The open coast of Victoria, Australia, is one of the highest wave energy coastlines globally. Despite this, a lack of permanently deployed wave buoys has limited prior analysis of wave conditions. In this study, the wave climate of Victoria was analysed using 31 years of directional data hindcast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s WaveWatch-III model (Climate Forecast System Reanalysis hindcasts). An eastward decrease in wave height and period occurs from Portland to Wilson’s Promontory. This trend then reverses on the east coast. Across the west and central coasts, wave direction is dominated by south-west swells as influenced by strong westerly winds and mid-latitude low-pressure systems. On the east coast, wave direction becomes more variable, with added southerly, south-east and easterly components. The Southern Annular Mode influences wave climate variability on the west coast and is negatively correlated with storm frequency and wave direction. On the east coast, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation showed a strong positive correlation with wave height and a negative correlation with direction. This work provides a benchmark to compare to future changes. It will inform a higher-resolution analysis of the spatial correlation of wave conditions with climate processes to predict shoreline response.