Capital cities were where most of the education and employment opportunities existed.

The young shifted in their tens of thousands to Melbourne, taking with them an enormous amount of talent, drive, ambition and promise.

They still leave regional Victoria for the city but not in the numbers they once did, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The exodus has slowed - so too has the number of young people from Melbourne moving to regional areas.

The reasons for these trends should be more thoroughly explored.

Could it be that Melbourne, with rising rental prices and more costly education, is becoming beyond the means of many young people?

Or are the reasons more positive? Are people staying in Ballarat not because they have to but because the work and education choices closer to home are now sufficiently attractive to keep young people here?

Certainly regional cities and towns have done much in recent years to try and retain their young and attract new residents.

Ballarat is particularly well placed to do so with with two universities and a mix of employment opportunities including a growing number in information technology.

Whatever the reasons, regional Victoria will be better off for having a greater number of young people staying in their communities.

Two young princes in this royal arena

EARLY last year Roger Federer emphatically ruled the men's tennis world.

His grip on the number one ranking appeared unshakeable and it seemed inevitable he would overtake Pete Sampras' record tally of 14 grand slam tournament wins.

But now there is a new Wimbledon champion in Rafael Nadal and based on their recent encounters the Spaniard has Federer's measure.

The pair have developed a rivalry that has delighted tennis fans and kept many awake into the early hours.

It's exciting for sport and both players have shown that so far they are models of sportsmanship.