Victoria (state)

Victoria, often called Vic, is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state, after Tasmania, but it is the second-most crowded with over 7 million people living there. Many people live close together, making it the most densely populated state in all of Australia.

The state is bordered by New South Wales to the north and South Australia to the west. To the south lies the Bass Strait, with the Southern Ocean to the southwest and the Tasman Sea to the southeast. Victoria has many different landscapes, from calm coastal areas to the tall Victorian Alps in the northeast and drier northwest lands.

Most people in Victoria live near the city of Melbourne, which is the state’s capital and the second-largest city in Australia. Melbourne is a busy place with many museums, art galleries, and theaters. It became very famous during the Victorian gold rush in the 1800s, which brought many people and made the state richer. Today, Victoria continues to grow because many people from other countries and other parts of Australia move there to live. The state has its own government, led by the Labor Party under premier Jacinta Allan.

History

Main article: History of Victoria

Victoria was home to many Aboriginal Australian nations for tens of thousands of years before European settlement. They lived by fishing, hunting, and gathering food, and also farmed eels.

British settlers arrived in the early 1800s. Victoria was named after Queen Victoria in 1851 when it became its own colony. That same year, gold was discovered, leading many people from around the world to come and search for gold. This brought rapid growth to the colony.

In 1901, Victoria became a state when Australia joined together as a country. Melbourne was Australia’s capital city while Canberra was being built.

Geography

Main articles: Geography of Victoria and Geology of Victoria

Victoria's northern border runs in a straight line from Cape Howe to the Murray River, following the river's southern bank. The border touches South Australia to the west and has a short border with Tasmania at Boundary Islet in the Bass Strait.

Victoria has many different landscapes, from wet, mild areas in the southeast to snowy mountains that rise almost 2,000 metres, with Mount Bogong being the highest peak. There are also dry plains in the west and northwest, and many rivers, including the Murray River, Yarra River, and Kiewa River. The state's symbols include the pink heath flower, Leadbeater's possum animal, and the helmeted honeyeater bird.

The capital, Melbourne, holds about 70% of the state's population and is important for the economy, media, and culture.

Regions

Main article: Regions of Victoria

Victoria is divided into regions for different purposes like economic development, land management, and statistics. The state government has five main regions for economic development: Barwon South West, Gippsland, Grampians, Hume, and Loddon Mallee.

Cities and towns

This is a list of places in the Australian state of Victoria by population. Urban centres are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as being a population cluster of 1,000 or more people. The below figures broadly represent the populations of the contiguous built-up areas of each city:

Climate

Victoria has many different climates. It ranges from warm with hot summers in the northwest to cool along the coast. The Great Dividing Range creates cooler mountain climates in the center. Winters near the coast, especially around Melbourne, are mild.

The coastal areas have the mildest climate, helped by air from the Southern Ocean. Melbourne and other big cities are in this temperate area.

The Mallee and upper Wimmera are Victoria's warmest areas, with hot winds from nearby deserts. Summers can be very hot there, with temperatures often above 32 °C (90 °F). The Victorian Alps are the coldest part, with winter temperatures often below 9 °C (48 °F) and sometimes below freezing.

Demographics

See also: Demographics of Australia

It is estimated that as of June 30, 2025, Victoria had a population of about 7 million people. By the year 2051, the population might grow to around 10.3 million.

Victoria started with people from England and Ireland, but over time, many people from Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East have moved there. Most people in Victoria are older compared to the rest of Australia.

About 72% of people in Victoria were born in Australia. In Melbourne, this number is a bit lower, around 66%, but in some rural areas, it is over 95%. Less than 1% of Victorians identify as Aboriginal Australians.

More than 75% of Victorians live in Melbourne, which is in the southern part of the state. The bigger Melbourne area has about 5.2 million people. Other towns and cities outside Melbourne include Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Mildura, Warrnambool, Wodonga, and the Latrobe Valley.

Victoria is the most city-like state in Australia, with almost 90% of people living in towns and cities. Even though the government has tried to get people to live outside Melbourne since 2003, Melbourne keeps growing faster than other areas.

Ancestry and immigration

See also: Immigration to Australia

In 2016, the most common family backgrounds in Victoria were:

• English (32%)
• Australian (29.9%)
• Irish (10.8%)
• Scottish (8.9%)
• Chinese (6.7%)
• Italian (6.4%)
• Indian (3.8%)
• German (3.6%)
• Greek (3.1%)
• Vietnamese (2%)
• Dutch (1.8%)
• Maltese (1.3%)
• Filipino (1.2%)
• Polish (1%)

In 2016, about 65% of Victorians were born in Australia. Other common countries where people were born include England (2.9%), India (2.9%), mainland China (2.7%), New Zealand (1.6%), and Vietnam (1.4%).

Language

As of the 2016 census, 72.2% of Victorians speak English at home. Other languages spoken at home include Mandarin (3.2%), Italian (1.9%), Greek (1.9%), Vietnamese (1.7%), and Arabic (1.3%).

Religion

In the 2016 Census, 47.9% of Victorians said they were Christian. Some followed other religions, and 32.1% said they had no religion or held other beliefs. Of those who answered, 31.7% had no religion, Roman Catholics made up 23.2%, 9% were Anglican, and 3.5% were Eastern Orthodox. In 2017, most couples in Victoria, about 77.3%, had civil weddings, while the rest had religious weddings.

Age structure and fertility

The government expects that by 2021, almost a quarter of Victorians will be over 60 years old. Since 2001, the average age in Australia has gone up from 35 to 37, showing that there were many babies born between 1969 and 1972. In 2017, Victoria had a rate of 1.724 for how many babies each family had on average.

Average demographic

The "average Victorian" can be described using these facts:

Crime

Main article: Crime in Victoria

In the year ending September 2020, the number of reported incidents changed because of new rules made to keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. There were 551,710 incidents in total, with 32,713 of these being breaks of important health rules set by the Chief Health Officer. This happened at a rate of 8,227 incidents for every 100,000 people, which was 4.4% more than the year before. Since 2011, the number of reported incidents has generally gone up each year. In 2011, there were 6,937.7 incidents for every 100,000 people.

Government

Main article: Government of Victoria

Victoria has a government system that follows the Westminster model. It includes a Parliament made up of the Governor, who represents the monarch, and two houses: the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly has 88 members who are elected for four-year terms.

The Premier of Victoria is the leader of the political party with the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Premier, along with the cabinet, helps decide the laws and policies for the state. The current Premier is Jacinta Allan.

Victoria’s Parliament works with the Governor, who carries out the duties of the government based on the advice of the Premier and cabinet. The state has a written constitution that guides how the government operates.

Victoria is known for its progressive views and has supported many national changes. The main political parties include the Australian Labor Party, the Liberal Party, the National Party, and the Australian Greens. These parties have different strengths in various areas of the state.

Victorian voters also choose representatives for the national Parliament, with many seats held by different political parties.

Parliament

Main articles: Parliament of Victoria, Victorian Legislative Assembly, and Victorian Legislative Council

Premier and cabinet

Governor

Main article: Governor of Victoria

Constitution

Main article: Constitution of Victoria

Politics

Main articles: Politics of Victoria and Electoral regions of Victoria

Federal government

Local government

Main article: Local government areas of Victoria

Education

Main article: Education in Victoria

Victoria's schools began in 1872 when the government made schooling free and required for all children. Public secondary schools started in 1905. Today, children go to school for seven years in primary school and six years in secondary school. After secondary school, students can earn a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or a vocational certificate. Public schools are paid for by the government, while private schools charge fees but also get some government money. Victoria also has special schools for students who do very well on tests.

Victoria has nine universities, with the University of Melbourne being the oldest and Monash University the largest. Many students from around the world study in Victoria. There are also many technical colleges and libraries, including the big State Library Victoria, which keeps important books and records.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Victoria (state)

Victoria has the second largest economy in Australia, right after New South Wales. It makes up about a quarter of the country's total money made. In June 2020, Victoria's total money made was A$459 billion, with each person making about A$68,996.

Agriculture

Victoria is a big place for farming, making up about 25% of all the food Australia grows. There are around 67,600 people working in farming, and about 21,600 farms covering more than 11.4 million hectares of land. These farms grow nearly 90% of Australia’s pears and a third of its apples. They also grow vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes.

Victoria is also important for dairy farming, with most of Australia’s dairy cows living there. The state produces nearly two-thirds of the country’s milk. There are also many sheep and cattle farms, and Victoria catches seafood like abalone and rock lobster for export.

Manufacturing

Victoria has many factories and is a key place for making things in Australia. Melbourne is especially important for industry. After World War II, many factories were built because of cheap land and energy. Today, Victoria makes about 26.4% of Australia’s manufactured goods.

Important factories include places that make aluminium, oil, and chemicals. Victoria also makes medicines and helps with defence supplies. However, making things has been getting smaller over the years because of changes like higher costs and factories moving to other countries.

Land

Victoria uses a special way to record land ownership called the Torrens system. This system helps make sure land records are clear and easy to understand.

Mining

Mining in Victoria adds about A$6 billion to the state’s economy but employs fewer than 1% of workers. Most mining is for energy, like brown coal, oil, and gas. Brown coal is mainly mined in the Latrobe Valley for making electricity. Victoria also has some gold, gypsum, and kaolin mines.

Tourism

Tourism is very important to Victoria. Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, welcomes many visitors each year. People come to see places like Melbourne Zoo, Melbourne Museum, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Victoria also has beautiful coastlines, historic towns, and natural wonders like The Twelve Apostles and the Grampians.

Other popular spots include the Goldfields region, the Dandenong Ranges, and the Great Ocean Road. People also enjoy activities like skiing, visiting wineries, and going to festivals.

Transport

See also: Transport in Melbourne and Rail transport in Victoria

Victoria has many people living close together, with towns and cities spread across the state. Smoking tobacco and using e-cigarettes are not allowed in sheltered areas of train stations, tram stops, and bus stops.

The Victorian road network connects these places, with big roads going out from Melbourne and other cities. Many of these roads are wide and well-built.

Rail transport in Victoria is run by different companies on tracks owned by the government. Metro Trains Melbourne manages many trains in Melbourne, while V/Line serves towns outside the city and also runs long-distance trains. Other companies handle freight trains or special tourist trains.

Melbourne has the world's biggest network of trams, run by Yarra Trams. These trams are popular with both locals and visitors. There are also special tram tours in areas like Ballarat and Bendigo, and tram museums in places such as Bylands, Haddon and Hawthorn.

Melbourne Airport is the main airport for travel in and out of the state. Avalon Airport is the second busiest, with smaller airports like Essendon, Moorabbin Airports, Hamilton Airport, Mildura Airport, Mount Hotham and Portland Airport also serving parts of the state. The Port of Melbourne is Australia's biggest port for cargo, located on the Yarra River. There are also smaller ports at Westernport, Geelong, and Portland.

.jpg)

A High Capacity Metro Train on the Melbourne metropolitan train network operated by Metro Trains Melbourne. The trains have been introduced as part of the Metro Tunnel project.

.jpg)

A VLocity train at Hawksburn station. V/Line is a government-owned train and coach service provider in Victoria, providing inter-city services to a number of regional cities in the state.

Utilities

Victoria has important energy and water systems that help the state run smoothly. For energy, the state uses power stations that burn brown coal, with many located in the Latrobe Valley. The government is working to lower greenhouse gas emissions by a certain amount by 2025.

For water, Victoria has many dams and reservoirs, mostly in the central part of the state. This water is very clean and doesn’t need much treatment, making it taste like rainwater. In some areas, especially in the west, the water needs more cleaning. New pipelines are being built across Victoria to move water where it is needed most, helping during dry times influenced by climate change. Big projects like the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline and the Goldfields Superpipe have already been finished.

Main article: Water management in Victoria

Sport

Main article: Sport in Victoria

Victoria is known for its love of sports, especially Australian rules football. Ten of the top teams in this sport are based here, and the big final game is held each year at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The state also has teams in many other sports, including cricket, rugby, basketball, and soccer. Melbourne has hosted big international events like the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The city is also home to major tennis and car racing events, and it has famous horse racing days that draw huge crowds.

Sister states

Victoria has four sister states around the world. These include Jiangsu in China since 1979, Aichi Prefecture in Japan since 1980, Busan in South Korea since 1994, and Sichuan in China since 2016. These partnerships help promote cultural and economic exchanges between the regions.