WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.399 Okay, let's get into it. When you think of Victoria, 00:00:02.700 --> 00:00:05.339 Australia, your mind probably jumps straight 00:00:05.339 --> 00:00:08.099 to, you know, the MCG, the Formula One race, 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:09.880 or maybe those old stories about the gold rush. 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:12.660 For sure. The big flashy stuff. Exactly. But 00:00:12.660 --> 00:00:16.239 our mission today is to go way deeper than that. 00:00:16.300 --> 00:00:18.320 We're doing a deep dive into what Victoria is 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:21.120 really about. A state that's, well, it's historically 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:24.100 rich. geographically complicated and it's defined 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:26.760 by this fascinating paradox and that paradox 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.780 is everything it's the key it is intense population 00:00:30.780 --> 00:00:33.880 concentration on one hand and this massive and 00:00:33.880 --> 00:00:36.219 i think you'd have to say sometimes painful economic 00:00:36.219 --> 00:00:38.539 shift on the other yeah absolutely i mean you're 00:00:38.539 --> 00:00:41.140 looking at australia's second smallest state 00:00:41.140 --> 00:00:45.460 by land area it's a pretty compact 227 000 square 00:00:45.460 --> 00:00:48.219 kilometers roughly tiny in australian terms right 00:00:48.219 --> 00:00:51.640 but and this is the kicker It manages to be the 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:53.979 second most populous state. We're talking an 00:00:53.979 --> 00:00:57.079 estimate of over 7 million people as of September 00:00:57.079 --> 00:00:59.960 2024. And the simple math there means Victoria 00:00:59.960 --> 00:01:02.600 is critically the most densely populated state 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:05.900 in Australia. It's about 30 .6 people per square 00:01:05.900 --> 00:01:08.500 kilometer. And that density isn't just a number 00:01:08.500 --> 00:01:11.299 on a page, is it? Not at all. It dictates the 00:01:11.299 --> 00:01:14.079 whole speed of life, the complexity of the infrastructure, 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:16.459 and definitely the character of its politics. 00:01:16.859 --> 00:01:19.200 Exactly. That kind of concentration is just... 00:01:19.909 --> 00:01:22.310 It's unusual in a country that's defined by these 00:01:22.310 --> 00:01:25.230 vast, empty spaces. It really explains why Victoria 00:01:25.230 --> 00:01:27.870 feels so much more urbanized than a lot of its 00:01:27.870 --> 00:01:30.209 neighbors. And just for the record, geographically, 00:01:30.230 --> 00:01:32.849 it's sitting right there at 36 degrees south, 00:01:33.010 --> 00:01:36.670 144 degrees east. And the crucial part, the capital, 00:01:36.890 --> 00:01:41.230 Melbourne, is where nearly 70 % of those 7 million 00:01:41.230 --> 00:01:43.650 people actually live. It's all concentrated. 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:46.120 We should probably also touch on its nicknames. 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:48.739 Most of us probably remember the old car license 00:01:48.739 --> 00:01:51.079 plates that called it the Garden State. Yeah, 00:01:51.180 --> 00:01:53.560 which points to its parks and, you know, those 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:55.819 lush regional areas. But its newer, more official 00:01:55.819 --> 00:01:59.120 moniker is the Education State. And that is such 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:01.819 a powerful signal of its modern economic priorities. 00:02:01.980 --> 00:02:04.439 It's all about its massive university sector, 00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:06.379 which we'll definitely get into later. It's one 00:02:06.379 --> 00:02:08.360 of the state's biggest export engines. Right. 00:02:08.439 --> 00:02:12.139 But despite all that. high -stakes, fast -paced, 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:15.740 modern economy, its formal motto is still very 00:02:15.740 --> 00:02:18.240 old school. Oh, yeah. It's firmly rooted in history, 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:21.419 peace and prosperity. Okay, so that really sets 00:02:21.419 --> 00:02:25.120 the stage. To understand this modern urban powerhouse, 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:27.979 we absolutely have to start with the deep history. 00:02:28.139 --> 00:02:31.319 I don't think you can grasp Victoria today without 00:02:31.319 --> 00:02:34.439 appreciating the scale of its ancient past and, 00:02:34.500 --> 00:02:36.539 of course, the disruptive force of the gold rush. 00:02:36.740 --> 00:02:39.009 Let's jump in. And what's fascinating here is 00:02:39.009 --> 00:02:42.490 just how deep. that history runs. We aren't talking 00:02:42.490 --> 00:02:44.789 centuries. We are talking about a documented 00:02:44.789 --> 00:02:47.770 human history in Victoria that goes back something 00:02:47.770 --> 00:02:51.050 like 40 ,000 years. 40 ,000. That is an immense 00:02:51.050 --> 00:02:52.949 scale. And this involves multiple aboriginal 00:02:52.949 --> 00:02:55.210 nations, you know, the Wurundjeri, the Gunai, 00:02:55.270 --> 00:02:57.229 the Gundersmara, who weren't just passing through. 00:02:57.370 --> 00:02:59.930 They developed these incredibly complex societies. 00:03:00.449 --> 00:03:02.530 Yes. And that complexity includes a detail that 00:03:02.530 --> 00:03:04.610 I think often surprises people. You know, people 00:03:04.610 --> 00:03:07.009 who assume pre -colonial indigenous life was 00:03:07.009 --> 00:03:09.629 purely subsistence based. Right. Early indigenous. 00:03:09.870 --> 00:03:12.469 Victorians were noted for farming eels. Farming 00:03:12.469 --> 00:03:15.389 eels. That's incredible. It is. They were practicing 00:03:15.389 --> 00:03:18.710 sophisticated aquaculture, managing complex waterway 00:03:18.710 --> 00:03:21.949 systems and traps. It suggests a highly organized, 00:03:22.150 --> 00:03:25.569 semi -nomadic existence based on hunting, gathering, 00:03:25.669 --> 00:03:27.449 and this really specialized form of fishing. 00:03:27.669 --> 00:03:30.990 That speaks to a sustained, intentional management 00:03:30.990 --> 00:03:34.090 of resources, not just, you know, chance. So 00:03:34.090 --> 00:03:37.599 what's the aha? The specific archaeological detail 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:41.280 that locks this deep time frame in for us. That 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:43.039 would have to be the Keeler Archaeological Site, 00:03:43.139 --> 00:03:45.280 which was discovered near Melbourne. Back in 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:48.479 1971, excavators found a human hearth. Okay. 00:03:48.680 --> 00:03:51.020 And it was scientifically dated using radiocarbon 00:03:51.020 --> 00:03:53.939 to about 31 ,000 years before present. So this 00:03:53.939 --> 00:03:56.180 makes Keeler one of the absolute earliest confirmed 00:03:56.180 --> 00:03:59.629 sites of human habitation. anywhere on the Australian 00:03:59.629 --> 00:04:02.229 continent. It just firmly establishes that antiquity. 00:04:02.250 --> 00:04:04.270 And what's even more remarkable is how that deep 00:04:04.270 --> 00:04:06.550 past is preserved in the oral traditions. It's 00:04:06.550 --> 00:04:08.789 not just in the ground. It's an incredible synergy 00:04:08.789 --> 00:04:12.889 between cultural memory and, you know, hard geology. 00:04:13.729 --> 00:04:16.410 The creation stories of the local Aboriginal 00:04:16.410 --> 00:04:20.089 nations, specifically from the Wadawurrung, Wairwurrung, 00:04:20.129 --> 00:04:23.689 and Bunwurrung languages, they have these detailed 00:04:23.689 --> 00:04:26.110 narratives that describe massive geographical 00:04:26.110 --> 00:04:28.689 changes. They talk about the land being flooded. 00:04:28.970 --> 00:04:31.290 Exactly. They speak of a time when the land they 00:04:31.290 --> 00:04:33.750 knew was flooded by the rising sea. Which is 00:04:33.750 --> 00:04:35.689 the end of the last ice age, right? When sea 00:04:35.689 --> 00:04:38.189 levels rose all over the world. Precisely. Their 00:04:38.189 --> 00:04:40.230 oral traditions describe the flooding of Port 00:04:40.230 --> 00:04:42.449 Phillip Bay, which modern geologists confirm 00:04:42.449 --> 00:04:44.769 happened somewhere between 8 ,000 and 6 ,000 00:04:44.769 --> 00:04:48.050 years ago. Wow. And these stories confirm that 00:04:48.050 --> 00:04:50.910 what is now Hobson's Bay near Melbourne was once 00:04:50.910 --> 00:04:53.170 dry land. It was a celebrated kangaroo hunting 00:04:53.170 --> 00:04:55.389 ground. It's just a remarkable cultural record. 00:04:55.589 --> 00:04:57.529 So then when we transition to the British story, 00:04:57.750 --> 00:05:00.370 the motivation for their arrival was, well... 00:05:00.750 --> 00:05:02.550 It was less about settling the land and more 00:05:02.550 --> 00:05:04.790 about just pure territorial anxiety. Totally 00:05:04.790 --> 00:05:07.129 preemptive. The British were genuinely worried 00:05:07.129 --> 00:05:09.550 that the French, who were actively mapping the 00:05:09.550 --> 00:05:12.050 southern coast, might just swoop in and claim 00:05:12.050 --> 00:05:14.769 the area first. So the first settlement in 1803 00:05:14.769 --> 00:05:18.009 at Sullivan Bay was a get -in -first move. Pretty 00:05:18.009 --> 00:05:20.290 much. And it was a temporary settlement, only 00:05:20.290 --> 00:05:23.209 about 402 people. And here's that sobering detail 00:05:23.209 --> 00:05:26.730 again. The majority of those first arrivals were 00:05:26.730 --> 00:05:29.949 convicts. So it was a military outpost driven 00:05:29.949 --> 00:05:33.069 by geopolitics, not opportunity. And the area 00:05:33.069 --> 00:05:35.389 stayed as the Port Phillip District of New South 00:05:35.389 --> 00:05:38.370 Wales until 1851. That's when it was separated 00:05:38.370 --> 00:05:41.430 from NSW and formally named Victoria. In honor 00:05:41.430 --> 00:05:43.850 of Queen Victoria, yeah. She was 14 years into 00:05:43.850 --> 00:05:45.980 her long reign at that point. And almost immediately 00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:48.339 after that separation, we get one of the most 00:05:48.339 --> 00:05:50.899 fraught moments in the colony's history, the 00:05:50.899 --> 00:05:53.860 Batman Treaty of 1835. This is a really complex 00:05:53.860 --> 00:05:56.220 one. So John Batman, who's often called one of 00:05:56.220 --> 00:05:58.420 Melbourne's founders, he tried to negotiate a 00:05:58.420 --> 00:06:01.000 land use agreement directly with the Wurundjeri 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:03.560 elders. Right. Offering them goods and rations, 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:06.480 blankets, axes, knives in exchange for access 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:08.720 to their land. And this raises a huge question 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:10.379 about colonial history. I mean, what was his 00:06:10.379 --> 00:06:12.959 intent? Some sources frame it as this significant, 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:16.040 if maybe deeply flawed. attempt to gain land 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:18.540 by agreement rather than just taking it. Which 00:06:18.540 --> 00:06:20.439 would have been a real outlier for the time. 00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:23.220 A huge outlier. But others, I think rightly, 00:06:23.420 --> 00:06:25.740 argue that the power imbalance and the value 00:06:25.740 --> 00:06:27.680 proposition, you know, offering trinkets for 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:30.339 vast, invaluable territory, it just makes the 00:06:30.339 --> 00:06:32.660 whole thing a pretext for appropriation. And 00:06:32.660 --> 00:06:35.079 regardless of what Batman himself was thinking, 00:06:35.259 --> 00:06:37.639 the colonial administration's response was swift 00:06:37.639 --> 00:06:40.600 and definitive. Oh, yeah. The crown later just 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:43.279 declared the treaty void. The legal justification 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:46.319 was simple. Batman was a private citizen. He 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:47.920 didn't have permission from the government to 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:50.920 make any kind of agreement or to recognize aboriginal 00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:54.360 land title. So the land was just claimed unilaterally. 00:06:54.379 --> 00:06:57.160 It reinforced that principle of terra nullius 00:06:57.160 --> 00:06:59.800 land belonging to no one. Despite the clear presence 00:06:59.800 --> 00:07:03.180 of these ancient complex societies. OK, but if 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:06.480 separation from NSW gave Victoria its name, one 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:09.439 singular event completely transformed it into 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:12.259 the powerhouse we know today. Gold. The discovery 00:07:12.259 --> 00:07:14.740 of gold. The gold rush era starting almost immediately 00:07:14.740 --> 00:07:18.259 after separation in 1851. It was an absolute 00:07:18.259 --> 00:07:21.220 explosion. Gold was found near Elrod and Bendigo 00:07:21.220 --> 00:07:24.720 and the effect was just immediate and dizzying. 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:26.959 We've talked about population density already, 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:28.740 but look at the speed of the growth. It's insane. 00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:31.040 The population increased sevenfold in just 10 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:36.040 years. It rocketed from 76 ,000 in 1851 to 540 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:39.199 ,000 by 1861. And that kind of migration isn't 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:42.240 just local, it's global. So who is flooding into 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:44.610 Victoria? People from everywhere, you know, driven 00:07:44.610 --> 00:07:47.089 by this promise of getting rich quick. There 00:07:47.089 --> 00:07:49.689 was huge migration from Ireland after the famine 00:07:49.689 --> 00:07:52.910 and crucially from China. Right. By 1857, census 00:07:52.910 --> 00:07:56.069 records show over 26 ,000 Chinese miners were 00:07:56.069 --> 00:07:58.709 working in Victoria alone. So this created this 00:07:58.709 --> 00:08:01.810 vibrant, complex, and yeah, sometimes tense social 00:08:01.810 --> 00:08:04.129 environment that really laid the foundation for 00:08:04.129 --> 00:08:06.410 modern multiculturalism. And the output numbers, 00:08:06.550 --> 00:08:09.310 they justify the frenzy. To call it the richest 00:08:09.310 --> 00:08:12.399 shallow alluvial goldfield in the world? That's 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:14.620 a staggering claim. The statistics are mind -boggling. 00:08:14.680 --> 00:08:18.180 Between 1851 and 1860, Victoria produced 20 million 00:08:18.180 --> 00:08:21.000 ounces of gold. 20 million. That volume was one 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:24.180 -third of the entire world's gold output during 00:08:24.180 --> 00:08:28.040 that decade. This sudden immense wealth, it financed 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:30.519 the infrastructure, it built the grand architecture 00:08:30.519 --> 00:08:33.440 of Melbourne, and it cemented the state's position 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:35.940 as the financial center of Australia for decades. 00:08:36.570 --> 00:08:38.330 But, you know, that kind of rapid unregulated 00:08:38.330 --> 00:08:41.289 wealth and mass migration, it inevitably leads 00:08:41.289 --> 00:08:45.669 to friction. Which brings us to the famous Eureka 00:08:45.669 --> 00:08:50.230 stockade in December 1854. This wasn't just gold 00:08:50.230 --> 00:08:52.549 fever. This was a political awakening. It was 00:08:52.549 --> 00:08:55.309 a conflict born of, well, systemic corruption 00:08:55.309 --> 00:08:58.149 and unfair taxes. The government imposed these 00:08:58.149 --> 00:09:00.690 heavy mining license days, which were collected 00:09:00.690 --> 00:09:03.309 aggressively by police. So you had these widespread 00:09:03.309 --> 00:09:06.029 grievances about licensing the corruption and 00:09:06.029 --> 00:09:08.190 a total lack of political representation for 00:09:08.190 --> 00:09:10.250 the miners. And the Eureka Stockade was the armed 00:09:10.250 --> 00:09:12.330 rebellion that was sparked by all that. It was. 00:09:12.610 --> 00:09:15.549 And it was swiftly and violently crushed by British 00:09:15.549 --> 00:09:17.649 troops. There were casualties on both sides. 00:09:18.110 --> 00:09:20.590 So if it was defeated, how could it be so transformative? 00:09:20.950 --> 00:09:23.149 Because it fundamentally shifted the political 00:09:23.149 --> 00:09:26.370 landscape. The crushing of the rebellion created 00:09:26.370 --> 00:09:29.669 huge public sympathy for the miners' cause. It 00:09:29.669 --> 00:09:32.110 forced the colonial authorities to bring in significant 00:09:32.110 --> 00:09:36.070 reforms almost immediately. Like what? They abolished 00:09:36.070 --> 00:09:38.629 the unpopular gold license fees and replaced 00:09:38.629 --> 00:09:42.110 them with a much fairer, cheaper miners' rights. 00:09:42.669 --> 00:09:45.090 And crucially, they also extended the electoral 00:09:45.090 --> 00:09:47.830 franchise, giving the Diggers a voice in the 00:09:47.830 --> 00:09:49.669 parliament. And what's really fascinating is 00:09:49.669 --> 00:09:52.289 that the rebels weren't, you know, exiled or 00:09:52.289 --> 00:09:55.029 executed. No. Some of the actual leaders of that 00:09:55.029 --> 00:09:57.980 rebellion, men like Peter Laylor. They were acquitted 00:09:57.980 --> 00:09:59.700 and then later they were successfully elected 00:09:59.700 --> 00:10:01.759 as members of the Victorian parliament. That's 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:04.139 amazing. It is. It's this rare instance where 00:10:04.139 --> 00:10:07.419 a defeated armed uprising directly leads to democratic 00:10:07.419 --> 00:10:10.320 reform. It sort of enshrined this legacy of political 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.159 activism right into the state's identity. And 00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:14.980 the ultimate legacy of that gold rush wealth 00:10:14.980 --> 00:10:17.500 was that when the Australian colonies federated 00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:20.679 in 1901, Melbourne was the logical choice to 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:23.320 be the nation's first capital. Ready made. It 00:10:23.320 --> 00:10:25.620 held that honor for 26 years until the compromised 00:10:25.620 --> 00:10:29.039 city of Canberra was finally ready in 1927. Okay, 00:10:29.100 --> 00:10:32.100 let's transition to the physical framework of 00:10:32.100 --> 00:10:35.720 the state. Its geography, climate, and some of 00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:38.320 these complex legal definitions of its borders. 00:10:38.360 --> 00:10:40.399 We have to start with this piece of legal trivia, 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:43.960 the Northern Border Paradox. This is one of those 00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:46.220 dry legal things and actually gives you great 00:10:46.220 --> 00:10:48.960 insight into history. The border between Victoria 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:51.620 and New South Wales is the Murray River, but 00:10:51.620 --> 00:10:54.519 the rule is very specific. It follows the southern 00:10:54.519 --> 00:10:56.659 bank of the river. I love that detail because 00:10:56.659 --> 00:10:59.379 it has real world implications, right? Absolutely. 00:10:59.580 --> 00:11:03.179 In 1980, the High Court of Australia ruled on 00:11:03.179 --> 00:11:05.179 a case about a death that happened on a river 00:11:05.179 --> 00:11:09.470 island. And the judge, Nidian Stephen. He explicitly 00:11:09.470 --> 00:11:11.870 clarified that the border follows the southern 00:11:11.870 --> 00:11:14.289 bank precisely. So what's the consequence of 00:11:14.289 --> 00:11:16.110 that? The consequence is that no part of the 00:11:16.110 --> 00:11:17.970 water course of the Murray River is actually 00:11:17.970 --> 00:11:19.850 in Victoria. If you step off the bank and put 00:11:19.850 --> 00:11:21.710 your toe in the water. You're in New South Wales. 00:11:21.929 --> 00:11:23.649 You're technically in New South Wales. It matters 00:11:23.649 --> 00:11:26.029 for everything. Water rights, law enforcement, 00:11:26.230 --> 00:11:29.009 even fishing regulations. Wow. OK. And speaking 00:11:29.009 --> 00:11:31.129 of borders, Victoria also shares Australia's 00:11:31.129 --> 00:11:33.629 shortest land border. Yep, with Tasmania. And 00:11:33.629 --> 00:11:35.149 it's not even on the mainland. It's out in the 00:11:35.149 --> 00:11:37.929 Bay Strait. And it passes through this tiny, 00:11:38.110 --> 00:11:41.350 rocky outcrop called Boundary Islet for just 00:11:41.350 --> 00:11:45.570 85 meters. 85 meters? That's almost absurd. It's 00:11:45.570 --> 00:11:48.230 a tiny sliver of sheer jurisdiction. Moving inland, 00:11:48.509 --> 00:11:51.389 Victoria's topography is incredibly diverse for 00:11:51.389 --> 00:11:53.570 its size. You've got the Great Dividing Range, 00:11:53.750 --> 00:11:56.909 that huge mountain spine, and it sort of terminates 00:11:56.909 --> 00:11:59.649 its southern end just west of Ballarat. And that 00:11:59.649 --> 00:12:01.929 range is responsible for shaping Victoria's climate. 00:12:02.299 --> 00:12:04.039 It gives you the Victorian Alps in the northeast, 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:06.820 which includes the state's highest point. Mount 00:12:06.820 --> 00:12:09.340 Bogong at nearly 2 ,000 meters. And those areas 00:12:09.340 --> 00:12:11.419 are snow covered in winter. They support the 00:12:11.419 --> 00:12:13.379 ski industry. But then the state also has the 00:12:13.379 --> 00:12:16.000 complete opposite. You've got extensive, flat, 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:18.240 semi -arid plains in the west and northwest, 00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:21.460 the Maui region. So you get temperate coasts, 00:12:21.460 --> 00:12:24.580 high alpine snow, and near desert plains all 00:12:24.580 --> 00:12:27.320 packed into one state. And that diversity translates 00:12:27.320 --> 00:12:30.139 directly into some pretty wild weather patterns. 00:12:30.460 --> 00:12:32.740 Oh yeah, it's a state of climatic contrasts. 00:12:33.139 --> 00:12:35.419 The coastal areas, especially around Melbourne, 00:12:35.620 --> 00:12:38.360 they have the mildest climate. It's moderated 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:40.919 by the Southern Ocean. But as you push inland, 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:43.580 especially into the Mali, that's where you find 00:12:43.580 --> 00:12:46.960 Victoria's warmest spots. Regularly over 32 degrees 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:49.600 Celsius in summer. And how extreme do those temperatures 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:53.490 get? The record high was a blistering 48 .8 degrees 00:12:53.490 --> 00:12:57.649 recorded in Hopeton back in 2009. And on the 00:12:57.649 --> 00:13:00.330 flip side, the record low was a freezing minus 00:13:00.330 --> 00:13:03.429 11 .7 degrees recorded in Omeo and Falls Creek. 00:13:03.769 --> 00:13:06.129 And I'm guessing rainfall varies just as dramatically. 00:13:06.549 --> 00:13:08.509 Absolutely. It generally increases as you move 00:13:08.509 --> 00:13:10.529 from south to northeast. The heaviest rainfall 00:13:10.529 --> 00:13:13.190 is in the Otway Ranges, over 1 ,800 millimeters 00:13:13.190 --> 00:13:15.909 a year. Contrast that with the Mali, which gets 00:13:15.909 --> 00:13:18.809 less than 280. It makes farming out there incredibly 00:13:18.809 --> 00:13:21.159 challenging. So if we look at human geography, 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:23.980 the defining characteristic has to be the overwhelming 00:13:23.980 --> 00:13:26.220 dominance of Melbourne. Melbourne is the state 00:13:26.220 --> 00:13:28.460 in so many ways. As we said, it's got about 70 00:13:28.460 --> 00:13:30.320 percent of the population around 5 .2 million 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:32.899 people. And it just dominates the economy, the 00:13:32.899 --> 00:13:35.659 media, the culture. It makes Victoria by far 00:13:35.659 --> 00:13:39.539 Australia's most urbanized state. Nearly 90 percent 00:13:39.539 --> 00:13:41.860 of all residents live in cities and towns. And 00:13:41.860 --> 00:13:43.960 governments are always talking about decentralization. 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:46.820 But that gravitational pull of Melbourne just 00:13:46.820 --> 00:13:49.360 seems. Irreversible. So what are the consequences 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:51.980 of that? Having 70 percent of your state in one 00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:54.379 metro area? Well, on one hand, you have these 00:13:54.379 --> 00:13:57.179 massive efficiency gains, you know, a centralized 00:13:57.179 --> 00:13:59.919 workforce, infrastructure, a consumer base. You 00:13:59.919 --> 00:14:02.139 see that in the high GSP. But on the other hand, 00:14:02.179 --> 00:14:04.539 it creates tremendous pressure on infrastructure, 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:08.100 housing, transport. In a political divide. A 00:14:08.100 --> 00:14:10.740 huge political schism where the inner city priorities 00:14:10.740 --> 00:14:13.399 can just vastly outweigh. Those are the regional 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:15.659 areas. But despite that dominance, it's important 00:14:15.659 --> 00:14:18.279 to say that Victoria is home to four of Australia's 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:20.259 20 largest cities. So those regional centers 00:14:20.259 --> 00:14:22.980 are still substantial. They're critical counterweights. 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:25.820 You've got Geelong, a big port city, about 180 00:14:25.820 --> 00:14:29.200 ,000 people. And then the gold rush cities. Ballarat, 00:14:29.299 --> 00:14:33.120 around 116 ,000. And Bendigo, about 103 ,000. 00:14:33.179 --> 00:14:34.919 They have their own identities. And speaking 00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:37.320 of Bendigo, its central position gives it that 00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:39.980 symbolic role, right? It's the symbolic heart. 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:43.759 The geographic center of Victoria is just south 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:47.299 of Bendigo in a place called Mandurong. And Bendigo 00:14:47.299 --> 00:14:49.779 itself is known as the heart of gold because 00:14:49.779 --> 00:14:52.200 of that history. It's the perfect nexus point. 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:54.899 That brings us neatly into how those 7 million 00:14:54.899 --> 00:14:57.179 people define themselves, our deep dive into 00:14:57.179 --> 00:14:59.879 demographics and governance. Victoria's population 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:02.759 boom is driven by both international and interstate 00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:05.919 migration. With 35 .1 % of its inhabitants being 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:08.580 immigrants, that's a huge number. And it means 00:15:08.580 --> 00:15:11.419 Victoria has this really rich, diverse ancestry 00:15:11.419 --> 00:15:14.740 profile. So what does the 2016 census tell us? 00:15:14.840 --> 00:15:16.860 The top nominated ancestries were English and 00:15:16.860 --> 00:15:18.860 Australian, followed by the historical waves, 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:21.309 Irish and Scottish. But importantly, you see 00:15:21.309 --> 00:15:23.470 the modern era reflected with strong Chinese 00:15:23.470 --> 00:15:28.049 ancestry at 6 .7%, and Italian at 6 .4%. And 00:15:28.049 --> 00:15:30.350 when we drill down into birthplaces outside Australia, 00:15:30.490 --> 00:15:33.190 we see that global appeal. The top birthplaces 00:15:33.190 --> 00:15:36.070 are England, India, and mainland China, all clustered 00:15:36.070 --> 00:15:39.220 around that 2 .7 % to 2 .9 % mark. followed by 00:15:39.220 --> 00:15:41.259 New Zealand and Vietnam. And if you look at language, 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:43.200 while most people speak English at home, the 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:45.519 top non -English languages are Mandarin, Italian, 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:48.500 Greek, and Vietnamese. So let's construct the 00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:50.919 average Victorian based on that census data. 00:15:51.259 --> 00:15:53.519 What does the statistical composite look like? 00:15:53.700 --> 00:15:55.960 It paints a very specific picture. The median 00:15:55.960 --> 00:15:59.340 age is 37. The mode sex is female, speaks English 00:15:59.340 --> 00:16:01.899 at home, is married, has two children. Okay. 00:16:01.980 --> 00:16:05.039 And crucially, this average Victorian has at 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:07.860 least one parent who was born overseas. They 00:16:07.860 --> 00:16:09.620 live in a three -bedroom house, which they own 00:16:09.620 --> 00:16:12.779 with a mortgage, and they own two cars. It really 00:16:12.779 --> 00:16:15.659 captures that stable, modern, multicultural, 00:16:15.860 --> 00:16:18.679 suburban society. Moving on to governance. Victoria 00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:21.279 operates under the Westminster system. Its parliament 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:23.500 is bicameral. Right. You have the Legislative 00:16:23.500 --> 00:16:26.340 Assembly, the lower house, with 88 members, and 00:16:26.340 --> 00:16:28.019 then the Legislative Council, the upper house. 00:16:28.409 --> 00:16:30.509 with 40 members. And that distinction in how 00:16:30.509 --> 00:16:33.629 the upper house is elected, proportional representation, 00:16:34.009 --> 00:16:36.429 that's key, isn't it? It's absolutely key. The 00:16:36.429 --> 00:16:38.850 effect is that it gives minor parties a much 00:16:38.850 --> 00:16:41.330 stronger chance of getting seats. It means the 00:16:41.330 --> 00:16:43.450 two major parties can't easily control the upper 00:16:43.450 --> 00:16:46.490 house, so you often get a hung council. It makes 00:16:46.490 --> 00:16:48.789 for a broader range of political voices. Like 00:16:48.789 --> 00:16:51.230 the Greens. Exactly. The Greens have a strong 00:16:51.230 --> 00:16:53.850 representation there, which reflects the state's 00:16:53.850 --> 00:16:56.149 diverse demographics. And executive authority 00:16:56.149 --> 00:16:59.120 rests with the governor. who represents the king, 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:01.759 but governance is carried out by the premier, 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:04.920 currently Jacinta Allen of the Labor Party. Now 00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:06.740 let's talk about the state's political identity, 00:17:06.980 --> 00:17:10.119 because it's probably its most defining modern 00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:13.480 feature. Analysts pretty much all agree Victoria 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:16.480 is the nation's most progressive state. And that's 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:18.839 not just a feeling, it's backed by hard numbers 00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:21.779 from national votes. The evidence is undeniable. 00:17:22.250 --> 00:17:25.069 Victoria recorded the highest yes votes of any 00:17:25.069 --> 00:17:27.630 state in the Republic referendum, the same -sex 00:17:27.630 --> 00:17:30.109 marriage survey, and the recent Indigenous voice 00:17:30.109 --> 00:17:32.869 referendum. So where are the political fault 00:17:32.869 --> 00:17:36.369 lines? Does that density imbalance create a schism? 00:17:36.670 --> 00:17:39.150 It absolutely defines the political map. The 00:17:39.150 --> 00:17:40.890 Labour Party is strongest in the working and 00:17:40.890 --> 00:17:43.009 middle -class Melbourne suburbs and in those 00:17:43.009 --> 00:17:45.690 big regional cities, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong. 00:17:45.910 --> 00:17:49.029 Their support base is in the affluent, generally 00:17:49.029 --> 00:17:51.190 more conservative eastern suburbs of Melbourne. 00:17:51.549 --> 00:17:54.009 And the Greens, reflecting that progressive, 00:17:54.089 --> 00:17:56.769 educated inner -city identity, are strongest 00:17:56.769 --> 00:17:59.289 in inner Melbourne. The map is literally drawn 00:17:59.289 --> 00:18:02.069 between the dense urban core and everywhere else. 00:18:02.309 --> 00:18:05.630 Let's shift now to the economy. This is vital 00:18:05.630 --> 00:18:08.049 for understanding that shifting economy's theme, 00:18:08.190 --> 00:18:11.509 because Victoria's GSP tells a story of profound, 00:18:11.630 --> 00:18:14.269 deliberate change. It's a powerhouse economy, 00:18:14.549 --> 00:18:16.849 no doubt. Second largest in Australia accounts 00:18:16.849 --> 00:18:20.650 for a quarter of the nation's GDP. about a $459 00:18:20.650 --> 00:18:24.309 billion as of 2020. But the modern story is all 00:18:24.309 --> 00:18:26.349 about the rise of the service sector and the 00:18:26.349 --> 00:18:28.809 managed decline of industry. So let's break that 00:18:28.809 --> 00:18:30.750 down. Where are Victorians actually working? 00:18:31.069 --> 00:18:32.789 Healthcare and social services is the single 00:18:32.789 --> 00:18:35.890 biggest employer by a long way, 12 .8 % of the 00:18:35.890 --> 00:18:38.470 workforce, followed by retail. But if you look 00:18:38.470 --> 00:18:40.549 at economic value, that's where Melbourne's financial 00:18:40.549 --> 00:18:42.529 strength becomes clear. Finance and insurance. 00:18:42.890 --> 00:18:45.210 Exactly. They lead the charge, representing 12 00:18:45.210 --> 00:18:48.130 .8 percent of GSP value, with professional and 00:18:48.130 --> 00:18:50.589 technical services right behind. It's a highly 00:18:50.589 --> 00:18:53.490 skilled, tertiary driven economy now. And that 00:18:53.490 --> 00:18:55.769 financial dominance goes right back to the gold 00:18:55.769 --> 00:18:58.410 rush, doesn't it? It does. The historical wealth 00:18:58.410 --> 00:19:00.569 meant the infrastructure and the skilled professional 00:19:00.569 --> 00:19:03.230 class were already in place. It was the natural 00:19:03.230 --> 00:19:06.150 place for those high value services to concentrate 00:19:06.150 --> 00:19:08.869 and eventually replace manufacturing. But despite 00:19:08.869 --> 00:19:12.359 that shift, agriculture is still huge. Second 00:19:12.359 --> 00:19:15.160 largest agricultural producer in Australia. It's 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:16.859 fundamental to the state's regional identity. 00:19:17.339 --> 00:19:20.960 It employs about 67 ,000 people. And the output 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:24.039 isn't just large, it's highly specialized. Give 00:19:24.039 --> 00:19:26.519 us the specifics. Victoria is totally dominant 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:29.519 in pears and apples. It produces nearly 90 % 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:32.440 of all Australian pears and a third of the nation's 00:19:32.440 --> 00:19:35.119 apples. And their leaders in vegetables like 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:38.220 asparagus, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes. And it's 00:19:38.220 --> 00:19:40.930 the national center for dairy farming. Unequivocally. 00:19:40.950 --> 00:19:43.630 That's its agricultural core. The state is home 00:19:43.630 --> 00:19:46.690 to 60 % of Australia's dairy cattle and produces 00:19:46.690 --> 00:19:49.190 nearly two -thirds of the nation's milk. That's 00:19:49.190 --> 00:19:51.930 almost 6 .4 billion liters a year. It's also 00:19:51.930 --> 00:19:54.849 a massive wool and meat producer. There's a fascinating 00:19:54.849 --> 00:19:58.069 policy side note here about GM canola. Yes, this 00:19:58.069 --> 00:20:00.509 speaks to that tension between science and market 00:20:00.509 --> 00:20:04.289 perception. Victoria. like the rest of Australia, 00:20:04.609 --> 00:20:08.190 put a moratorium on GM canola back in 2003 because 00:20:08.190 --> 00:20:10.029 they were worried about market rejection in Europe. 00:20:10.250 --> 00:20:12.849 But that ban was eventually lifted. It was in 00:20:12.849 --> 00:20:15.490 2008. And the government estimated that adopting 00:20:15.490 --> 00:20:18.329 GM canola provided a proven financial benefit 00:20:18.329 --> 00:20:22.329 of about AUS $45 per hectare per season. It was 00:20:22.329 --> 00:20:24.430 a key decision in modernizing the farming industry. 00:20:24.829 --> 00:20:26.750 We should also acknowledge the sector's vulnerability, 00:20:27.009 --> 00:20:29.210 which we saw sharply during the pandemic. The 00:20:29.210 --> 00:20:31.529 supply chain disruptions had immediate and severe 00:20:31.529 --> 00:20:34.279 consequences. The sources specifically noted 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:37.119 the impact on live seafood sales to China, which 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:39.339 peak around Chinese New Year. When those exports 00:20:39.339 --> 00:20:41.380 stopped, the financial damage was immediate. 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:44.819 OK, now for the biggest economic story, the profound 00:20:44.819 --> 00:20:47.660 decline of manufacturing. Melbourne may have 00:20:47.660 --> 00:20:49.920 been Australia's most important industrial city, 00:20:49.980 --> 00:20:52.779 but that era is definitively over. The numbers 00:20:52.779 --> 00:20:54.619 are stark. It's not just a relative decline, 00:20:54.779 --> 00:20:57.779 it's absolute. Manufacturing share of GSP fell 00:20:57.779 --> 00:21:01.980 from over 20 % in 1990 down to just 8 .6 % by 00:21:01.980 --> 00:21:05.819 2016. And actual output shrank. Exactly. Manufacturing 00:21:05.819 --> 00:21:09.579 output peaked in 2008 and then slowly fell. And 00:21:09.579 --> 00:21:12.900 that corresponds directly to a massive job exodus. 00:21:13.259 --> 00:21:16.200 We're talking nearly 100 ,000 jobs lost in that 00:21:16.200 --> 00:21:19.019 short period, mostly in regional industrial centers. 00:21:19.180 --> 00:21:21.200 Which towns bore the brunt of that? The impact 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:23.960 was devastating in places like Geelong, which 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:26.779 had relied so heavily on manufacturing, and the 00:21:26.779 --> 00:21:29.400 Latrobe Valley. When you lose that many jobs, 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:32.079 it fundamentally alters the social fabric of 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:34.940 entire towns. And the ultimate symbolic shock 00:21:34.940 --> 00:21:37.539 was the end of the entire Australian car industry, 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:40.059 which was largely based in Victoria. It was a 00:21:40.059 --> 00:21:42.759 defining moment. When Ford, Toyota and Holden 00:21:42.759 --> 00:21:45.480 all announced their closures in the 2010s, it 00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:47.480 meant Australia would completely lose its car 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:50.319 manufacturing industry by the end of 2017. It 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:52.200 was a deliberate shift away from heavy industry. 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:54.500 So despite that, the state's energy and mineral 00:21:54.500 --> 00:21:57.119 resources are still vital. They are. Mining employs 00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:59.000 less than 1 % of the workforce but contributes 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:02.839 about $86 billion to GSP. And the focus is overwhelmingly 00:22:02.839 --> 00:22:06.180 on one thing. Victoria's leading mineral by far. 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:09.019 The Latrobe Valley holds the world's largest 00:22:09.019 --> 00:22:12.759 known reserves of it. They mine about 66 million 00:22:12.759 --> 00:22:16.299 tons a year, mostly for electricity. It's historically 00:22:16.299 --> 00:22:18.920 powered the state, but it poses a huge environmental 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:21.259 challenge for a progressive state. And offshore, 00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:23.539 there's oil and gas, though that's also contracted. 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:28.079 Production peaked way back in 1985 at 450 ,000 00:22:28.079 --> 00:22:31.059 barrels a day. By the mid -2000s, it had plummeted 00:22:31.059 --> 00:22:33.980 to 83 ,000. It's still essential, but it's a 00:22:33.980 --> 00:22:36.529 shrinking industry. And we have to mention the 00:22:36.529 --> 00:22:38.950 fracking ban. This is a direct response to public 00:22:38.950 --> 00:22:41.970 pressure. There was a ban on onshore gas exploration 00:22:41.970 --> 00:22:44.890 put in place in 2014. And while that was partially 00:22:44.890 --> 00:22:48.089 lifted in 2021, Victoria maintains a constitutional 00:22:48.089 --> 00:22:50.769 ban on hydraulic fracturing or frapping. So they 00:22:50.769 --> 00:22:52.950 literally wrote it into the Constitution. They 00:22:52.950 --> 00:22:55.509 did. It's a clear example of the government balancing 00:22:55.509 --> 00:22:57.569 energy needs against the strong environmental 00:22:57.569 --> 00:22:59.829 concerns of the population. And a final note 00:22:59.829 --> 00:23:02.339 on mining. Despite that incredible gold rush 00:23:02.339 --> 00:23:04.900 history, modern gold production in Victoria is 00:23:04.900 --> 00:23:07.980 almost negligible, just 1 % of the national total. 00:23:08.180 --> 00:23:10.940 It's a powerful narrative shift, isn't it? The 00:23:10.940 --> 00:23:13.420 state built on gold now relies on brains and 00:23:13.420 --> 00:23:15.420 services. Let's transition to the institutions 00:23:15.420 --> 00:23:17.700 that define the state's culture, starting with 00:23:17.700 --> 00:23:19.920 education. Victoria's commitment to education 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:23.380 goes way back to 1872. That's when the state 00:23:23.380 --> 00:23:26.279 school system was made free and compulsory, a 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:29.220 massive step for social equity. Public high schools 00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:32.900 only began in 1905. And today students earn the 00:23:32.900 --> 00:23:35.940 VCE. You also mentioned a vocational stream, 00:23:36.140 --> 00:23:39.640 the VCE -VM. Yes, the vocational major. It's 00:23:39.640 --> 00:23:41.819 crucial because it links directly to vocational 00:23:41.819 --> 00:23:44.839 training in TAFE institutions. So students not 00:23:44.839 --> 00:23:47.500 aiming for university have a strong accredited 00:23:47.500 --> 00:23:49.839 pathway into the workforce. And the university 00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:52.500 system is enormous. Nine universities, the oldest 00:23:52.500 --> 00:23:54.839 being the University of Melbourne from 1855. 00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:57.660 And the largest, Monash University, is staggering. 00:23:58.029 --> 00:24:01.230 It enrolls over 83 ,000 students, the most of 00:24:01.230 --> 00:24:03.730 any Australian university. But the real story 00:24:03.730 --> 00:24:05.950 is the international student component. It's 00:24:05.950 --> 00:24:08.569 critical to the economy. Wait, Monash has 83 00:24:08.569 --> 00:24:10.990 ,000 students, and international students make 00:24:10.990 --> 00:24:13.210 up 40 % of all university enrollments across 00:24:13.210 --> 00:24:15.849 the state. That's a massive economic ecosystem. 00:24:16.230 --> 00:24:19.210 It's a huge export industry. Those international 00:24:19.210 --> 00:24:21.549 students account for the highest percentage of 00:24:21.549 --> 00:24:24.859 prepaid tuition fees in Australia. It also makes 00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:27.359 the state highly sensitive to global travel restrictions. 00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:31.799 But the vocational sector, TFE, has seen a less 00:24:31.799 --> 00:24:35.500 positive trend. Indeed. Enrollment in TFE dropped 00:24:35.500 --> 00:24:39.960 by a massive 40 % between 2014 and 2018. It's 00:24:39.960 --> 00:24:42.500 partly due to a crackdown on low -quality private 00:24:42.500 --> 00:24:45.380 providers, but also that societal shift towards 00:24:45.380 --> 00:24:48.200 seeing university as the superior pathway. And 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:50.440 briefly on libraries, the State Library of Victoria 00:24:50.440 --> 00:24:53.299 is globally significant. It's rated as the fourth 00:24:53.299 --> 00:24:55.640 most visited public library in the entire world, 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:57.940 which just underscores Melbourne's reputation 00:24:57.940 --> 00:25:00.079 as a knowledge hub. Let's discuss infrastructure. 00:25:00.809 --> 00:25:02.809 The road network naturally radiates out from 00:25:02.809 --> 00:25:04.750 Melbourne. It does. But the rail system is where 00:25:04.750 --> 00:25:07.430 the historical complexity really emerges. Victoria's 00:25:07.430 --> 00:25:09.930 Rail uses not one, but three different gauges. 00:25:10.029 --> 00:25:12.529 Three. You have the broad gauge for most of the 00:25:12.529 --> 00:25:14.910 local and regional services. Then there's the 00:25:14.910 --> 00:25:17.369 standard gauge for all interstate and freight 00:25:17.369 --> 00:25:19.410 lines because that matches the rest of the country. 00:25:19.670 --> 00:25:22.690 And finally, two narrow gauge lines are preserved 00:25:22.690 --> 00:25:25.690 just for tourist railways. But the truly unique 00:25:25.690 --> 00:25:28.289 transport feature of Melbourne is the tram network. 00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:31.559 Melbourne operates the world's largest tram network. 00:25:31.779 --> 00:25:33.900 It's a critical piece of public transit, especially 00:25:33.900 --> 00:25:36.599 in the inner city. And it's a major tourist draw. 00:25:36.740 --> 00:25:39.500 In terms of utilities, Victoria is notable for 00:25:39.500 --> 00:25:42.019 its high quality water and its proactive management. 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:44.920 The water is very high quality, needs minimal 00:25:44.920 --> 00:25:48.140 chlorination. And to combat droughts, the state 00:25:48.140 --> 00:25:50.380 developed the Victorian water grid system. What 00:25:50.380 --> 00:25:52.990 does that grid do? It's a series of major new 00:25:52.990 --> 00:25:55.390 pipelines, like the Wimmera -Malley pipeline, 00:25:55.630 --> 00:25:58.190 that allow water to be moved to where it's most 00:25:58.190 --> 00:26:00.809 needed across the state. It's a long -term approach 00:26:00.809 --> 00:26:03.250 to climate change adaptation. Okay, we have to 00:26:03.250 --> 00:26:05.789 dedicate time to the state's global calling card, 00:26:06.029 --> 00:26:09.490 sport. Melbourne was named the world's sporting 00:26:09.490 --> 00:26:12.769 capital in 2016. This is non -negotiable Victoria. 00:26:13.089 --> 00:26:15.809 It's the spiritual home of Australian rules football. 00:26:16.269 --> 00:26:19.279 It's practically a religion there. Ten of the 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:21.940 18 AFL clubs are based in the state. And the 00:26:21.940 --> 00:26:25.000 AFL Grand Final is more than just a game. It's 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:27.299 a cultural touchstone. The Friday before the 00:26:27.299 --> 00:26:29.799 Grand Final is a public holiday across the whole 00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:33.000 state. The game is held at the MCG, the spiritual 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:35.319 home of the sport. And beyond AFL, Melbourne 00:26:35.319 --> 00:26:38.660 hosts these huge global events. Every January, 00:26:38.660 --> 00:26:40.500 you have the Australian Open, the first Grand 00:26:40.500 --> 00:26:42.839 Slam of the year. Then there's the Formula One 00:26:42.839 --> 00:26:46.170 Grand Prix. And locally, they host the world's 00:26:46.170 --> 00:26:48.990 longest -running surfing competition, the Bells 00:26:48.990 --> 00:26:51.009 Beach Surf Classic. Not to mention the horse 00:26:51.009 --> 00:26:53.089 racing. The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival 00:26:53.089 --> 00:26:54.869 is one of the biggest in the world. It centers 00:26:54.869 --> 00:26:57.069 on the Melbourne Cup, the race that stops a nation. 00:26:57.309 --> 00:27:00.329 It draws massive crowds, over 700 ,000 people. 00:27:00.829 --> 00:27:03.450 It's a critical social and economic fixture. 00:27:03.829 --> 00:27:06.029 Now we need to touch on a major recent event 00:27:06.029 --> 00:27:09.190 that speaks to the costs of that title, the 2026 00:27:09.190 --> 00:27:11.710 Commonwealth Games. This was a pivotal moment. 00:27:12.500 --> 00:27:15.000 Victoria was supposed to host the 2026 Games, 00:27:15.140 --> 00:27:17.759 mostly in regional cities, to boost their economies. 00:27:17.940 --> 00:27:20.720 But then the state government just abruptly withdrew 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:25.500 the offer on July 18, 2023. Why? What does that 00:27:25.500 --> 00:27:28.019 tell us? The official reason was a catastrophic 00:27:28.019 --> 00:27:31.200 cost blowout. The initial estimate was around 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:35.079 $A2 .6 billion, and it had ballooned to an estimated 00:27:35.079 --> 00:27:38.839 $A6 billion or more. Wow. The withdrawal highlights 00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:41.710 a harsh economic reality. Even for a wealthy 00:27:41.710 --> 00:27:44.390 state, the immense financial burden of a major 00:27:44.390 --> 00:27:46.910 multi -sport event was deemed fiscally irresponsible. 00:27:47.490 --> 00:27:50.250 It was a shift towards pragmatic governance over 00:27:50.250 --> 00:27:52.690 cultural grandstanding. But despite that, the 00:27:52.690 --> 00:27:54.690 commitment to professional sport is still incredibly 00:27:54.690 --> 00:27:56.769 high. Absolutely. They've got the Melbourne Storm 00:27:56.769 --> 00:27:58.710 in the NRL, three teams in the A -League soccer, 00:27:58.930 --> 00:28:00.829 two teams in the NBL basketball. It's a truly 00:28:00.829 --> 00:28:03.470 comprehensive multi -sport professional commitment. 00:28:03.710 --> 00:28:06.170 We have completed our journey. Time for our summary 00:28:06.170 --> 00:28:08.950 synthesis. If we pull it all together, Victoria's 00:28:08.950 --> 00:28:11.589 identity is founded on the explosive wealth of 00:28:11.589 --> 00:28:14.470 the gold rush. That historical foundation now 00:28:14.470 --> 00:28:17.289 underpins a modern identity defined by its highly 00:28:17.289 --> 00:28:19.900 urbanized nature. With that 70 percent concentration 00:28:19.900 --> 00:28:21.640 in Melbourne, it's unequivocally progressive 00:28:21.640 --> 00:28:24.380 politics and a complete economic transition. 00:28:24.619 --> 00:28:27.319 That economic shift away from heavy industry 00:28:27.319 --> 00:28:29.640 and towards high value services and education, 00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:32.059 especially those international student fees, 00:28:32.259 --> 00:28:35.119 is the critical modern story. They basically 00:28:35.119 --> 00:28:37.420 sacrificed their car industry and replaced it 00:28:37.420 --> 00:28:40.400 with finance, health care and education. And 00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:42.779 that international focus is cemented by its diplomatic 00:28:42.779 --> 00:28:45.460 relationships. Victoria has these deep, long 00:28:45.460 --> 00:28:47.579 term sister state relationships in Asia. Which 00:28:47.579 --> 00:28:50.640 one? Two with China, Jangsu from way back in 00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:53.960 1979, and Sichuan, plus vital relationships with 00:28:53.960 --> 00:28:56.160 Japan's Aegechi Prefecture and South Korea's 00:28:56.160 --> 00:28:58.740 Busan. It shows their economic future is deeply 00:28:58.740 --> 00:29:01.039 entwined with the dynamism of Asia. So to leave 00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:02.799 you with a final thought, let's circle back to 00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:05.579 Victoria's unique political influence. Considering 00:29:05.579 --> 00:29:07.299 Melbourne was the seat of federal government 00:29:07.299 --> 00:29:10.680 until 1927, and given the state's continued ability 00:29:10.680 --> 00:29:13.460 to influence national social issues, as we saw 00:29:13.460 --> 00:29:15.940 with those high yes votes in every major referendum, 00:29:16.279 --> 00:29:19.400 what is the long -term impact of Victoria's highly 00:29:19.400 --> 00:29:22.980 urbanized progressive political identity on Australia's 00:29:22.980 --> 00:29:25.660 national trajectory? especially with the economic 00:29:25.660 --> 00:29:28.779 challenges still facing its regional non -Melbourne 00:29:28.779 --> 00:29:31.380 cities. Does the progressive core of Melbourne 00:29:31.380 --> 00:29:33.799 inevitably pull the rest of the nation forward, 00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:36.180 even if it leaves some of its own regional towns 00:29:36.180 --> 00:29:38.759 behind in that transition away from manufacturing? 00:29:39.140 --> 00:29:41.079 Something for you to mull over until our next 00:29:41.079 --> 00:29:41.559 deep dive.