Colony of Victoria

The Colony of Victoria was a British colony in south-eastern Australia that existed from 1851 until 1901, when it federated with the other Australian colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia. It was separated from New South Wales and named after Queen Victoria, with Melbourne as its capital. The discovery of gold near Ballarat and Bendigo in 1851 brought tens of thousands of immigrants, including many Chinese miners, and transformed the colony's economy and society. The Eureka Rebellion of 1854, an uprising against mining licences, led to reforms including the miner's right and voting rights. Responsible government was granted by the Victorian Constitution Act of 1855, and railways, ports and manufacturing expanded rapidly. Immigration, including a large Chinese community and later Pacific island labourers, reshaped the population and the social geography of the colony. Melbourne became one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the British Empire, and Victoria became a state of Australia in 1901.