Victoria (State)

History

After the foundation of the colony of Wales News of the South in 1788, the Australian continent was divided into two: a half is named Nouvelle Wales of the south (" New South Wales") and a named western half New Holland (" New Holland") under the control of the colonial government of Sydney. The first colony to be settled in the current state of Victoria was it with Portland, on the coast, in the west of the state. Melbourne was founded in 1835 per John Batman.

Since its creation, the area (" district") around Melbourne " was called; the Port Phillip District" and had a certain autonomy before its complete separation with the Wales News of the South and to become the colony of Victoria (" the Colony off Victoria") in 1851.

In 1851, Or was discovered close to Ballarat then to Bendigo before new discoveries in many areas of the colony. That caused one of the greatest gold rushes ever seen in the world. The colony developed in population and economic power. In 10 years the population of the state was multiplied by seven, passing from: 76000 with: 540000 inhabitants. All kinds of records were beaten, active " the gold-field richest in or" with " largest pépite". In the decade the 1851-1860 colony produced 20 million ounces of gold is one the third of the worldwide production.

Immigrants arrived of the whole world to seek gold, in particular of Ireland and China. Much Chinese worked in Victoria and their descent is particularly important in Bendigo and in its surroundings. Their arrival was rather badly seen and there were even racist riots against them in Buckland Valley close to Bright in 1857.

The sanitary arrangements in the sites of research were particularly bad and an epidemic of Typhoïde burst in Buckland Valley in 1854 more killing: 1000 minors.

In 1854, the minors revolted and burst an armed uprising against the government of the state to protest against the taxes that one had imposed (the " to them; Eureka Stockade"). The revolt was repressed by the British troops but thereafter chiefs of the rebellion were elected at the Parliament of the state and this period is still perceived sometimes at present like a big step in the development of a democracy in Australia.

The first military intervention of the colony was to send troops and a warship in New Zealand to take part in the wars which opposed Maori S and British, the " Maori Wars". But it was not the first Australian intervention abroad, the Wales News of the South had already intervened in the Crimean War.

In 1901, the colony became an Australian state of the " The Commonwealth off Australia" and Melbourne was the financial center of Australia and New Zealand. Between 1901 and 1927, Melbourne was the capital of the Commonwealth while waiting for the end of the construction of Canberra.

At the time, Melbourne was more the big city of Australia and the second of the British empire after London. Although Melbourne remains an important influential financial center and the seat of several national companies and international, its influence decreased during the years 1970 and 1980 at the expense of Sydney which took weight more and more.

Geography

The northern border is the southern bank of the river Murray, the river even being to him in News-Wales-of-South, in the west, the southernmost Australia and, original characteristic, in the South, it parallel 39° 12 ' which passes on 85 m in the middle of an island of the strait of Bottom, Boundary Islet (" the Frontière" small island;), divided between Victoria with north and Tasmanie in the south. Victoria contains various topographic, geological and climatic zones: wet, moderate areas in south-east in Gippsland, the snow-covered mountains of the the Australian Alps, southern end of the Great Dividing Range with the Mount Bogong (: 1986 meters) to finish by the vast arid or semi-arid plains of the west and the North-West.

There is in the country a big number - for Australia - river. Apart from Murray, one can quote the Ovens rivers, Goulburn, King, Campaspe, Loddon, Wimmera, Elgin, Barwon, Thomson, Snowy, Latrobe, Yarra, Maribyrnong, Mitta River and Kiewa.

The symbols of the state are a flower: " Epacris impressa" , an animal: the phalanger of Leadbeater and a bird: the " Méliphage casqué".

Political power

See also: List of the Prime Ministers for the state of Victoria (Australia)

The government of the state is done according to a parliamentary mode based on the " Westminster System".

the role of Head of State is ensured by the " Gouverneur" (" The Governor") who is the representative of the Queen of Australia, Elizabeth II.

the executive power is ensured by the government (" the Government") formed of a Prime Minister (" Premier") - indicated by the Governor and who is in practice the chief of the political party or the coalition having had the most seats with the Lower House at the time of the parliamentary elections - and its ministers who form the Cabinet (" together; the Cabinet"). Since the July 30th 2007, the Prime Minister is John Brumby (" Australian Workers party ").

the legislative power which is ensured by the Parliament (" The Parliament off Victoria") formed of two rooms: the Lower House or " Législative" Parliament; (" the Legislative Assembly") and the Upper House or " The Législatif" Council; (" the Legislative Council").

The legislative assembly is made up of 88 members (" Legislative Member but Assembly" or MLA) elected by electoral constituency (" district") for four years.

The Legislative council is elected differently: The state is divided into eight electoral sectors (" electorates") and each sector elects five representatives (" Member off Legislative Council" or " MLC") by the vote proportional.

Legal texts voted by the two assemblies (" The Bills") must receive the agreement (" Royal The Assent") of the governor before becoming law (" Laws").

The elections take place for the two rooms every four years in November. The last elections took place the November 25th 2006.

The state of Victoria has a Constitution written promulgated in 1975 and based on the colonial constitution of 1855; she recognizes that the supreme body to vote the laws is the Parliament. The Constitution can be amended by the Parliament but so of new articles were to be promulgated, they should be before subjected to the vote by referendum.

The voters victorians elect 49 representatives at the Australian Parliament: 37 with the " room of the députés" (" the House off Representatives") and 12 with the Senate (" the Senate").

Population

The census of 2001 quantified the population of the state of Victoria has: 4644950 people in increase of 6,2% on that of 1996. The Anglo-Saxon population at the origin of the state was gradually replaced by waves of immigrants of the south and is Europe, of the Southeast Asia and more recently of the Horn of Africa and Middle-East. The population of the state ages quickly. The government predicts that nearly the quarter of the inhabitants of the state of Victoria will be old of more than 60 years in 2021.

More than 70% of the inhabitants of Victoria live in Melbourne. The population of Melbourne is estimated at 3,7 million inhabitants. The other principal cities are Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Mildura, Warrnambool and the Latrobe valley. Victoria is the state more urbanized of Australia with nearly 90% of the inhabitants living downtown. Since 1871, more half of the population is town and at present less than 12% lives in agricultural zones. The attraction of Melbourne continues to exist in spite of the efforts of the government to support the installation in province.

Approximately 72% of the inhabitants of the state were born in Australia. The figure falls to approximately 66% in Melbourne but climbs with more than 95% in some rural areas in the North-West of the country. Two thirds say Australian, English or Irish origin, less than 1% of origin aboriginal. The countries of origin of the people born abroad are the the United Kingdom, the Italy, the Vietnam, the Greece and the New Zealand.

Religion

Approximately 65% of the inhabitants of the State are said Christian. The catholics form the greatest religious community of the state followed by the Anglicans and the Protestants. They account for with them three approximately 30% of the population. Buddhism, the most important religion nonChristian is the religion with the more strong growth. Victoria also accommodates: 93000 Moslems and: 60000 Jews. 17% of the inhabitants are said atheistic.

Education

Primary and secondary education

The system of public education goes up with 1872, when the government of the time decided the creation of a public and obligatory education. Secondary education began in 1910. Before this date there was only one private secondary education. Today, the entry at the school is done at five years and after one year preparatory, primary school education lasts six years; secondary education lasts same time. The last years of secondary education become optional for the children of more than 16 years. At the end of the second cycles the students receive " Victorian Certificate off Education". Those which made a success of their examination of exit receive in more a " passeport" for higher education or " ENTER score".

There exist public schools and private. The public schools concern directly the government of the state and are without school fees apart from some false-expenses. The private schools are paying and are divided into denominational schools generally raising of the Roman Catholic church and into " independent schools" élitistes a little similar to the " public schools " British. These schools generally depend on Protestant Churches. There exist also some Jewish private schools or Moslem women in primary education and secondary. The private schools receive a little public money. All the schools must satisfy a certain number of criteria to be approved.

In August 2005, Victoria had 1613 nondenominational public schools, 484 Catholic schools and 208 private schools. A little less: 537000 pupils were registered in public education and: 289000 in private education. Close to the 2/3 of the students to private attended the catholic denominational schools. There was more: 455000 pupils in primary school education and more: 371000 in secondary education. The percentage of pupils carrying out the two last years of secondary education is of 77% for the public schools and 90% for the private schools. The state counted approximately: 60200 teachers and professors full-time.

Higher education

The state of Victoria has nine oldest Université S. is the University of Melbourne (" the University off Melbourne"), which opened its doors in 1855. Largest, l'" Monash" university; (" the Monash University") count close to: 56000 students and is most important of all Australia. There was: 241755 students registered in 2004 in the universities of the State, in increase of 2% over the previous year. The foreign students represent more than 30% of the registered voters. The greatest number of registered voters is in the field of the trade, the economy and the administration with nearly a third of the students, followed by the letters, the social sciences and social sciences with 20% of the registered voters.

Victoria has also 19 institutes d'" technical education post scolaire" (" Technical and Further Education" (TAFE)). The first with being created was l'" Institute of Mechanics of Melbourne" (" Melbourne Mechanics Institute") (open in 1839), become currently the " Melbourne Athenaum".

More: 1000 organizations of further education are approved by the government and in 2004, there was close to: 480700 registered voters in this type of education.

Economy

Victoria is the second Australian economic power, intervening for a quarter in the Gross domestic product (P.I.B.) of the federation. The total production of the state, in current dollars, was of a little more than 222 billion Australian dollars (AUD or AU$) in 2004 is a production per capita of inhabitant of 44.443 AUD. The economic growth was of 3.4% in 2004, lower than the Australian average which was of 5.2%. The branches of finance, the insurance and the real estate represent the largest source of revenue while the public services, social and with the person are the most important employers. But by taking only one sector at the same time, it is the industrial sector, however in crisis, which remains the largest employer and supplier of public revenues.

The economic crisis of the beginning of the year 1990

Victoria underwent an economic crisis in the years 1989 to 1992 during the government of John Cain. This crisis is largely ascribable to the deceleration of the growth in the real and industrial sectors like with the " crash" economic caused by the bankruptcies of companies like the " Pyramid Society" Building; and the " State Bank off Victoria". It resulted from it an increase from unemployment and a departure of the inhabitants towards the Wales News of the South and Queensland.

During second half of the years 1990, the government of Jeff Kennett undertook to reverse the tendency by making massive cuts in the national expenditure, by privatisant certain sectors of the public domain (in particular electricity, of the ports like that of Portland cement and some public universities) and by undertaking a whole series of great public works especially in the area of Melbourne. They related to the " Melbourne Museum" , the Public garden of the Federation (" the Square" Federation;), the Center of the Exposures of Melbourne (" the Melbourne Exhibition and Center" Convention;) called the " hangar of Jeff" , the " Royal" casino; (" the Crown Casino"), the creation of turnpikes (" the CityLink tollway") and a public relation campaign praising the merits of Melbourne directed as well towards its inhabitants as towards outside.

Under the government of current the Prime Minister Steve Bracks, there was a resumption of a certain number of public services while a policy of economy in other fields was maintained.

Agriculture

Between 2003 and 2004, the GDP of the agriculture of the state increased by 17% to 8.7 billion AU$ what accounts for 24% of the total GDP.

In 2004, one estimated the number of farms at 32463, covering 136.000 km ², which represents more than 60% of the total surface area of the state. The size of the exploitations is very variable energy of the small-scale farmings horticultural S with the large cereal culture or cattle-breeding farms. A quarter of the surface is used for consumables human.

More than 26.000 km ² are devoted to the culture of the Céréale S especially in the west of the state; a little more than 50% is devoted to corn, 33% with the Orge and 7% with the oats. A little more than 6000 km ² are devoted to the Foin. In 2003-04, the farmers produced more than 3 million tons of corn and 2 million tons of barley. The state provides also approximately half of the Australian Tabac. The farms produce 90% of the Australian Poire S and a third of the Pomme S. the state is also an important fruit producer with cores. Leso principal cultivated vegetables are the Asperge S, the Brocoli S, the Carotte S, the potatoes and the Tomate S. Ainsi in 2004 were produced 121.200 tons of pears and 270.000 tons of tomatos.

More than 14 million Mouton S and 5 million Agneau X feed on 10% of the agricultural land victoriens, the majority in north and is state. In 2004, nearly 10 million sheep were cut down for local consumption and export. Victoria exports also live animals with the the Middle East for the meat and in the rest of the world for the reproduction. More than 108.000 tons - a fifth of the Australian production of Laine are also produced in Victoria.

Victoria is also an area of dairy production. It is the country of 60% of the three million Australian dairy Vaches which produces each day 6,4 million liters of milk (2/3 of the Australian production). The state fattens also 2.4 million beef animals and cuts down each year 2,2 ox and calf million.

Fishing and the aquiculture made it possible to market 11.634 tons of products of the sea developed for 109 million AU£. The young elm is the main resource representing 46 million AUD, followed by the Langouste for 13,7 million AUD. The majority of them are exported in Asia.

Mining industry

Mining industry intervenes for 3 billion AU$ (including 2 billion for the Pétrole and 700 million for the Gaz) in GDP the state but employs only less than 1% of the workers. The Lignite, the Oil and the Gaz represent nearly 90% of these resources. The oil and the gas of the coast of the Gippsland in the east of the country. But the production of oil becomes exhausted and does not represent any more but: 120000 barrels per day against: 450000 in the years 1980. That represents one the third of the Australian total production all the same.

The lignite is also in Gippsland and more particularly the Latrobe valley which has the greatest reserves known in the world. The area produces each year 66 million tons used in the powerplants.

After having been at the base of the development of the state, the production of Or accounts for nothing any more but 1% of the production of the federation.

Victoria produces also Gypse and kaolin.

Industry

A little more than 15% (: 318000 people) of paid state work in industry. Victoria is a little in withdrawal on the Wales News of the South in this sector of the economy. The mechanical engineering industry and capital equipment are the two principal poles of industry in front of food industries and chemical industry with oil and coal. Melbourne is the principal industrial center in front of Geelong. The development of powerplants in the Latrobe valley allowed a beginning of industrialization.

Tourism

The principal tourist points of the state are:

the town of Melbourne with these shopping malls in the close periphery of the city but especially in the center town the " Royal" casino; , the Zoo, the museum, the aquarium, with the surroundings quays in the course of transformation into new business district, Southbank and St Kilda, tourist districts but also the City of Arts, the " National Gallery off Victoria" , the " Public garden of Fédération" (which includes/understands a museum, art galleries, auditoriums, restaurants, bars,…) and the stage of cricket (" the Melbourne Ground" Cricket;) (: 100000 places).
old mining cities of Ballarat, Beechworth, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Maldon and Daylesford.
natural curiosities such as " twelve Apôtres" (" The Twelve Apostles"), the headland of Wilson, the Grampians, the Buchan caves and lakes of the Gippsland.
the Dandenong Mount with its small train and its sheltering zoo of the local species.
cities along the Murray like Echuca and Mildura with the water skiing on the river.
the town of Geelong with its sea front and the international airport.
beaches of the Bellarine peninsula which bars the entry of the bay Port Philips

Appendices

Lists of the universities

Deakin University (DEAKIN), Geelong, Melbourne: http://www.deakin.edu.au/
Monash University (MONASH), Geelong, Melbourne et.al. : http://www.monash.edu.au/
RMIT University (RMIT), Melbourne: http://www.rmit.edu.au/
Swinburne University off Technology (SWINBURNE), Swinburne et.al. : http://www.swin.edu.au/
University off Ballarat (BALLARAT), Geelong, Ballarat: http://www.ballarat.edu.au/
University off Melbourne (MELBOURNE), Melbourne: http://www.unimelb.edu.au/
Victoria University (CONSIDERING), Melbourne: http://www.vu.edu.au/
Australian Catholic University (ACU), Melbourne et.al.: http://www.acu.edu.au/

List T.A.F.E

Regional Bendigo Institute off TAFE (Site: Bendigo-Echuca)
Box Hill Institute (Site: Melbourne Is)
Chisholm Institute (Site: South-eastern Melbourne)
East Gippsland Institute off TAFE (Site: Gippsland is)
GippsTAFE (Site: Western Gippsland and south)
Gordon Institute off TAFE (Site: Geelong)
Goulburn Ovens Institute off TAFE (Site: The North-East of Victoria)
Holmesglen Institute off TAFE (Site: Melbourne is)
Kangan Batman TAFE (Site: North-western Melbourne, Speciality: Automatisms)
Northern Melbourne Institute off TAFE (Site: North-western Melbourne)
RMIT University (Specialists: Drawings, Impression, Textiles)
South West Institute off TAFE (Site: " District" western;)
Sunraysia Institute off TAFE (Site: The North-West of Victoria)
Swinburne University off Technology (Site:
University off Ballarat (Site Melbourne-is)
University off Melbourne (Speciality: Agriculture and Forests)
Victoria University (Site: Western Melbourne)
William Angliss Institute off TAFE (Speciality: Reception)
Wodonga Institute off TAFE (Site: Wodonga)

References

anglophone Wikipedia

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