Portal:Victoria

The VICTORIA PORTAL Wikipedia portals: Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Natural sciences People Philosophy Religion Society Technology edit   Introduction Shortcut: P:VIC 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 shares borders with New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, over the Tasman Sea towards the east, New Zealand, and across Bass Strait to the south, Tasmania Victoria began in the 1830s as a farming community when the Hentys settled at Portland, Melbourne being founded soon after. With the discovery of gold in 1851 and Victorian independence from New South Wales, it was transformed into a leading industrial and commercial centre of the nation. In 1901, it became a part of the Commonwealth of Australia. Melbourne became the economic centre of both Australia and neighbour New Zealand at the time. 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. More about Victoria... Show new selections edit   Selected article Geelong is the second largest city in the state of Victoria, Australia and is the largest regional centre in the state. It is a port city with an urban population of 160,991 people, and one of the largest provincial cities in Australia. The city is located on Corio Bay, 75 kilometres south-west of the state's capital, Melbourne, and is covered by the City of Greater Geelong municipality. Geelong was named in 1837 by Governor Richard Burke, with the name derived from the local Wautharong aboriginal name for the region, Jillong, thought to mean 'land' or 'cliffs'. The city is notable as the home to car manufacturer Ford Australia, and the Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats. Geelong is also the gateway to tourist attractions including the Great Ocean Road and the Shipwreck Coast. Archive • Read more... edit   Selected picture Credit: David Iliff The Loch Ard Gorge is part of Port Campbell National Park, Victoria, Australia, about 10 minutes drive west of The Twelve Apostles. It is a visible example of the process of erosion in action. The gorge is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which ran aground on nearby Muttonbird Island on 1 June 1878 approaching the end of a three-month journey from England to Melbourne. Archive • Read more... edit   Things you can do Create: Kangaroo Flat, Tyntynder, Fernbank Expand: Bass, Mount Elephant, Yarriambiack Creek Images: Ararat, Lakeside Mental Hospital, University of Ballarat Polish: Melbourne Storm, Crowded House, Caufield Grammar School edit   In the news Portal:Victoria/News More current events... Current events on Wikinews edit   Selected biography Sir Wilfrid Selwyn Kent Hughes KBE, MVO, MC (12 June 1895 – 31 July 1970) was an Australian soldier, Olympian and Olympic Games organiser, author and federal and state government minister. Kent Hughes was born in Melbourne to an upper middle-class family. He was set to attend the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship when he enlisted in the army on the outbreak of World War I. After his discharge from the army, Kent Hughes attended Oxford and represented Australia in athletics as a hurdler at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. Upon the completion of his degree at Oxford, Kent Hughes returned to Australia, seeking a career in politics. Elected to the Victorian state parliament in 1927, Kent Hughes sat with the conservative Nationalist Party of Australia, rising to the position of Deputy Premier of Victoria. Kent Hughes proved to be a controversial figure in politics, and was never afraid to publicly espouse his personal beliefs, such as an admiration for fascism, of which he had a poor understanding. Archive • Read more... edit   Did you know... ...that the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne (pictured) was once described as "the best cinema that was ever built or is ever likely to be built"? ...that the Port of Geelong, located on the shores of Corio Bay in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, is the sixth largest in Australia by tonnage? ...that Victorian winemakers sought to capitalize on the French phylloxera epidemic by making enough wine to satisfy the entire British market, but were thwarted when the insect infected their own vineyards? ...that more than 13.5 tonnes of gold was extracted in 13 months at Poverty Reef, near the town of Tarnagulla from an area only 3 metres wide and 120 metres deep? {{{hook5}}} Archive • Read more... edit   Categories Main: Victoria: Buildings and structures in Victoria Culture Education Environment Flora Geography Government History Images Parks Organisations People Sport Transport Visitor attractions edit   WikiProjects WikiProject Victoria WikiProject Australia edit edit   Related portals Queensland Northern Territory Western Australia South Australia New South Wales Victoria Tasmania Australian Capital Territory Visit Australia Portal edit   Associated Wikimedia Victoria on Wikinews     Victoria on Wikiquote     Victoria on Wikibooks     Victoria on Wikisource     Victoria on Wiktionary     Victoria on Wikimedia Commons News Quotations Manuals & Texts Texts Definitions Images & Media What are portals? · List of portals · Featured portals