THE GARDEN STATE

Victoria is Australia’s most densely populated and its second-most populous state overall. The population is mostly concentrated in the area surrounding Port Phillip Bay, which includes the metropolitan area of its capital Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city. Geographically it is the smallest state on the Australian mainland.

The flag of Victoria, symbolising the state of Victoria in Australia, is a British Blue Ensign defaced by the state badge of Victoria in the fly. The badge is the Southern Cross topped by an imperial crown, which is currently the St Edward’s Crown.

The stars of the Southern Cross are white and range from five to eight points with each star having one point pointing to the top of the flag. The flag dates from 1865.