Victoria (Australia) and is also described as the world's sporting capital. The Melbourne Cricket Ground, the largest stadium in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The ground is also considered the "spiritual home" of Australian cricket and Australian rules football, and hosts the grand final of the Australian Football League (AFL) each year, drawing crowds of approximately 100,000. Victoria has eight public universities, with the oldest, the University of Melbourne, dating from 1853. Victoria, like Queensland, was named after Queen Victoria, who had been on the British throne for 14 years when the
Birds Australia – Victoria Birds Australia – Victoria Birds Australia Victoria (BA-VIC) was the Victorian regional group of Birds Australia. BA-VIC was formed in 1982. Members of Birds Australia resident in Victoria were automatically members of BA-VIC. The quarterly newsletter was "Vic Babbler". Activities provided for members include monthly meetings, a variety of excursions and campouts, bird surveys and conservation projects. Past Presidents include prominent ornithologists Tim Dolby and Margaret Cameron. In 2009, in association with Allen & Unwin, BA-VIC published a new bird book, "Where to See Birds in Victoria", edited by Tim Dolby, featuring the best places in Victoria for seeing birds.