District Centres
Swan Hill
The Rural City of Swan Hill is the largest centre in the electorate and services a population of more than 20,000 people.
Swan Hill was so named by the explorer Major Thomas Mitchell who camped on the banks of the Murray River and was kept awake all night by the noise of the swans.
Today it services the needs of a very vibrant horticultural industry as well as the extensive dryland farming properties surrounding the town in the two States of Victoria and New South Wales.
As well as being the hub for the surrounding rural community, Swan Hill is also a mecca for tourists.
Being situated on the banks of the Murray River, it is a magnet for fishermen, campers and those interested in experiencing the environmental wonders of the area.
It has a long history as a major port during the days of the paddlesteamers that plied the river more than one hundred years ago and visitors to the Swan Hill region can today experience life as it was in the early years by visiting the Swan Hill Pioneer Museum.
Kerang
The hub of the Gunnawarra Shire, Kerang is situated not far from the Murray River and is surrounded by over 50 lakes, swamps and lagoons which form the famous Kerang wetlands.
These wetlands attract thousands of visitors each year who come seeking numerous recreational and environmentally based activities.
The Ibis Sanctuary just north of the town along the Murray Valley Highway is a magnet for bird lovers the world over and political history buffs can visit Kangaroo Lake where former Prime Minister Sir John Gorton was born.
The area around Kerang is one of Victoria’s most diverse agricultural regions maintaining a large irrigation industry based on dairying, horticulture, lucerne and grain.
Although Kerang’s symbol is the flying ibis, the town’s name is believed to have derived from an indigenous word for cockatoo.
Wedderburn / Inglewood
The small communities of Wedderburn and Inglewood were founded on the back of the goldrushes of the mid 1800s following earlier settlement by graziers seeking good pasture land.
Today they continue their relationship with gold through the historical gold trails throughout the district and the regular visitors who still search for that elusive discovery using more contemporary methods such as metal detectors.
The towns' main roles today are in the servicing of the agricultural communities of the surrounding area although the production of eucalyptus oil is a local industry that has existed for more than a century.
There are numerous tourist sites throughout the district catering for those with historical interests, aboriginal heritage trails and environmental reserves.
Wedderburn also plays host to a number of major events during the year including the Gold Festival on the Labor Day weekend, the Wool Expo in August and the Vintage Engine Steam Rally in September.
St Arnaud
St Arnaud owes its existence to the discovery of gold in the mid eighteenth century and it still retains many of the features that were built during that period with a large number of ornate and historic buildings throughout the town.
The Queen Mary Gardens in the centre of the town reflect the ethos of a bygone era and have been restored to the beauty and serenity of their original design.
Lord Nelson Park, the hub of the towns sporting facilities, has been developed on the site of the last remaining goldmine, the Lord Nelson, which eventually closed in 1916 but reputedly still contains massive gold reserves deep within just waiting to be exhumed.
Today, instead of relying on gold, its riches lie in its rural and associated industries and most of its population of approximately 4500 people are linked in some way to this rural industrial base.
Warracknabeal
Warracknabeal is a prosperous rural town in the heart of the Wimmera wheat belt with a long history linked to the grazing and cereal growing industries for which the region is famous.
It sits on the banks of the picturesque Yarriambiack Creek and is the sight of the iconic Wheatlands Agricultural Machinery Museum.
The town has maintained a number of its early buildings that form a feature for tourists visiting the district.
It is the administrative centre for the Yarriambiack Shire Council, which covers an area of more than 7100km2 and services other centres such as Murtoa, Minyip and Hopetoun.
With a population of around 2500, Warracknabeal’s residents are provided with a wide range community services.
Birchip
Birchip, situated on the edge of the Mallee and with a population in excess of 800 people, is the home of the Mallee Bull which recognises the existence of the herds of wild cattle that roamed the Mallee in the late 1800s.
Although the Mallee Bull today only exists as a statue in the main street and as the nickname for the local football team, the resourcefulness and determination of the legendary creature is reflected in the tenacity of the farmers of the region.
It is the home of the Birchip Cropping Group (BCG), which is a farmer driven agricultural organisation which conducts research and information dissemination for industry members throughout the Wimmera Mallee.
Hot, dry summers are broken by visits to the nearby Tchum Lake which provides an additional outlet for the outdoor, sports loving community. The town is also served by a number of clubs and groups which cater for all ages within the community.
Wycheproof
Wycheproof is the home of the smallest registered mountain in the world measuring just 43 metres above the surrounding flat plains.
It is also significant as one of the few towns with a railway line running down the middle of the landscaped main street, Broadway.
In keeping with most towns in the region, its focus is on servicing its surrounding pastoral and cropping properties.
Although having a population of less than 700 people it has a proud sporting history and a strong sense of community.
It recently received world-wide attention through its efforts to attract new residents by developing a project offering farmhouses for rent at just $1 a week.
Situated on the Calder Highway it is a popular stopping point for those travelling between Melbourne and Mildura in the far north west of the State.
Charlton
Known as the ‘Friendly River Town’ Charlton is situated on the banks of the Avoca River and is surrounded by prime agricultural land.
As well as providing extensive services to the surrounding community Charlton has embraced its history with numerous points of reflection including the Travellers Rest complex which commemorates the town’s link with wartime Prime Minister, John Curtin who was educated in the town.
The town features the unique art deco style Rex Theatre which has served the community since 1938 and which hosts an annual film festival drawing enthusiasts from across the State.
It is also home to the Charlton Driver Education Centre which draws students from an extremely wide radius and provides a very intensive practical and theoretical driver training program.
Charlton has a very strong community ethos, which is reflected through a wide variety of social and sporting organisations all receiving strong support from throughout the town and the surrounding area.
Murtoa / Rupanyup / Minyip
These towns are the quintessential Wimmera Plains communities that grew supporting the needs of the grain growing and grazing communities that developed during the nineteenth century.
Whilst all have been affected by the changing socio-economic times that have had a major influence on all rural communities these towns still perform vital functions through the provision of services and amenities for the local population.
They each maintain extremely strong community support groups which work tirelessly to maintain and develop the social and economic fabric of their communities and these efforts can be seen in the various well resourced facilities located in each town.
Evidence of the major historic emphasis that grain growing has had on the district is the heritage listed ‘Stick Shed’ in Murtoa and the ubiquitous grain silos that can be seen when looking in any direction throughout the district.
Donald
Donald is located in the heart of Victoria and is indeed the heart of the Buloke Shire.
Originally settled in 1844 by pastoralists seeking prime land for their sheep, the region quickly developed a reputation for high quality grain production.
Today, as well as catering for the needs of its community it is also a favourite stopping off point for travellers passing through the district.
The dynamic Donald 2000 Inc organisation plays a leading role in the promotion of the economic and industrial potential of the region and has led the revitalisation of this mallee community by attracting industry and population to the town.
A long list of community and sporting organisations are among the strengths of this community and tourists visiting the district quickly find out that there are plenty of attractions and activities to immerse themselves in.
Sea Lake / Manangatang
These mallee towns are situated in the north western corner of the electorate and are renowned for their sense of community and friendliness.
Sea Lake, known as the Heart of the Mallee, is home to the Queen’s Birthday weekend Mallee Rally which is a mecca for all off-road racing enthusiasts as drivers negotiate the perils of racing around the outskirts of one of the largest salt lakes in Victoria, Lake Tyrrell. This event attracts thousands of visitors each year and everyone in the town is involved in some way with its organisation.
Manangatang holds its annual race day meeting in October and this also attracts enthusiasts from across the State with the race course becoming a sea of marquees, shade sails and umbrellas.
Manangatang’s name has become synonymous remoteness but the greeting received by visitors to the town is far from remote.
Boort
Situated approximately halfway between Bendigo and Swan Hill, Boort is known as the ‘Northern Oasis’ due to its location on the banks of the picturesque Little Lake Boort.
With its high quality caravan park and many recreational facilities developed on the shores of the lake, the venue is a haven for tourists and locals alike.
Although well known for its traditional agricultural strengths based around a mix of dryland and irrigation farming, Boort is now home to Australia’s second largest single estate olive grove comprising nearly 1,000,000 trees capable of producing more than 50,000 tonnes of olives each year.
