Candidates - About VIC |
| Australian Capital Territory | New South Wales | Northern Territory | Queensland | South Australia | Tasmania
| Victoria | Western Australia |
Victoria is a state located in the south-eastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most densely populated and urbanised. Victoria began as a farming community in the 1800s. The discovery of gold transformed it into a leading industrial
and commercial centre. In September 2005, Victoria's population reached an estimated 5,037,700 - making it the second most populous Australian state, after New South Wales. Melbourne is Victoria's capital and largest city, with more than 70 % of all Victorians living there.
History
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.
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.
The colony was granted independence from New South Wales in the same year. In 1901 Victoria became a state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Melbourne was the capital of Australia while Canberra was under construction.
People
| Population growth estimates for Victoria |
| 2005 |
5,024,529 |
| 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 |
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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 5,037,700. A Victorian Government estimate puts the figure at 5,024,529.
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 3,634,233 people. Other important urban centres include Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, 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 |
| Wikipedia contributors (2006). Victoria (Australia). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:59, April 10, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Victoria_%28Australia%29&oldid=47644987.
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