Victoria, often called VIC, is a lively state in southeastern Australia. It is the second smallest state by land area and the second most populated. Victoria is also the most densely populated state in Australia. Its economy is strong and diverse, with many different types of jobs and businesses.

Victoria shares borders with New South Wales to the north and South Australia to the west. To the south, it meets the Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean. The state has many different landscapes and weather types. You can find mild coastal areas, snowy mountains in the Victorian Alps, and drier regions in the northwest.

Most people in Victoria live around Port Phillip, especially in Melbourne. Melbourne is Victoria's capital and largest city, and it's also Australia's second-largest city. Many people from different cultures live here, with over three-quarters of the population in Melbourne. Other big cities in Victoria include Geelong, Ballarat, and Bendigo.

Long ago, many Aboriginal Australians lived in Victoria. They spoke over 30 different languages. In 1770, James Cook claimed the east coast of Australia for Great Britain. The first European settlement in Victoria began in 1803.

Victoria was named after Queen Victoria. It became a separate colony in 1851. A huge gold rush in the 1850s made Victoria very rich and its population grew fast. Melbourne was once Australia's largest city and even served as the country's capital until 1927. Today, Victoria continues to grow with people moving there from all over the world. Melbourne is famous for its museums, art galleries, theaters, and is known as a world sporting capital.

Victoria has its own government, with a Parliament of Victoria that makes laws. The current leader is Ben Carroll, the Premier of Victoria. The Governor of Victoria, Margaret Gardner, represents the King in the state. Victoria is divided into 79 local areas that help manage local services.

Victoria's Past: A Journey Through Time
Victoria's Landscape and Environment
People and Culture in Victoria
How Victoria is Governed
Learning and Education
Victoria's Economy and Industries
Getting Around Victoria
Essential Services: Utilities
- Energy Supply
- Water Management
Sports and Recreation in Victoria
Sister States Around the World
Images for kids
See also

Victoria's Past: A Journey Through Time

First Peoples of Victoria

Victoria was home to many Aboriginal Australian groups for thousands of years. They lived off the land by fishing, hunting, and gathering food. Some also farmed eels. Scientists have found evidence that Aboriginal people lived in Victoria about 40,000 years ago. This makes it one of the oldest places where humans lived in Australia.

During the Ice Age, about 20,000 years ago, the area that is now Port Phillip Bay was dry land. Rivers flowed across this plain to the ocean. Later, as the ice melted, sea levels rose and flooded the bay. Aboriginal stories describe how the bay was formed, showing their deep connection to the land.

Early European Settlements

Swearing Allegiance to the Southern Cross at the Eureka Stockade on 1 December 1854 – watercolour by Charles Doudiet

Victoria was named after Queen Victoria, who was the British Queen when the colony was created in 1851. The first British settlement in the area was in October 1803 at Sullivan Bay. This was done to prevent other European countries from claiming the land.

Another early settlement was in Portland in 1834. Then, in 1835, John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner helped found Melbourne. The area around Melbourne was known as the Port Phillip District.

Batman's Treaty: A Land Agreement

In 1835, John Batman met with Wurundjeri Elders. He presented them with a document, now called the Batman treaty. This document suggested that Aboriginal people would give Batman access to their land in exchange for goods.

However, the British government later said the treaty was not valid. Batman did not have permission from the King to make such an agreement. Today, people still discuss what this treaty truly meant. Some see it as a way Europeans took Aboriginal land. Others believe it was an early attempt to recognise Aboriginal land rights.

Colonial Victoria and the Gold Rush

On July 1, 1851, Victoria officially became a separate Crown colony. Just days later, gold was discovered near Ballarat and then Bendigo. This started one of the biggest gold rushes in the world.

Victoria's population and wealth grew incredibly fast. In just ten years, the population jumped from 76,000 to 540,000 people. Many immigrants came from places like Ireland and China to search for gold. By 1857, there were 26,000 Chinese miners in Victoria.

In 1854, miners in Ballarat protested against mining taxes. This led to an armed rebellion called the "Eureka Stockade". Even though British soldiers stopped the uprising, it made the government change mining rules and give more people the right to vote. Some leaders of the Eureka rebellion later became members of Victoria's Parliament.

By 1901, when Australia became a federation, Melbourne was the largest city in Australia. It was also the capital of Australia until Canberra took over in 1927.

Victoria's Landscape and Environment

Geography of Victoria

Victoria's northern border follows the Murray River. The state is bordered by South Australia to the west. It also shares a very short land border with Tasmania on Boundary Islet.

Victoria has many different types of land and weather. From the wet, mild areas of Gippsland in the southeast to the snowy Victorian Alps in the northeast. Mount Bogong is the highest peak, reaching almost 2,000 meters. There are also dry plains in the west and northwest.

The Murray River system is the most important river system in Victoria. Other rivers include the Yarra River, Goulburn River, and Snowy River.

Victoria's state symbols include the pink heath (flower), Leadbeater's possum (animal), and the helmeted honeyeater (bird).

Regions of Victoria

Victoria is divided into different regions for things like economic growth and land management. Besides Greater Melbourne, the state government has five main regions:

Barwon South West
Gippsland
Grampians
Hume
Loddon Mallee

Cities and Towns in Victoria

Melbourne is the largest city in Victoria and home to about 70% of the state's population. Other major cities include Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, and Mildura. These cities are important centers for people living outside Melbourne.

Population by Statistical Urban Centre
Rank	Urban centre	Population
Rank	Urban centre	2021 census	2016 census	2011 census	2006 census
1	Melbourne	4,917,750	4,196,201	3,707,530	3,375,341
2	Geelong	180,239	157,103	143,921	135,965
3	Ballarat	116,201	93,761	85,936	77,766
4	Bendigo	103,034	92,384	82,795	75,420
–	Melton	N/A	54,455	45,625	35,194
5	Shepparton – Mooroopna	68,409	46,194	42,742	38,247
6	Mildura	56,972	33,445	31,363	30,761
–	Pakenham	54,118	46,421	32,913	18,621
7	Wodonga	43,253	35,131	31,605	29,538
8	Sunbury	38,851	34,425	33,062	29,071
9	Warrnambool	35,406	30,707	29,286	28,015
10	Wangaratta	29,808	18,567	17,376	16,732
11	Traralgon	26,907	25,482	24,590	21,474
12	Bacchus Marsh	24,717	17,303	14,914	13,046
13	Warragul	23,051	14,274	13,081	11,333
14	Horsham	20,429	15,630	15,261	13,945
15	Ocean Grove – Barwon Heads	19,394	18,208	16,091	13,701
16	Torquay – Jan Juc	18,534	16,942	13,336	9,463
17	Moe – Newborough	16,844	15,062	15,293	15,159
18	Sale	15,472	13,507	12,764	13,090
19	Morwell	14,432	13,540	13,689	13,399

Victoria's Climate and Weather

Köppen climate types in Victoria

Victoria has many different climates. It ranges from dry and hot in the northwest to mild and cool along the coast. The Great Dividing Range mountains in the center of the state create a cooler, mountain climate.

Coastal areas, especially around Melbourne, have mild winters. The ocean helps keep summer heat and winter cold from becoming too extreme. Melbourne and other big cities are in this mild region.

The Mallee region in the northwest is Victoria's warmest area. It has hot winds from nearby dry lands. Summer temperatures there can be over 32°C. The coldest parts are the Victorian Alps, where winter temperatures are often below 9°C, and can drop below 0°C in the highest areas.

Rainfall Across Victoria

Rainfall is heaviest in the mountains and along the southern coast. Some parts of the northeast get over 1800 mm of rain each year. However, the Mallee region in the northwest gets less than 280 mm. Snow usually falls only in the mountains. Winter has the most frequent rain, but summer storms can be heavier.

People and Culture in Victoria

Population and Growth

ABS-3101.0-AustralianDemographicStatistics-EstimatedResidentPopulationStatesTerritories-EstimatedResidentPopulation-Persons-Victoria-A2060844K

The estimated resident population since 1981

Victoria had a population of over 7 million people in June 2025. The population has been growing steadily.

Many people from different countries have moved to Victoria over the years. This has made Victoria a very diverse state. About 72% of Victorians were born in Australia. This number is lower in Melbourne but much higher in rural areas. Less than 1% of Victorians identify as Indigenous Australians.

Most Victorians, over 75%, live in Melbourne. This makes Victoria the most urbanized state in Australia.

Ancestry and Languages

Melbourne, the state capital, is home to more than three in four Victorians.

Chinatown, Melbourne. 2.7% of the Victorian population was born in China, 6.7% of the Victorian population is of Chinese ancestry, and 3.2% of the Victorian population speaks Mandarin at home.

Many Victorians have English, Australian, Irish, or Scottish backgrounds. There are also large communities with Chinese, Italian, and Indian ancestry.

In 2016, 64.9% of people in Victoria were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included England, India, mainland China, New Zealand, and Vietnam.

Most Victorians speak English at home (72.2%). Other languages spoken include Mandarin, Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, and Arabic.

Religious Beliefs

In 2016, about 47.9% of Victorians identified as Christian. Many people (32.1%) said they had no religion. Other religions were followed by 10.6% of the population.

How Victoria is Governed

Parliament and Laws

The Victorian Parliament House, built in 1856, stands in Spring Street, Melbourne. The building was intended to be finished with a dome, but was not completed due to budget constraints.

The Legislative Council Chamber, as photographed in 1878

Victoria has a parliamentary government, similar to the system in the United Kingdom. The Parliament of Victoria makes laws for the state. It has two parts: the Legislative Assembly (lower house) and the Legislative Council (upper house).

Eighty-eight members are elected to the Legislative Assembly for four-year terms. The Legislative Council has 40 members, also elected for four years. Elections for the Victorian Parliament happen every four years in November.

Party	Legislative Assembly	Legislative Council
Labor	56	15
Liberal	19	12
National	9	2
Greens	4	4
Others	0	7

The Premier and Cabinet

The Premier of Victoria is the leader of the political party with the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Premier and their team, called the Cabinet, decide on new laws and policies. They manage areas like education, health, and law enforcement. The current Premier of Victoria is Ben Carroll.

The Governor of Victoria

The Governor of Victoria represents the King in the state. The Governor is usually a respected Victorian citizen. They act on the advice of the Premier and Cabinet. The current Governor is Margaret Gardner.

Victoria's Constitution

Victoria has its own written constitution, which sets out how the state government works. It was created in 1975, based on an older colonial constitution from 1855. This constitution explains that the Parliament is the main law-making body for state matters.

Local Government in Victoria

One of many local government seats, Geelong Town Hall

Victoria is divided into 79 local government areas, like shires and cities. These local councils are responsible for things like city planning, roads, and waste collection. They get their money from property taxes and government grants.

Learning and Education

Schools in Victoria

Camberwell High School, a public secondary school in Victoria

Victoria's public school system started in 1872, making schooling free and required for all children. Today, students go through seven years of primary school and six years of secondary school.

Students usually start school at age five or six. When they finish secondary school, they receive the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). This certificate helps them get into university.

Schools in Victoria can be public (government-funded) or private. Public schools are run by the state government and do not charge tuition fees. Private schools include Catholic schools and independent schools, which often have religious connections. All schools must follow government rules for what they teach.

Victoria also has special selective schools for students who do very well in academic tests. There is also an online school called Virtual School Victoria.

Universities and Further Education

The University of Melbourne, ranked as one of the best universities in Australia and in the Southern Hemisphere, is Victoria's oldest university.

Deakin University consistently leads the state in student satisfaction, and is consistently ranked as one of the world's best young universities.

Victoria has nine universities. The oldest is the University of Melbourne, which opened in 1855. The largest is Monash University, with over 83,000 students. Many international students also study at Victorian universities.

There are also 12 government-run colleges for technical and further education (TAFE). These places offer practical training for different jobs.

Libraries for Learning

The State Library of Victoria is the fourth most visited public library in the world.

The State Library Victoria is a major research library. It collects and keeps important documents, books, and other materials about Victoria's history and culture. There are also public libraries in most local areas and libraries at universities.

Victoria's Economy and Industries

Victoria has the second-largest economy in Australia. It produces a quarter of the country's total goods and services. The state's economy was worth A$459 billion in June 2020.

Victorian production and workers by economic activities
Economic sector	GSP produced	Number of workers ('000s)	Percentage of workers
Finance, insurance services	12.8%	115.5	3.8%
Professional, technical services	9.1%	274.3	9.0%
Manufacturing	8.6%	274.4	9.0%
Health Care, social services	8.5%	390.6	12.8%
Construction	7.7%	255.7	6.4%
Education	6.7%	257.7	8.5%
Retail Trade	6.0%	310.6	10.2%
Transport Services	5.7%	165.4	5.4%
Wholesale Trade	5.6%	113.4	3.7%
Public Administration	5.0%	146.5	4.8%
Communications and IT	3.9%	57.0	1.9%
Real Estate	3.7%	43.6	1.4%
Administrative services	3.3%	119.0	3.9%
Accommodation and food services	2.9%	209.9	6.9%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	2.8%	86.1	2.8%
Utilities	2.4%	39.4	1.3%
Mining	2.0%	11.0	0.4%
Arts and recreation	1.1%	63.2	2.1%
Other Services	–	115.1	3.8%
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. GSP as of June 2016. Employment as of Aug 2016.

Farming and Agriculture

Victoria's stand at the Paris Exhibition Universal of 1867, showing bales of wool

Victoria is Australia's second-largest producer of farm goods. About 67,600 people work in agriculture. There are about 21,600 farms, covering half of the state's land.

Victorian farms grow nearly 90% of Australia's pears and a third of its apples. They also produce many stone fruits, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes.

The state has over 14 million sheep and 5 million lambs. These animals graze on 10% of Victorian farms, mostly in the north and west. Victoria also produces a lot of wool.

Victoria is a major center for dairy farming. It has 60% of Australia's dairy cattle and produces almost two-thirds of the country's milk. The state also has 2.4 million beef cattle.

Fishing is also important, with seafood like abalone and rock lobster caught and exported, mainly to Asia.

Manufacturing and Production

Victoria has many different factories and is an important industrial city in Australia. It produces 26.4% of Australia's total manufactured goods.

Key manufacturing activities include making machinery, food and drinks, and chemicals. Large factories include aluminium smelters, oil refineries, and biotechnology companies that make vaccines. Victoria also helps produce goods for the defense industry.

Historically, Victoria was a hub for car manufacturing, with plants for Ford, Toyota, and Holden. However, these plants closed in the 2010s.

Mining and Energy

Yallourn Power Station in the Latrobe Valley

Mining in Victoria adds about A$6 billion to the state's economy. The mining industry focuses on energy resources like brown coal, petroleum, and natural gas. These make up almost 90% of local production.

Oil and gas are found off the coast of Gippsland. Brown coal mining and power generation are in the Latrobe Valley, which has the world's largest known reserves of brown coal. In 2014, Victoria stopped onshore gas exploration, but this was partly lifted in 2021. However, the state still bans fracking.

Even though Victoria was famous for its gold rush, it now produces only a small amount of gold.

Tourism and Attractions

Tourism is a big industry in Victoria. Melbourne, known as one of the world's most liveable cities, attracts many international and local visitors.

Some popular tourist spots in Victoria include:

The city of Melbourne, with its museums, art galleries, and famous places like the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The Goldfields region, with historic cities like Ballarat and Bendigo.
Natural wonders like The Twelve Apostles, Wilsons Promontory, and the Grampians.
Phillip Island, famous for its fairy penguins.
The Dandenong Ranges and the Puffing Billy Railway.
Towns along the Murray River like Echuca.
The Great Ocean Road, known for its beautiful coastal views.
The Victorian Alps, popular for skiing and bushwalking.
Many wine regions across the state.

Victoria also hosts major events like the Formula One Grand Prix and the Australian Open tennis tournament.

Getting Around Victoria

Two E-Class trams on Bourke St on the Melbourne tram network

Victoria has many people living across the state, so it has a good transport network. Smoking is not allowed in sheltered areas of train, tram, and bus stops.

Roads and Highways

The Victorian road network connects all the population centers. Highways usually spread out from Melbourne and other major cities. Many highways are modern freeways, and most roads are well-maintained.

Trains and Trams

A V/Line VLocity diesel train at Ballarat station

Train services in Victoria are run by different companies. Metro Trains Melbourne operates an electric train system in Melbourne and its suburbs. V/Line provides regional train services to major towns. Other companies run freight services and long-distance trains to other states.

Melbourne has the world's largest tram network. Trams are a popular way to get around the city and are also a tourist attraction.

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.

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.

Air and Sea Travel

Melbourne Airport is the main airport for flights into and out of Victoria. Avalon Airport is the second busiest. There are also other smaller airports for domestic flights.

The Port of Melbourne is Australia's largest port for cargo. Other important seaports are at Westernport, Geelong, and Portland.

Essential Services: Utilities

Energy Supply

Victoria's main power comes from brown-coal-fired power stations, mostly in the Latrobe Valley. The Victorian government is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Water Management

Victoria's water system includes many dams and reservoirs, especially in Central Victoria. These collect high-quality drinking water. The Victorian Water Grid is a network of pipelines that moves water around the state to where it is most needed. This helps during dry periods.

Sports and Recreation in Victoria

Statue outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground commemorating the origins of Australian rules football

Panorama of the MCG during the AFL Grand Final on 30 September 2017

Victoria is the birthplace of Australian rules football. Ten of the 18 Australian Football League (AFL) clubs are based here. The AFL Grand Final is a huge event held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) every September. The day before the Grand Final is even a public holiday!

Victoria also has teams in other national sports leagues:

Cricket: The Victoria cricket team and Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.
Rugby League: Melbourne Storm
Basketball: Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix
Soccer: Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City, and Western United

Melbourne hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. It also hosts the Australian Open tennis tournament each January and the Formula One Australian Grand Prix.

Phillip Island is home to a famous racetrack, the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. It hosts major motorcycle races like MotoGP. Victoria was scheduled to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games but withdrew on July 18, 2023.

Sister States Around the World

Victoria has special partnerships with four "sister states" in other countries:

Jiangsu, China (since 1979)
Aichi Prefecture, Japan (since 1980)
Busan, South Korea (since 1994)
Sichuan, China (since 2016)

Images for kids

Island Archway on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia
Aireys Inlet
Victorian highway and road network, with significant cities and towns.
Greater Melbourne at night from the International Space Station
Average January maximum temperatures:
Victoria's north is almost always hotter than coastal and mountainous areas.
Average July maximum 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.
The Melbourne skyline at night
Brighton Beach bathing boxes
Mornington Mills Beach
Autumn in the Dandenong Ranges
The Twelve Apostles
Jan Juc, Torquay