Hugging the tip of the Australian east coast, Victoria is Australia's second-smallest state, covering 227,600 square kilometers. Packed into such a compact area is a wealth of diverse regional areas and attractions, from sweeping coastline and pristine beaches to national parks and forests teeming with wildlife to wineries, lakes and mountains offering skiing, climbing and hiking.
Victoria's capital, Melbourne, is set around the shores of Port Phillip Bay. The city itself, laid out in a large rectangle and boasting a lively and cosmopolitan pulse, sits on the northern banks of the Yarra River, about five kilometres from the bay.
The pretty and peaceful north-eastern suburb of Doreen is about 20km from the Melbourne CBD and part of the City of Whittlesea. Covering an area of approximately 487 square kilometres, the city is geographically one of the largest municipalities in metropolitan Melbourne and consists predominantly of picturesque farmland.
The City's vision for the Plenty Valley Growth Corridor is of a complete and sustainable community, offering residential, work and recreational opportunities for its residents, as well as all of the services they will need in daily life.
Residents of the City come from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, which contribute greatly to the character and identity of the City.
The municipality's population has grown at a rapid rate during the past 30 years, more than quadrupling from 27,000 in 1969 to approximately 130,000 in 2008.
Over the next few years, the City is expected to become Victoria's fastest growing municipality with the population forecast to double in the next twenty years.
Excerpts taken from www.visitvictoria.com. Please visit this website for further information about this region.
