia.General ...
  ).
• Towns along the Murray River and Riverina including Echuca
  Echuca, Victoria
  
  Echuca is a town located on the banks of the Murray River in Victoria , Australia. Twin town Moama, New South Wales is on the northern side of the river in New South Wales....
   and Mildura including waterskiing.
• Geelong
  Geelong, Victoria
  
  Geelong is the second largest List of cities in Australia in the States and territories of Australia of Victoria , Australia and is the largest regional centre in the state....
   (particularly the city's waterfront) and the Australian International Airshow
  Australian International Airshow
  
  The Australian International Airshow is a large airshow held every two years at Avalon Airport, between Melbourne and Geelong, Victoria . It has been said by air show organisers to be the largest airshow in the southern hemisphere....
  
• The Bellarine Peninsula
  Bellarine Peninsula
  
  The Bellarine Peninsula is a peninsula located south-west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, surrounded by Port Phillip, Corio Bay and Bass Strait....
   which features historic resort towns such as Queenscliff
  Queenscliff, Victoria
  
  Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula at the entrance to Port Phillip in southern Victoria, Australia and is bounded on its north side by the environmentally important Swan Bay ....
  .
• The Surf Coast which features famous beaches such as Bells Beach
  Bells Beach
  
  Bells Beach is an internationally famous surf beach in Victoria , Australia, located 100 km south-west of Melbourne, on the Great Ocean Road near the towns of Torquay, Victoria and Jan Juc....
  , Torquay
  Torquay, Victoria
  
  Torquay is a township in Victoria , Australia, which faces Bass Strait, 21 km. south of Geelong, Victoria and is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road....
   and Lorne
• Mornington Peninsula
  Mornington Peninsula
  
  The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria , Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north....
  , particularly for its wineries and secluded beaches, Arthur's Seat and the coastal attractions of Portsea
  Portsea, Victoria
  
  Portsea is a resort town located across Port Phillip from Melbourne, Victoria , Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula....
   and Sorrento
  Sorrento, Victoria
  
  Sorrento is a township in Victoria , Australia, located on the shores of Port Phillip on the Mornington Peninsula, about one and a half hours south of Melbourne....
  .
• Yarra Valley
  Yarra Valley
  
  The Yarra Valley is the name given to the region surrounding the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia. The river originates in the Yarra Ranges approximately 60 kilometres east of Melbourne and flows towards and into the city of Melbourne and out into Port Phillip....
   (in particular Healesville Sanctuary
  Healesville Sanctuary
  
  Healesville Sanctuary, or the Sir Colin MacKenzie Fauna Park, is a zoo specializing in native Australian animals. It is located at Healesville, Victoria in rural Victoria , Australia, and has a history of breeding native animals....
   and wineries).
• Great Ocean Road
  Great Ocean Road
  
  The Great Ocean Road is a 243 km stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victoria n cities of Torquay, Victoria and Warrnambool, Victoria....
  , which features The Twelve Apostles, historic towns of Port Fairy
  Port Fairy, Victoria
  
  Port Fairy is a coastal town in western Victoria, Australia, Australia. It is located on the Princes Highway in the Shire of Moyne west of Warrnambool, Victoria and 290 km west of Melbourne, where the Moyne River enters the Southern Ocean....
   and Portland
  Portland, Victoria
  
  The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria , Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg....
  , cliffs and whale watching
  Whale watching
  
  Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also be for scientific or educational reasons....
   and resort towns such as Lorne
  Lorne, Victoria
  
  Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria , Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route....
  .
• The Victorian Alpine Region, part of the Australian Alps
  Australian Alps
  
  The Australian Alps are the highest mountain ranges of mainland Australia. They are located in south-eastern Australia and straddle the Australian Capital Territory, south-eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria, Australia....
  , particularly for skiing
• The Central Victorian Highlands, 'Highcountry' are very well known for winter sports and bushwalking

Other popular tourism activities are gliding

Gliding

Gliding refers to the descending flight of heavier-than-air craft, principally gliders s, hang gliders and paragliders. Technically, gliders, hang-gliders and paragliders are just different styles of glider used to pursue gliding and soaring for recreation, in the same way that sailboats and windsurfers share the lake and the wind....
, hang-gliding, hot air balloon

Hot air balloon

The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first manned flight was made by Jean-Fran?ois Pil?tre de Rozier and Fran?ois Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air balloon created by the Montgolfier brothers....
ing and scuba diving

Scuba diving

SCUBA diving is Underwater diving, or taking part in another activity, while using a scuba set. By carrying a source of breathing gas , the scuba diver is able to stay underwater longer than with the simple breath-holding techniques used in snorkeling and free-diving, and is not hindered by air lines to a remote air source....
.

Major events also play a big part in tourism in Victoria, particularly cultural tourism and sports tourism. Most of these events are centred around Melbourne, but others occur in regional cities, such as the V8 Supercars and Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island, the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool and the Australian International Airshow

Australian International Airshow

The Australian International Airshow is a large airshow held every two years at Avalon Airport, between Melbourne and Geelong, Victoria . It has been said by air show organisers to be the largest airshow in the southern hemisphere....
 at Geelong and numerous local festivals such as the popular Port Fairy Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival

Queenscliff Music Festival

Queenscliff Music Festival is a live music festival held in the town of Queenscliff, located on the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria , Australia. The festival began in 1997 and is held annually on the last weekend of November....
, Bells Beach SurfClassic and the Bright

Bright, Victoria

Bright , is a small sized town, located in Victoria , Australia, 319 metres above sea level and in North Eastern Victoria at the southeastern end of the Ovens Valley....
 Autumn Festival.

Sport

Victoria is the home of Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian football, or simply known as football, footy, Aussie rules or as AFL, is a team sport played between two teams of 18 players with a football in the shape of a prolate spheroid....
, with ten of the sixteen clubs of the Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The 'Australian Football League' is the professional Australian national competition in the sport of Australian Rules Football.The league comprises sixteen teams which play 22 home and away rounds between late March and late August or early September....
 based in Victoria, and the traditional Grand Final

AFL Grand Final

The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions....
 held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Melbourne Cricket Ground

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne in inner Melbourne, home to the Melbourne Cricket Club....
 usually on the last Saturday in September.

Victoria's cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games team sport that originated in southern England. The earliest definite reference is dated 1598, and it is now played in more than 100 countries....
 team, the Victorian Bushrangers

Victorian Bushrangers

The Victorian Bushrangers is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, Victoria, that represents the state of Victoria . It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Victorian Premier Cricket competition....
 play in the national Sheffield Shield cricket competition, and is represented in Football (soccer) by Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory Football Club is an association football club in the Australian A-League. Based in Melbourne, Victoria , Melbourne Victory FC are the largest club in the league, drawing the largest average crowds of any club and consistently setting league and domestic club football attendance records....
 in the A-League

A-League

The A-League is the premier Australasian domestic association football competition. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia, it was founded in 2004 and staged its A-League 2005-06 in 2005-06....
. Victoria also has one team each represented in the National Rugby League

National Rugby League

The National Rugby League is the top Sports league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL competition is contested by 16 teams, 15 based in Australia and one based in New Zealand, and is the Southern Hemisphere's elite rugby league championship....
 and the Australian Rugby Championship, the Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm

The Melbourne Storm is a professional rugby league football club based in the city of Melbourne, Australia. The Melbourne club is currently 100% owned and operated by News Limited....
 and Melbourne Rebels

Melbourne Rebels

The Melbourne Rebels were an Australian rugby union football club that played in the now defunct Australian Rugby Championship. The Rebels were formed as the only Victoria n club to participate in the inaugural season of the championship, starting in August 2007....
 respectively.

Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....
 has held the 1956 Summer Olympics

1956 Summer Olympics

The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the Equestrian at the 1956 Summer Olympics, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations....
, 2006 Commonwealth Games

2006 Commonwealth Games

The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, Sportsperson competing, and events being held....
, FINA World Swimming Championship, and is home to the annual Australian Open

Australian Open

The Australian Open is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year. The tournament is held each January at Melbourne Park....
 tennis tournament, and the Australian Formula One Grand Prix

Australian Grand Prix

The Australian Grand Prix is a Formula One race that is part of the annual Formula One championship season. It is held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit at Albert Park and Lake in Melbourne....
.

Victoria is also home to Bells Beach

Bells Beach

Bells Beach is an internationally famous surf beach in Victoria , Australia, located 100 km south-west of Melbourne, on the Great Ocean Road near the towns of Torquay, Victoria and Jan Juc....
, which is the home of the world's longest-running surfing competition, the Bells Beach SurfClassic, which is part of The ASP World Tour.

Possibly Victoria's most famous island, Phillip Island, is home of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a racing circuit in Phillip Island , Victoria , Australia...
 which hosts the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix

Australian motorcycle Grand Prix

The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It is held each year at the scenic Phillip Island GP Circuit....
 which features MotoGP

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

* In 2005, fuel tank capacity was reduced by 2 litres to 24 litres* In 2006, fuel tank capacity was reduced by a further 2 litres to 22 litres* From 2007 onwards and for a minimum period of five years, FIM has regulated in MotoGP class that two-stroke bikes will no longer be allowed, and engines will be limited to 800cc four-strokes....
 (the world's premier motorcycling class), as well as the Australian round of the World Superbike Championship and the domestic V8 Supercar

V8 Supercar

V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category operated under the regulations of the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile . It is the most popular motorsport in Australia, has a considerable following in New Zealand, and is steadily growing in popularity across the world where television coverage allows....
 racing, which also visits Sandown Raceway

Sandown Raceway

Sandown International Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria , approximately south east of the city centre....
 and the rural Winton Motor Raceway

Winton Motor Raceway

Winton Motor Raceway is a Motor Racing track in Winton, Victoria, near Benalla, Victoria, Victoria , Australia....
 circuit.

Australia's most prestigious footrace, the Stawell Gift

Stawell Gift

The Stawell Gift is Australia's oldest and richest short distance running race. It is run over every Easter weekend, with the main race finals on the holiday Monday, at Central Park, Stawell, Victoria in the Grampian Mountains district of western Victoria, Australia....
, is an annual event.

The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival

Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival

The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is the name of a Melbourne, Australia Thoroughbred horse racing series held annually during October and November ....
 is one of the biggest horse racing events in the world and is one of the world's largest sporting events. The main race is for the $6 million Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major annual thoroughbred horse race. Billed as The race that stops a nation, it is a race for three-year-olds and over, over a distance of 3,200 metres....
, and crowds for the carnival exceed 700,000.

See also

• 2003 Melbourne thunderstorm
  2003 Melbourne thunderstorm
  
  The 2003 Melbourne thunderstorm was a severe weather event that occurred over the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and surrounding areas of Victoria , from 1 December to 6 December 2003....
  
• List of highways in Victoria
• List of localities (Victoria)
  List of localities (Victoria)
  
  This is a list of places in the States and territories of Australia of Victoria , Australia. It is presently highly incomplete but an expansion and completion project is underway....
  
• Protected areas of Victoria (Australia)
  Protected areas of Victoria (Australia)
  
  Victoria is the smallest mainland state in Australia. It contains 1966 separate Protected Areas with a total land area of 33,780 km? . Of these, 36 are National parks, totalling 25,774 km? ....
  
• Victorian Alps

External links