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 in the 1830s as a farming community.
The discovery of gold in 1851 transformed it into a leading
industrial and commercial centre. Victoria is the second
most populous Australian state, after New South Wales, with
an estimated population of 5,037,700 as at September 2005.
Melbourne is Victoria's capital and largest city, with more
than 70% of all Victorians living there.
History
Swearing Allegiance to the Southern Cross at the Eureka
Stockade on December 1, 1854 — watercolour by Charles
DoudietMain article: History of Victoria
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 near 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. The colony grew rapidly in both population
and economic power. In ten years the population of Victoria
increased sevenfold from 76,000 to 540,000. All sorts of
gold records were produced including the "richest shallow
alluvial goldfield in the world" and the largest gold
nugget. Victoria produced in the decade 1851-1860 20 million
ounces of gold, one third of the world's output[citation
needed].
Immigrants
arrived from all over the world to search for gold, especially
from Ireland and China. Many Chinese miners worked in Victoria,
and their legacy is particularly strong in Bendigo and its
environs. Although there was some racism directed at them,
there was not the level of anti-Chinese violence that was
seen at the Lambing Flat riots in New South Wales. However,
there was a riot at Buckland Valley near Bright in 1857.
Conditions on the gold fields were cramped and unsanitary
- an outbreak of typhoid at Buckland Valley in 1854 killed
over 1,000 miners.
In 1854 there
was an armed rebellion against the government of Victoria
by miners protesting against mining taxes (the "Eureka
Stockade"). This was crushed by British troops, but
some of the leaders of the rebellion subsequently became
members of the Victoria Parliament, and the rebellion is
still sometimes regarded as a pivotal moment in the development
of Australia democracy[citation needed].
The first foreign
military action by the colony of Victoria was to send troops
and a warship to New Zealand as part of the Maori Wars.
Troops from New South Wales had previously participated
in the Crimean War.
In 1901 Victoria
became a state in the Commonwealth of Australia. As a result
of the gold rush, Melbourne had by then become the financial
centre of Australia and New Zealand. Between 1901 and 1927,
Melbourne was the capital of Australia while Canberra was
under construction. It was also the largest city in Australia
at the time, and the second largest city in terms of population
of the Empire (after London, England). Whilst Melbourne
remains an important and influential financial centre, home
to many national and international companies, it was slowly
overtaken by Sydney in business importance around the 1970s
and 1980s.
Government
Composition of the Parliament of Victoria
Political
Party Legislative
Assembly Legislative
Council
ALP 55 19
Liberal 23 15
National 9 2
Greens 0 3
DLP 0 1
Independent 1 0
Source: Victorian Electoral Commission
Main article: Government of Victoria
The Victorian Parliament House, built in 1856, stands in
Spring Street, Melbourne.
The Legislative Council Chamber, as photographed in 1878.
One of many local government seats, Geelong Town Hall
Parliament of Victoria
Main article: Parliament of Victoria
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.
Victorian Legislative Assembly
Main article: Victorian Legislative Assembly
Eighty-eight members of the Legislative Assembly are elected
to four-year terms from single-member electorates.
Victorian Legislative Council
Main article: Victorian Legislative Council
In November 2006, the Victorian Legislative Council elections
were held under a new multi-proportional representation
system. The State of Victoria was divided into eight electorates
with each electorate represented by five representatives
elected by Single Transferable Vote proportional representation.
The total number of upper house members was reduced from
44 to 40 and their term of office is now the same as the
lower house members — 4 years. Elections for the Victorian
Parliament are now fixed and occur in November every four
years.
Prior to the
2006 Election the Legislative Council consisted of 44 members
elected to eight-year terms from 22 two-member electorates.
Premier and Cabinet
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 current premier of Victoria is Mr John Brumby.
Governor of Victoria
Main article: Governors of Victoria
The Governor of Victoria has a ceremonial role representing
Victoria's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who is also
Australia's head of State. The post is usually filled by
a retired prominent Victorian. The governor acts on the
advice of the Premier and Cabinet.
Victoria's constitution
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
with a statutory majority. Under new provisions to be enacted,
changes to the Victorian Constitution will be subjected
to a plebiscite of votes, voting in a referendum.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Victoria
The centre-left Australian Labor Party (ALP), the centre-right
Liberal Party of Australia and the rural-based National
Party of Australia are Victoria's major political parties.
Traditionally, Labor is strongest in Melbourne's inner,
working class and western and northern suburbs, Morwell,
Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong. The Liberals' main support
lies in Melbourne's more affluent eastern and outer suburbs,
and some rural and regional centres. The Nationals are strongest
in Victoria's North Western and Eastern rural regional areas.
The ALP government of former Premier Steve Bracks has been
in office in Victoria since 1999 and was re-elected in 2002
and on 25 November 2006. See Victorian legislative election,
2006, and 2006 Victorian election campaign.
Following the
2006 Victorian election, the balance of power in the Legislative
Council is now held by the Australian Greens. This means
that by combining with the Liberal and National Party members,
the Greens can defeat proposed Government legislation.
On July 27,
2007, Premier Steve Bracks announced his resignation from
politics, saying that he needed to spend more time with
his family. The deputy premier, John Thwaites, announed
later that day that he too would resign. Former Treasurer
John Brumby was elected unopposed by the Labor caucus as
the new leader and became the 45th Premier of Victoria on
Monday 30 July 2007.
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
Main article: Local Government Areas of Victoria
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
People
Population growth
estimates for Victoria
2007 5,087,000
2010 5,290,000
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 seven in ten Victorians.The 2006 Australian census
reported that Victoria had 4,932,422 people resident at
the time of the census usually called Victoria 'Home', an
increase of 6.2% on the 1996 figure. The Australian Bureau
of Statistics estimates that by June 2007 the state's population
reached 5,087,000 and may well reach 7.2 million by 2050.
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 with Catholicism representing 33% of the
States population. Victoria's population is aging in proportion
with the average of the remainder of the Australian population.
The government predicts that nearly a quarter of Victorians
will be aged over 60 by 2021. The 2006 census reveals that
Australian average age has crept upward from 35 to 37 since
2001 which reflects the population growth peak of 1969-72.
More than 70%
of Victorians live in Melbourne, located in the state's
south. The greater Melbourne metropolitan area is home to
an estimated 3.64 million people. Leading 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 per cent of 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 (including Anglicans)
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 60,000 Jews. Around 17% of Victorians claim
no religion.
Source: 2001
Australian Census, Department of Infrastructure
Education
Primary
and secondary
The University of Melbourne is Victoria's oldest university.
The State Library of Victoria forecourt.Victoria's state
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 tertiary
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 Victoria Department of Education. 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 first to offer degrees,
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. Both the University of Melbourne and Monash
University are purportedly ranked highly among the world's
best universities requiring a fairly high entry score, passing
of mature age entrance exams or direct payment for student
admission into their courses. 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 and account for the highest percentage
of pre-paid university tuition fees. 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 government run TAFE institutes. The first tertiary
institution in the state was the Melbourne Mechanics Institute
(established in 1839), which is now the Melbourne Athenaum.
The oldest institution still offering courses is Swinburne
University of Technology, whose oldest antecedent was founded
in 1854.
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
Libraries
The State Library of Victoria is the State's research and
reference library. It is responsible for collecting and
preserving Victoria's documentary heritage and making it
available through a range of services and programs. Material
in the collection includes books, newspapers, magazines,
journals, manuscripts, maps, pictures, objects, sound and
video recordings and databases.
Economy
Victorian production and
workers by economic activities
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 A$222 billion, with a GSP
per capita of A$44,443. 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, the troubled manufacturing sector
remains Victoria's single largest employer and income producer.
1990s economic slump
Victoria experienced an economic slump from 1989 to 1992
during the term of John Cain's government. This was largely
attributable to lagging property markets, reduced protection
of manufacturing sectors as well as a financial crash involving
industry giants such as the Pyramid Building Society and
the collapse of The State Bank of Victoria, in particular
its merchant banking arm Tricontinental. The result was
a loss of employment and a drain of population to New South
Wales and Queensland.
In the mid
to late 1990s, the Victorian state government of Premier
Jeff Kennett (LIB) sought to reverse this trend with massive
cuts to state expenditure, shrinking of the state public
sector and the aggressive development of new public works,
mainly centred around the state capital of Melbourne. These
included the Melbourne Museum, Federation Square, the Melbourne
Exhibition and Convention Centre (nicknamed "Jeff's
Shed"), Crown Casino, capital works such as the CityLink
tollway, the sale of state assets (including the State Electricity
Commission and some state schools), the pruning of state
services and a public relations campaign promoting Melbourne's
merits, aimed at Melbourne residents and visitors alike.
Under the government
of current Premier Steve Bracks (ALP), there was less emphasis
on capital works and more on expansion of public services.
Population drain has eased, and now outstrips the national
trend.
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
square kilometres (52,500 sq mi) of Victorian land. This
comprises more than 60% of the state's total land surface.
Victorian farms range from small horticultural outfits to
large-scale livestock and grain productions. A quarter of
farmland is used to grow consumable crops.
More than 26,000
square kilometres (10,000 sq mi) 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 square kilometres (2,300nbsp;sq mi)
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.
Industry
Machinery and equipment manufacturing is the state's most
valuable activity, followed by food and beverage manufacturing
and petroleum, coal and chemical 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.
Major industrial
plants belong to the car manufacturers Ford, Toyota and
Holden; Alcoa's Portland and Point Henry aluminium smelters;
oil refineries at Geelong and Altona; and a major petrochemical
facility at Laverton.
Victoria also
plays an important role in providing goods for the defence
industry. Melbourne is the centre of manufacturing in Victoria,
followed by Geelong. Energy production has aided industrial
growth in the Latrobe Valley.
Mining
Yallourn Power Station in the Latrobe ValleySee also: Energy
in Victoria
Mining in Victoria contributes around A$3 billion to the
gross state product, but employs less than 1% of workers.
The Victorian mining industry is concentrated on energy
producing minerals, with brown coal, petroleum and gas account
for nearly 90% of local production. The oil and gas industries
are centred off the coast of Gippsland in the state's east,
while brown coal mining and power generation is based in
the Latrobe Valley.
In the 2005/2006
fiscal year, the average gas production was over 700 million
cubic feet per day (M cuft/d) and represented 18% of the
total national gas sales, with demand growing at 2% a year.
In 1985, oil
production from the offshore Gippsland Basin peaked to an
annual average of 450,000 barrels per day. In 2005-2006,
the average daily oil production declined to 83,000 bbls/d,
but despite the decline Victoria still produces almost 19.5%
of crude oil in Australia.
Brown coal
is Victoria's leading mineral, with 66 million tonnes mined
each year for electricity generation in the Latrobe Valley,
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 a mere 1% of national gold production. Victoria
also produces limited amounts of 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
Geology and geography
Satellite image of Victoria.
Victorian cities, towns, settlements and road network.Main
article: Geology of Victoria
Victoria's northern border is the Murray River. 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' S,
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 2,000 Metres
(6,500 ft) (with Mount Bogong the highest peak at 1,986
m; 6,516 ft) 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, Hopkins River, Merri 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.
Transport
Main articles: Road transport in Victoria and Rail
transport in Victoria
Modern V/Line VLocity diesel train purchased for the Regional
Fast Rail projectVictoria has the highest population density
in any state in Australia, with population centres spread
out over most of the state, with only the far north-west
and the Victorian Alps lacking permanent settlement.
Highways exist
to service the population centres, generally radiate from
Melbourne and other major cities and rural centres with
secondary roads interconnecting the highways to each other.
Many of the highways are built to freeway standard ("M"
freeways), while most are generally sealed and of reasonable
quality.
Rail transport
in Victoria is provided by a number of private railway operators
who operate over the government owned railway lines. Major
operators include Connex Melbourne, V/Line, and Pacific
National. Victorian lines use 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) broad
gauge, with the exception of a few experimental narrow gauge
lines, as well as some standard gauge 4 ft 8½ in
(1,435 mm) freight and interstate lines.
Melbourne Airport
is the major domestic and international airport for the
state, with Avalon Airport seeing use by domestic Jetstar
flights. A number of smaller airports are also scattered
throughout the state served by smaller airlines.
The Port of
Melbourne is the largest port for containerised and general
cargo in Australia, and is located in Melbourne on the mouth
of the Yarra River, which is at the head of Port Phillip
Bay. Additional seaports are at Westernport Bay, Geelong,
and Portland.
Climate
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
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Climate diagrams of VictoriaVictoria 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 mainland 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 (86°F) during summer and
15 °C (59°F) in winter. Victoria's highest maximum
temperature of 47.2°C (117°F) 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 Dividing Range mountain system extending east-west
through the centre of Victoria. Average temperatures are
less than 9°C (48°F) in winter and below 0°C
(32°F) 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. |
