Situated at the tip of the Australian East coast, Victoria is Australia's second smallest state.
Victoria is well-known for its National Parks, pristine beaches, beautiful coastlines, wineries, lakes and mountains.
Fascinating Facts about Victoria, Australia
History
The state of Victoria was initially home to Australian Aboriginal nations which occupied the place tens of thousands of years before the British settlement.
New South Wales colony was founded in 1788 and Australia was divided into Eastern half, New South Wales and western half New Holland.
The British settlement in the area was Est. in October 1803.
On July 1851, writs were issued for the election of the first Legislative Council.
After which an absolute independence of Victoria from New South Wales was announced.
A new colony of Victoria was established.
Days later in the year 1851, gold was discovered near Ballarat, Victoria. And later, many discoveries followed.
Gold reserves were founded and Victoria grew rapidly.
Today Victoria is a top economic power and the second largest economy in Australia after New South Wales.
Geography
Victoria consists of a diverse and an interesting topography.
It contains climatically diverse areas and lots of rivers.
The climate varies from semi-arid to temperate to cool areas.
Victoria has a total of 21 rivers. The most notable of them is the Murray river.
Ovens River
Goulburn River
Patterson River
Kings River
Campaspe River
Loddon River
Wimmera River
Elgin River
Barwon River
Thompson River
Snowy River
Latrobe River
Yarra River
Hopkins River
Mary River
Loddon River
Wimmera River
Elgin River
Barwon River
Kiewa River
Maribyrnong River
The Gippsland area has forests, lakes, vineyards and gourmet villages.
High Country
Discover the magic of Victoria's snowfield's.
A perfect place for skiing , snowboarding and bike rides.
The Murray river is the perfect place to experience backwaters and exploring the sunny climes of Victoria.
The Murray River
You should definitely not miss the famous Great Ocean road? Why?
The picture says it all!
So you can see how diverse the topography of Victoria is!!!
Victoria is the wettest Australian state and rainfall is the heaviest in Southern Victoria.
People
Victoria is the second most populated state of Australia.
The population growth is above the National Average.
Manufacturing Industry
Victoria has a robust manufacturing sector.
It employs 34 percent of the National Labor Force.
Other major industries of Victoria
Automotive
Food Processing
Textiles
Footwear
Aluminium Smelting
Information technology
Aircraft production
Trade
Victoria's major trading partners are Japan, New Zealand,USA, Singapore.
Gold, textile fibers, metal products, dairy and meat products are the major items of export.
Tourism is a major industry in Victoria both at the employment level and caters to more than 2.9 million international tourists per year.
The Victoria State Rose Garden is one of the biggest tourist attractions of Victoria.
It was awarded as the 'Garden of Excellence' in 2003 by the World Federation of Rose Societies.
There is a famous dusk Penguin parade on Phillip island which you definitely should not miss if you ever visit Victoria.
The capital of Victoria is Melbourne. It is one of the most popular cities in Australia and around the world.
Melbourne was originally to be named as Batmania.
Melbourne Facts at Glance
It has the 4th largest tramway system in the world.
It has the highest number of cafes and restaurants in the world.
The world's largest stained-glass building is located in Melbourne's National Gallery, Victoria.
Victoria has 4 state emblems.
Floral: Pink Health
Aquatic: Weedy Sea-dragon
Bird: Helmeted Honeyeater
Faunal: Leadbeater's Possum
Color: Navy
Transportation
Victoria has a very strong rail transportation system in place.
The major rail operators are Metro Trains Melbourne, V/Line, Pacific National.
Best time to visit Victoria is between March to May and September to November.