Victoria (Australia)
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, but under the administration of the colonial government in
Sydney. Victoria's first settlement was at
Portland, on the west coast of what is now Victoria,
Melbourne was founded in 1835 by
John Batman.
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 at Anderson's Creek near Melbourne, at
Ballarat, and subsequently at
Bendigo. Later discoveries occurred at many sites across Victoria. This triggered one of the
largest gold rushes the world has ever seen. Victoria grew rapidly in both population and economic power.
In 1901 Victoria became a state in the
Commonwealth of Australia. Melbourne was the first capital of Australia until a permanent site was chosen. The national capital was moved to
Canberra in 1927.
| Composition of the Parliament of Victoria |
|---|
| - bgcolor="#cccccc" valign="top" | Political
Party | Legislative
Assembly!Legislative
Council |
|---|
| ALP | 62 | 24 |
| Liberal | 17 | 14 |
| National | 7 | 4 |
| Independent | 2 | 2 |
| Source: Victorian Electoral Commission |
|
Victoria has a parliamentary form of government based on the
Westminster System. Legislative power resides in the Parliament consisting of the Governor (the representative of the Queen), the executive (the Government), and two legislative chambers. While
Queen Elizabeth II is Victoria's head of state, it is in practice a ceremonial role.
The
Parliament of Victoria consists of the lower house
Legislative Assembly, the upper house
Legislative Council and the
Queen of Australia. Eighty-eight members of the Legislative Assembly are elected to four-year terms from single-member electorates. The Legislative Council consists of 44 members elected to eight-year terms from 22 two-member electorates. Legislative Council elections are staggered so that half the members face election every four years.
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
Governor of Victoria has a ceremonial role representing Queen Elizabeth II. The post is usually filled by a retired prominent Victorian. The governor acts on the advice of the Premier and Cabinet.
Victoria has a written constitution. Enacted in 1975, but based on the 1855 colonial constitution, it establishes the parliament as the state's supreme law-making body. The Victorian Constitution can be amended by the parliament without voter approval.
From November 2006, Victorian voters will elect members to the upper house under a revamped system. The Legislative Council will consist of 40 seats, with five representatives each elected from eight new multi-member districts. Minor parties are expected to benefit most from the changes.
Politics
|
The Parliament of Victoria stands in Spring Street in Melbourne. It was built in 1856. |
The
centre-left Australian Labor Party (the ALP),
centre-right Liberal Party of Australia and rural-based
National Party of Australia are Victoria's major political parties. Traditionally, Labor is strongest in Melbourne's inner, working class and western suburbs. The Liberals' main support lies in Melbourne's more affluent eastern and outer suburbs, and some regional centres. The Nationals are strongest in Victoria's regional and rural areas. The ALP government of Premier
Steve Bracks has been in office in Victoria since 1999 and was re-elected in 2002.
Federal government
Victorian voters elect 49 representatives to the
Parliament of Australia, including 37 members of the
House of Representatives and 12 members of the
Senate. Since 2004, the ALP has held 19 Victorian house seats, the Liberals 16 and the Nationals two. The Liberals hold six senate seats, the ALP four and the
Australian Democrats and
Family First Party one each.
Local government
Victoria is incorporated into 79
municipalities for the purposes of
local 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 |
Population growth
estimates for Victoria |
|---|
| 2006 | 5,080,000 |
| 2010 | 5,282,075 |
| 2015 | 5,526,575 |
| 2020 | 5,764,271 |
| 2025 | 5,988,957 |
| 2030 | 6,189,345 |
Source: Dept of Sustainability
and Environment |
|
|
Melbourne, the state capital, is home to more than 70 % of Victorians. |
The 2001 Australian census reported that Victoria had 4,644,950 people, an increase of 6.2% on the 1996 figure. The
Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that by September 2005 the state's population had reached 5,087,000. Victoria's founding
Anglo-Celtic population has been supplemented by successive waves of migrants from southern and eastern
Europe,
Southeast Asia and, most recently, the
Horn of Africa and
Middle East. Victoria's population is ageing rapidly. The government predicts that nearly a quarter of Victorians will be aged over 60 by 2021.
More than 70% of Victorians live in
Melbourne, located in the state's south. The sprawling Melbourne metropolitan area is home to an estimated 3.7 million people. Other important urban centres include
Geelong,
Ballarat,
Bendigo,
Shepparton,
Mildura,
Warrnambool and the
Latrobe Valley. 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 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 or
Irish ancestry. Less than 1% of Victorians identify themselves as
Aboriginal. The largest groups of people born outside Australia came from the
United Kingdom,
Italy,
Vietnam,
Greece and
New Zealand.
Religion
About 65 out of every 100 Victorians describe themselves as
Christian.
Roman Catholics form the single largest religious group in the state, followed by
Anglicans and members of the
Uniting Church. Catholics and
Protestants in Victoria each form around 30% of the population.
Buddhism, the state's largest non-Christian religion, is also the fastest growing. Victoria is also home to around 93,000
Muslims and 40,000
Jews. Around 17% of Victorians claim no religion.
| Source: 2001 Australian Census, Department of Infrastructure |
Primary and secondary
|
University of Melbourne is Victoria's oldest tertiary institution. |
Victoria's
public school system dates back to 1872, when the then 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 teritary 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 Victorian government. 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 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. The oldest, the
University of Melbourne, enrolled its first student in 1855. The largest,
Monash University, has an enrolment of nearly 56,000 students - more than any other Australian university. 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. The largest number of enrolments were recorded in the fields of
business,
administration and
economics, with nearly a third of all students, followed by
arts,
humanities, and
social science, with 20% of enrolments.
Victoria also has 19 technical or
TAFE institutes. 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 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 |
Victorian production and
workers by economic activities |
|---|
| - bgcolor="#cccccc" valign="top" | Economic
sector | GSP
produced | Number of
workers | Percentage
of workers |
|---|
Finance, insurance
and property | 30.5% | 319,109 | 15.3% |
Community, social
and personal services | 16.6% | 562,783 | 27.4% |
| Manufacturing | 15.4% | 318,218 | 15.3% |
Wholesale and
retail trade | 12.1% | 423,328 | 20.3% |
Transport, utilities
and communications | 10.6% | 133,752 | 6.4% |
| Construction | 6.2% | 136,454 | 6.6% |
| Government | 4% | 62,253 | 3% |
| Agriculture | 3.3% | 72,639 | 3.5% |
| Mining | 1.3% | 4,472 | 0.2% |
| Other | - | 49,208 | 2% |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Figures are for 2004-2005 |
The Victorian economy is the second largest in
Australia, accounting for a quarter of the nation's
gross domestic product. The total
gross state product at current prices for Victoria was at just over $A222 billion, with a GSP per capita of $A44,443. The economy grew by 3.4% in 2004, less than the Australian average of 5.2%.
Finance,
insurance and
property services 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,
manufacturing remains Victoria's single largest employer and income producer.
Agriculture
During 2003-04, the gross value of Victorian
agricultural production 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 km² of Victorian land. This comprises more than 60% of the state's total land surface. Victorian farms range from small horticultural outfits to largescale
livestock and
grain productions. A quarter of farmland is used to grow consumable crops.
More than 26000 km² of Victorian farmland is sown for grain, mostly in the state's west. More than 50% of this area is sown for
wheat, 33% for
barley and 7% for
oats. A further 6,000 km² is sown for hay. In 2003-04, Victorian farmers produced more than 3 million tonnes of wheat and 2 million tonnes of barley. The state also grows about half of Australia's tobacco. 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,
broccoli,
carrots,
potatoes and
tomatoes. Last year, 121,200 tonnes of pears and 270,000 tonnes of tomatoes were produced.
More than 14 million
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 for meat and to the rest of the world for breeding. More than 108,000 tonnes of
wool clip was also produced - one-fifth of the Australian total.
Victoria is the centre of
dairy farming in Australia. It is home to 60% of Australia's 3 million
dairy cattle and produces nearly two-thirds of the nation's
milk, almost 6.4 million litres. The state also has 2.4 million beef
cattle, with more than 2.2 million cattle and calves slaughtered each year. In 2003-04, Victorian
commercial fishing crews and
aquaculture industry produced 11,634 tonnes of seafood valued at nearly $A109 million. Blacklipped
abalone is the mainstay of the catch, bringing in $A46 million, followed by southern
rock lobster worth $A13.7 million. Most abalone and rock lobster is exported to
Asia.
Manufacturing
More than 15 out of every 100 Victorian workers are employed in
manufacturing industries. Victoria has 318,000 manufacturing workers. The state is marginally behind New South Wales in the value of manufacturing output. Machinery and equipment manufacturing is the state's most valuable activity, followed by food and beverage manufacturing and petroleum, coal and chemical manufacturing. Melbourne is the centre of manufacturing in Victoria. Geelong is the second manufacturing city. Energy production has aided industrial growth in the Latrobe Valley.
Mining
Mining in Victoria contributes around $A3 billion to the gross state product, but employs less than 1% of workers. The Victorian industry is concentrated on energy producing minerals.
Brown coal,
petroleum and
gas account for nearly 90% of local production. Oil and gas industries are centred off the coast of
Gippsland in the state's east. Crude oil worth more than $A2 billion and natural gas worth nearly $A700 million were the state's most valuable minerals. In 2003-04, offshore gas production increased, while crude oil production continued to decline as reserves dry out. An average 120,000 barrels of oil are produced each day, down from a peak of 450,000 in the mid-1980s. But Victoria still produces nearly a third of Australia's crude oil.
Brown coal is Victoria's leading mineral, with 66 million tonnes mined each year for electricity generation in the
Latrobe Valley, also in Gippsland. The region is home to world's largest known reserves of brown coal. Despite being the historic centre of Australia's
gold rush, Victoria today contributes just 1% of national
gold production. Victoria also produces some
gypsum 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.
| Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Department of Primary Industries |
Victoria's northern border is the south bank of the
Murray River, the river itself being part of
New South Wales. It also rests at the southern end of the
Great Dividing Range, which stretches along the east coast and terminates west of
Ballarat. It is bordered by
South Australia to the west, and shares Australian's shortest land border with
Tasmania. The official border between Victoria and Tasmania is at 39°12', which passes through
Boundary Islet in the
Bass Strait for 85 metres
. Victoria contains many topographically, geologically and climatically diverse areas, ranging from the wet, temperate climate of
Gippsland in the southeast to the snow-covered
Victorian alpine areas which rise to almost 2000
m (with
Mount Bogong the highest peak at 1986 m) and extensive semi-arid plains to the west and north-west.
There is an extensive series of river systems in Victoria owing to its relatively high (relative to the rest of Australia) rainfall. Most notable is the
Murray River system. Other rivers include:
Ovens River,
Goulburn River,
King River,
Campaspe River,
Loddon River,
Wimmera River,
Elgin River,
Barwon River,
Thomson River,
Snowy River,
Latrobe River,
Yarra River,
Maribyrnong River,
Mitta River and
Kiewa River.
The state symbols include the
Pink Heath (state flower),
Leadbeater's Possum (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) and
Local Government Areas of Victoria.
{
|
Satellite image of Victoria |
|
Western (left) and eastern (right) Victorian cities, towns, settlements and road network |
â†' see also
commons:Category:Climate diagrams of Victoria 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 despite its small size. It ranges from
semi-arid and hot in the north-west, to
temperate 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 continent means it is cooler and wetter than other mainland states and territories. The
coastal plain south of the Great Dividing Range has Victoria's mildest climate. Air from the
Southern Ocean helps reduce the heat of summer and the cold of winter. Melbourne and other large cities are located in this temperate region. The
Mallee and upper
Wimmera are Victoria's warmest regions due to hot winds blowing from nearby deserts. Average temperatures top 30 °C during summer and 15 °C in winter. Victoria's highest maximum temperature of 47.2 °C was recorded in
Mildura on
10 January 1939. The
Victorian Alps in the north-east are the coldest part of Victoria. The Alps are part of the Great Diving Range mountain system extending east-west through the centre of Victoria. Average temperatures are less than 9 °C in winter and below 0 °C 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 on
13 August 1947.
Rainfall
Victoria is the wettest Australian state after
Tasmania.
Rainfall in Victoria increases from north to south, with bigger falls in areas of high altitude. Median annual rainfall exceeds 1800 mm in some parts of the north-east but is less than 250 mm in the Mallee. Rain is heaviest in the
Otway Ranges and
Gippsland in southern Victoria and in the mountainous north-east. 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, making them both leading farming areas. Victoria's highest recorded daily rainfall was 375 mm at Tanybryn in the Otway Ranges on
22 March 1983.
|
Average January temperatures
Victoria's north is always hotter than coastal and mountainous areas. |
|
Average July temperatures
Victoria's hills and ranges are coolest during winter. Snow also falls there. |
|
Average yearly precipitation
Victoria's rainfall is concentrated in the mountainous north-east and coast. |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology, Department of Primary Industries, Australian Natural Resources Atlas |
Image:UAAus-Vic2006AD.gif|The climate of Victoria's capital Melbourne, which is located on Victoria's central south coast, as measured and recorded at the Regional Office (altitude 31.2m).Image:UAAus-Vic2006AD.gif|The climate of Mildura on the Murray River on the north-western border of Victoria as measured and recorded at the Airport (altitude 50m).Image:UAAus-Vic2006AD.gif|The climate of Wilsons Promontory which constitutes the southernmost tip of Victoria and the Australian mainland as measured and recorded at the Lighthouse (altitude 88.7m).Some major tourist destinations in Victoria include: Ballarat, Beechworth, Bendigo, Buchan Caves, Echuca, Fairy penguins, Geelong, Gippsland Lakes, Gliding, Great Ocean Road, Maldon, Melbourne Casino, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Murray River golf clubs, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Puffing Billy, Skiing in Victoria, Sovereign Hill, The Twelve Apostles. Other popular activities include whale watching, hang-gliding and hot air ballooning.Victoria as a state has an amicable embracement of sport, be it at country roots level, or at a more elite level.Victoria is the home of Aussie Rules, with 10 of the 16 clubs of the major league (see Australian Football League) based in Victoria, and the traditional Grand Final held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the last Saturday in September.Each Easter, Bells Beach hosts the Rip Curl Pro World Championship.* Highways in Victoria
* List of localities (Victoria)
* Protected areas of Victoria (Australia)
* Victorian Alps* Australian Places - a gazetteer of Australian cities, towns and suburbs, many of which are in Victoria
* Government website
* Victorian Information and History
* Official Government tourism website
* Public Transport
* Phillip Island Tourist Information
* Photos of Victoria
