Merbein is a town just north of Mildura, Victoria, in the
Sunraysia
Sunraysia is an illdefined district, sometimes incorrectly referred to as an economic region, located in northwestern Victoria and southwestern New South Wales in Australia. The region is renowned for its sunshine, intensive horticulture inclu ...
region of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. It is on the
Calder Highway
Calder Highway is a rural highway in Australia, linking Mildura and the Victoria/New South Wales border to Bendigo, in North Central Victoria. South of Bendigo, where the former highway has been upgraded to freeway-standard, Calder Freeway link ...
between
Mildura
Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area had ...
and the
Murray River
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest r ...
crossing at the
Abbotsford Bridge
Abbotsford Bridge is a steel Allan truss-type road bridge that carries the Silver City Highway across the Murray River, between in New South Wales, and in Victoria, Australia. It is the only remaining steel truss bridge with a lift span that ...
to
Curlwaa. At the , the town had a population of 1,981.
Merbein is 12 kilometres from
Mildura
Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area had ...
, 553 km from
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
and 389 km from
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
.
The town is known for farming and is part what is informally called the "fruit bowl" or "food bowl", the growing region roughly made of the Coomealla and Sunraysia irrigation districts fed by the Darling and Murray rivers. Produce farmed in Merbein include grapes, citrus, mushrooms, green beans, asparagus and pistachios.
Merbein is also home of Mildara Wines, a winery
W B Chaffey had built in 1913 for the first intake of grapes in 1914. The winery, originally known as the Mildura Distillery and Winery, stands on a 30-metre sandstone cliff near Pump Hill.
History
Merbein is the most northern Victorian town and celebrated 100 years as an irrigation settlement in 2009
The Merbein irrigation settlement, originally known as White Cliffs for its river cliffs, was established on a pastoral holding in 1909. It was one of the first state-owned pumped irrigation settlements in Victoria. A Rotary Club of Merbein sign states: "Irrigation commenced in 1910 originally for pasture and grain crops, but quickly assumed its present economy of vineyard and orchard culture."
The settlement was originally known as White Cliffs because of its river white cliffs. It was intended to be renamed "Merebin", reputedly an Aboriginal name of a local sandhill, but it was mistakenly registered as "Merbein" instead.
The post office opened on 16 August 1909.
In 1912 the irrigation settlement's name was officially changed to Merbein.
E.J. Kenny was the first Officer in Charge of the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission of Victoria Irrigation Area established in 1909. The hot climate and the distance from markets saw the settlement quickly change from dairying to the growing of the less perishable crops of citrus and grapes for drying and spirit making.
Soldier settlement blocks were established in Birdwoodton and Merbein West during and after WW1 and many streets were named after local soldiers who died in WW1. The district's horticulture and viticultural industries also attracted many European immigrants to the area.
Kenny, known as the 'Father of Merbein' , died suddenly in 1925 and his contribution to the success of the settlement was acknowledged with the naming of Kenny Park. Today, Merbein continues to be an irrigation district, diversifying from the growing of dried grapes and citrus to a wide variety of wine and table grapes, asparagus, almonds, mushrooms and vegetables. As well as a wine bottling and packaging industry and a vegetable juicing facility, Merbein has also developed as a regional transport hub for the export of district products.
Sport
The town has an
Australian Rules
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
football team competing in the
Sunraysia Football League
The Sunraysia Football and Netball League, also known simply as the SFNL is an Australian rules league in the Sunraysia district of north-west Victoria and south-west New South Wales. Nine clubs – Mildura, South Mildura, Imperials, Irymple, Re ...
.
Sporting clubs include the Merbein Football and Netball Club (Magpies) based at Kenny Park, the Merbein South Cricket Club and Saints Baseball Club both based at Chaffey Park, Mildura City Soccer Club, as well as the Merbein Cobras Basketball club. Merbein also has recreational and sporting facilities such as football, cricket and soccer grounds, a swimming pool, lawn bowling and croquet greens, tennis and netball courts, a golf club and formed walking tracks at the Merbein Common.
Other sporting groups are located in the area including tennis, swimming, Tae Kwon Do, and soccer.
Golfers play at the Merbein Golf Club course on McEdward Street.
Education
Students from Prep through to year 10 attend Merbein P-10 College. The school underwent improvements after it was converted in 2013 from a High school (years 7 to year 10), into a Prep to year 10. Prior to the redevelopment there were three small primary school campuses, located at Merbein, Merbein West, Merbein South. These sites have since been abandoned, and all students are located at the previous Merbein Secondary College Campus.
Events
Merbein previously held the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph from 2011–2016, but since 2017 its home has been Mildura's Langtree mall afte
Mildura City Heart took over with the help from Mildura Rural City Council It was hosted in Ouyen for 14 years previously.
In September, Merbein holds the Merbein Community Rodeo at Kenny Park.
Notable institutions
* In 1911, the Fisher family founded Fishers Supermarkets with its first shop on the corner of Commercial St and Railway Ave. But in 2015, fourth-generation owne
Alan Fisher sold what came to be the second biggest independent supermarket group in Victoria to Ritchies IGA, Australia’s biggest independent supermarket group
Up until 2012 the
CSIRO
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentar ...
Plant Research Division had a base at Merbein South focussing on grape and citrus industries.
* Rail freight services to Melbourne run from Merbein along the
Mildura railway line
The Mildura railway line is a heavy rail line in northwestern Victoria, Australia. The line runs from Yelta station to Ballarat station via the settlements of Mildura, Ouyen and Maryborough in an approximate south-southeasterly direction. ...
from a terminal operated b
Wakefield Transport
Notable people
*
Adam Goodes
Adam Roy Goodes (born 8 January 1980) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). Goodes holds an elite place in VFL/AFL history as a dual Brownlow Medallist, d ...
-
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans are a professional Australian rules football club based in Sydney, New South Wales. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Swans also field a reser ...
footballer
*
Matthew Knights
Matthew Knights (born 5 October 1970) is an Australian rules football coach and former player who is currently serving as an assistant coach with the Geelong Football Club.
Knights played in the midfield for the Richmond Football Club from ...
-
Richmond Tigers footballer
*
Colin Sylvia
Colin Martin Sylvia (8 November 1985 – 28 October 2018) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club and Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Football career
At 15 years of age, ...
- Australian Rules Footballer
*
Tania Zaetta
Tania Zaetta (born 17 November 1970) is an Australian actress and television presenter.
Early life
Zaetta was born to an Italian father and an Australian mother, and is the granddaughter of amateur botanist James Howard Browne. She spent the e ...
- actress and TV personality
References
External links
History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merbein
Towns in Victoria (Australia)
Wine regions of Victoria (Australia)
Populated places on the Murray River
Mallee (Victoria)
Australian soldier settlements
1912 establishments in Australia