Victoria (VIC)
Victoria is a state that occupies the south eastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state but is the second most populous after New South Wales and therefore Australia’s most densely populated state. The majority of Victoria’s population resides in the state capital, Melbourne.
Victoria is known as the ‘Garden State’ and has an array of attractions from the Melbourne CBD to the coastal drives and the inland wineries.
Geography
Victoria is 227,000 square kilometres in size. It is the smallest mainland state. It borders New South Wales to the north (along the Murray River) and South Australia to the west.
Victoria’s land formations range from the desert in the north-west corner, lush mountains in the north and a rugged coastline along the south.
Some of the major cities within Victoria include Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.
Climate
Due to Victoria’s location within the mainland and its topography it has a varying climate depending on the region. The north-west is semi-arid and hot, while the southern coastline provides much cooler temperatures. The Great Dividing Range, in the centre of Victoria, provides a cooler mountain climate where snowfalls above 600m are not uncommon in the winter months.
Victoria is Australia’s second wettest state after Tasmania with rainfall higher in the south. Higher altitudes also attract higher rainfall.
Economy
Victoria is the second largest economy in Australia. It is dominated by manufacturing and agriculture, although a push to the services is occurring. Agriculture is big business for Victoria. It is estimated that over 60% of Victorian land is currently used as farmland. Grains such as wheat, barley and oats are farmed. They also produce half of Australia’s tobacco and almost 90% of Australia’s pears. It has more than 14 million sheep and over 5 million lambs. Victoria is also the centre of dairy farming in Australia. It is home to about 60% of Australia’s dairy cattle and produces nearly two thirds of the nation’s milk.
The machine and equipment manufacturing industry is the state’s most valuable activity, followed by food and beverage manufacturing, petroleum, coal and chemical manufacturing. Major industrial plants include car manufacturers Ford, Toyota and Holden.
The service industry is the fastest growing industry in Victoria. It employs over 75% of the working population in Victoria. Most service based industries are located within the greater Melbourne area as well as in the state’s major regional areas.
Tourism
Tourism plays a major role in Victoria. There were approximately 17.4 million domestic visitors in 2006, and 1.7 million international visitors. Some major tourist destinations in Victoria include:
- Melbourne CBD
- Great Ocean Road
- Twelve Apostles
- Wineries (approx. 850 of them)
- The Dandenong Ranges
- Geelong
- Bells Beach – one of the top surfing beaches in the world
- Former Goldfield regions including Ballarat and Bendigo Victorian Alpine Region
Major events also draw people to Victoria from all around Australia and the world including:
- V8 Supercars (Phillip Island)
- Motorcycle Grand Prix (Phillip Island)
- Australian International Air Show (Geelong)
- Bells Beach Surf Classic (Bells Beach)
Transport
Victoria has one of the best transport systems in Australia. The main freeways radiate from Melbourne’s centre expanding across the state to reach the regional areas. Secondary roads interlink the different highways. There are also a number of private and public railway operators that service the greater Melbourne area, the regional areas and across the boarders to South Australia and New South Wales.
Melbourne also has one of the most extensive Tram Networks in the world. It is a very popular mode of transport in Melbourne and has also become a major tourist attraction.
Melbourne Airport is the major domestic and international gateway to the state. Melbourne’s second busiest airport is Avalon Airport. There are another 33 airports across the state that service the required interstate travels demanded by the state’s population.
Education
Deakin University
o Melbourne
o Geelong
o Geelong Waterfront
o Warrnambool
La Trobe University
o Melbourne (Bundoora)
o Albury-Wodonga
o Bendigo
o Melbourne (City)
o Mildura
o Shepparton
o Beechworth
University of Melbourne
o Burnley campus
o Parkville campus
o Creswick campus
o Dookie campus
o Hawthorn campus: Melbourne Consulting and Custom Programs
o Victorian College of the Arts
o Shepparton campus
o Werribee campus
RMIT University
o City Campus
o Brunswick Campus
o Bundoora Campus
o Point Cook - Airline pilot programs
o RMIT Hamilton - Nursing programs
o RMIT International University Vietnam
Swinburne University of Technology
o Croydon Campus
o Lilydale Campus
o Healesville Campus
o Prahan Campus
o Hawthorn Campus
o Wantirna Campus
University of Ballarat
o Ararat Campus
o Horsham Campus
o SMB Campus
o Camp Street Campus
o Mt Helen Campus (Including Technology Park)
o Stawell Campus
Monash University
o Berwick campus
o Clayton campus
o Parkville campus
o Caulfield campus
o Gippsland campus
o Peninsula campus
o Monash South Africa
o Sunway campus, Malaysia
Victoria University
o City Flinders
o City King
o City Queen
o Footscray Nicholson
o Footscray Park
o Melton
o Newport
o St Albans
o Student Village Hampstead Road, Maribyrnong
o Sunbury
o Sunshine
o Werribee
Australian Catholic University
o Melbourne
o Ballarat
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