State of Victoria, Australia — Towns & Travel Guide

What is State of Victoria known for?

Victoria is best known for Melbourne, its capital, and for being one of the smallest states in Australia. The state sits in the south-east of the continent, a compact stretch of temperate country between the coast and the inland ranges. Size sets it apart.

Where other states run to desert, Victoria packs its towns and farms into a small, green corner of the country.

Where is State of Victoria?

Victoria sits in the south-east of the continent, the second-smallest of Australia's states. It is a compact land. Where the larger states run for thousands of kilometres, Victoria gathers coast, plain and mountain into a small temperate corner near the southern edge of the mainland.

Melbourne stands on the coast, the capital around which the state is arranged, close to the sea that borders Victoria to the south. Distance is short here by Australian measure. From the southern coast the country rises inland to ranges and then to farming plains, all within a state far smaller than its neighbours.

The sea lies along the southern edge, and the temperate weather follows it. Compact and green, Victoria holds a fuller mix of coast, city and upland in a small space than any of the vast dry states around it. Small state, full country.

What is State of Victoria like?

The culture of Victoria carries the mark of its name. The state was named for Queen Victoria, who ruled the British Empire at its height, and the Victorian era left its stamp on the towns, streets and public buildings of the young colony. That heritage shows in stone.

Melbourne and the older centres grew up in the nineteenth century, and the ornate architecture of the period still shapes the character of the state. Melbourne carries the cultural weight. As the capital of Victoria, it gathers the galleries, theatres and sport that mark the state's life, drawing on the mix of peoples who settled this corner of the country.

The compact south-east keeps it all close. Coast, city and country sit within a short reach of one another, and the temperate climate lets an outdoor life run through the year. Old empire, new mix.

What is the history of State of Victoria?

Victoria was established as a separate colony in 1851, named after Queen Victoria of the British Empire. Melbourne became its capital. The colony grew fast through the years that followed, its towns and public buildings raised in the ornate style of the Victorian era.

From that nineteenth-century beginning came the compact south-eastern state that still bears the queen's name, with Melbourne at its heart.

What is the climate of State of Victoria?

Victoria has the mildest, most temperate climate of the mainland states, cooler and wetter than the country's north. Its southern coast brings four clear seasons, with warm dry summers and cool, damp winters near Melbourne. The weather changes quickly here.

Off the southern sea, fronts sweep across the small state and can turn a warm day cold within hours.

How do you get to State of Victoria?

Most arrivals to Victoria come through Melbourne, the state capital near the southern coast. Flights land close to the sea. From the city, road and rail reach across the compact state to the coast, the ranges and the plains, all within short distances by Australian measure.

The small size makes it easy. Melbourne is where nearly every visit to Victoria begins.