Chinese interest returns to the Ballarat goldfields, which may provide job security for more than 200 people in the town, but there is concern about how new royalties will affect businesses.

Global uncertainty has sent gold prices soaring, resulting in a boom for miners. But it has also had the effect of drying up traditional markets where exploration companies raise cash to explore for rich new discoveries.

A Chinese-Australian family whose home was targeted in a coronavirus-related act of vandalism receives an outpouring of support from neighbours, celebrities and fellow Australians online.

Mr de Man has encouraged the community to thank their police officers for the work they do.

Victorian health authorities are investigating a coronavirus outbreak at a private psychiatric facility which has resulted in at least 14 confirmed cases of the virus so far.

Victoria as recorded six new cases of coronavirus overnight, with a new cluster at a psychiatric facility.

In Australia, Muslims from different backgrounds are preparing for a fasting month of loneliness without social gatherings.

An 82-year-old Australian scientist said it seemed appropriate to name a newly discovered species after climate activist Greta Thunberg, given its habitat.

The number of new coronavirus cases recorded in Victoria remains low, but authorities are still concerned about a growing cluster at a private psychiatric clinic.

The Chief Health Officer encourages more school-aged children to be tested for coronavirus to see if the advice around schools need to change. The call comes as a man aged in his 90s dies in a Victorian hospital, bringing the state's COVID-19 death toll to 17.

Premier Daniel Andrews says 100,000 Victorians will be tested for coronavirus over 14 days before a decision is taken on whether physical-distancing restrictions should be lifted.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says plans are underway to test 100,000 people over the next fortnight for COVID-19 in order to make an informed decision on which restrictions could be rolled back after the state of emergency ends on May 11.

It's a challenging time for people addicted to poker machines shut down by COVID-19 and researchers are watching gamblers like Sam closely.

Researchers in Victoria are experimenting with biosolids in a bid to improve farm productivity, and the results are very promising so far.

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter says he has sought final advice from his department on the release of unpublished documents relating to Cardinal George Pell's handling of child sexual abuse complaints.

As people look for new ways to cope with the isolation of the coronavirus lockdown, business is booming at adult retail stores around the country.

Creswick's famous woollen mills reopen to the public in time for winter after closing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but they remain closed to tourism for now.

Two more cases of coronavirus are confirmed in Victoria overnight, as Daniel Andrews encourages people to be tested for COVID-19 and tells parents to prepare for term two to remain online.

The warm weather is about to end in Victoria, with the state set to be hit by a deluge of rain, hail and snow from today and temperatures set to hang around the low teens all weekend.

Youth unemployment has soared as a result of the coronavirus, prompting some young people to start their own businesses to try and claw their way back into the workforce.

Victorian Jobs Minister Martin Pakula and Education Minister James Merlino provide an update on the coronavirus outbreak on April 29, 2020. There has been one death, taking the state's death toll to 18.

The sinkhole, measuring 12 metres wide and five metres deep, developed in a broken pipe for stormwater access, the SES says. It came as Melbourne was hit by heavy rainfall ahead of three more days of wintry weather.

Sirens sound four times across Victoria to honour four fallen police officers, exactly one week after they were tragically killed in a truck collision on one of Melbourne's busiest freeways.

One day, future generations will look back at the history we're living right now, captured in these photos of a nation in shutdown.

The Royal Melbourne Show is cancelled this year for only the third time in its 165-year history, but what does this mean for regional shows and trials?

Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor is farewelled as a dedicated "hero" who will always be remembered for making a "huge difference to the community", as Victoria Police officers observe a minute of silence for their colleague.

The curve is flattening, the growth factor is below one, but is it still too early to ease coronavirus restrictions? We asked four health experts what Australia should be doing next.

The Victorian Opposition is calling for Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen to resign over her comments comparing the "terror" of COVID-19 to Captain Cook's arrival in Australia.

A health industry expert is calling on federal authorities to oversee the return of windfall profits, as customers negotiate with insurers to save money.

Drug-driving has become more deadly than drink-driving and Victoria is flagging drug tests in trucking firms as one area needing urgent attention.

Fire season is officially over in southern Australia, but the work is only just beginning for the royal commission into the deadly crisis.

The experiment of having two teams representing the same country in an international tournament has not been repeated since the 1994/95 summer of cricket.

The Prime Minister weighs into the debate on a tweet by Victoria's Deputy Chief Health Officer while the state's Premier says there are "far more important matters to talk about".

There has been a significant decline in the number of Q fever cases reported so far this year compared to the same period last year.

Victorians will never forget the sacrifice made by the four police officers killed in the Eastern Freeway crash, Police Minister Lisa Neville says, as Constable Glen Humphris and Senior Constable Kevin King are laid to rest.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews responds to the state's Deputy Chief Health Officer's tweet comparing coronavirus to Captain Cook's arrival in Australia at a press conference on May 1, 2020.

Melbourne experiences the wettest start to a year on record, and has eight times more rain than the same period last year.

A Senate inquiry into a possible cancer cluster on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula hears evidence from high-profile lawyer Peter Gordon of a "disturbing number of cancer cases" connected to the early years of Bellarine Secondary College.

Regional children with congenital heart disease must move to Brisbane to be closely monitored after critical heart surgery. One mum is petitioning for change.

For babies born during the coronavirus pandemic, introductions to extended family members have been a little different. Parents have had to use technology to allow grandparents, aunts and uncles to meet their latest family member.

A former Australia Zoo big cat keeper says an elusive population of wild pumas and panthers reportedly seen in the Australian wilderness could be long-escaped animals from travelling circuses, or former military mascots.

A comet discovered by a man in regional Victoria is becoming brighter in Australian skies and is being closely watched by amateur astronomers around the world.

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos says eight employees have tested positive to coronavirus.

Along the Victorian coastline, residents in booming seaside towns fear the rapid rate of development is ruining the character of the communities. The Government has promised to strike a balance between growth and protection, but residents fear it may be too little, too late.

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announces that Epping's Meadowglen Primary School will be closed for three days as the state confirms 13 new coronavirus cases.

The federal Education Minister accused Daniel Andrews of "taking a sledgehammer" to schooling over his reluctance to reopen classrooms.

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan accused the Victorian Premier of jeopardising the national consensus on Australia's coronavirus response be refusing to reopen classrooms.

Heavy, early season snow has fallen across the high country in Victoria and NSW, driven by a wintry cold front.

Meadowglen Primary School in Epping was closed after a teacher tested positive to coronavirus.