Mooroopna is a rural town located north of
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 ...
,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
, Australia. It is on the banks of the
Goulburn River
The Goulburn River, a major inland perennial river of the Goulburn Broken catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the alpine, Northern Country/North Central, and Southern Riverina regions of the Australian state of Victoria. ...
opposite the larger town of
Shepparton
Shepparton () ( Yortayorta: ''Kanny-goopna'') is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in northern Victoria, Australia, approximately north-northeast of Melbourne. As of the 2021 census, the estimated population of Shepparton, ...
. The
Midland Highway crosses the river between the two towns. At the
2016 census, Mooroopna had a population of 7,942.
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]
History
The name Mooroopna was used by the original Kaieltheban tribe living in the area and meant 'deep water hole'. This refers to a very deep part of the Goulburn River
The Goulburn River, a major inland perennial river of the Goulburn Broken catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the alpine, Northern Country/North Central, and Southern Riverina regions of the Australian state of Victoria. ...
behind the old Mooroopna Hall. The Kaielthebans (population 50 in 1841) were part of the Yorta Yorta
The Yorta Yorta, also known as Jotijota, are an Aboriginal Australian people who have traditionally inhabited the area surrounding the junction of the Goulburn and Murray Rivers in present-day north-eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales ...
Nation living in the region before the arrival of Europeans.
Two entrepreneurs, Joseph Hawdon
Joseph Hawdon (14 November 1813 – 12 April 1871) was a pioneer settler and overlander of Australia, and pioneer and politician of New Zealand.
Early life
Hawdon was born at Wackerfield, Durham, England, the son of John Hawdon. At the suggest ...
and Charles Bonney
Charles Bonney (31 October 1813 – 15 March 1897) was a pioneer and politician in Australia.
Early life
Bonney was the youngest son of the Rev. George Bonney, a fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, and his wife Susanna, née Knight. He was born ...
, camped on the edge of Gemmill's Swamp, close to Mooroopna, in January 1838. They were overlanding large herds of cattle and sheep from an area close to modern Seymour to 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 ...
, about 1200 km by bullock dray along the Goulburn
Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters pate ...
and 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 ...
s. Three years later, squatters settled in surrounding areas running sheep on the well-grassed plains. The first settler in the town was William Simmonds Archer who purchased land in 1860 and built his home/hotel in McLennan Street, overlooking the river. He was followed by W. H. Morrell who selected most of the remaining township. Early commerce flowed from revenue gained by punt owners at Shepparton
Shepparton () ( Yortayorta: ''Kanny-goopna'') is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in northern Victoria, Australia, approximately north-northeast of Melbourne. As of the 2021 census, the estimated population of Shepparton, ...
and in Mooroopna, who exploited the traffic from gold fields in Bendigo
Bendigo ( ) is a city in Victoria, Australia, located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital.
As of 2019, Bendigo had an urban population of 100,991, makin ...
to those in Beechworth
Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s. At the , Beechworth had a population of 3,859.
Beechworth's many histor ...
. The post office opened on 19 April 1873.
Mooroopna became a centre for local commerce especially after the beginning of irrigation from the early 1880s. The first school was opened in 1874, the first bank in the same year, the punt in 1875, the Mooroopna Hospital in 1876 and the railway from Seymour in 1880. Like other country towns, Mooroopna became infested with hotels and churches, the influence and numbers of both having declined since the Second World War. Also, like other towns, Mooroopna lost young men to wars in South Africa, Europe and in Asia and has several memorials recording their names.
The Historical Society of Mooroopna was established in 1983 and exists to collect, collate and display items and material relevant to the history of Mooroopna and the surrounding district. The society's museum and gallery is located at 30 Park Street, Mooroopna, the former Grutzner House nursing home, at the rear of the old Mooroopna Hospital.
Government
Mooroopna was originally part of the Shire of Waranga, proclaimed in 1865. With boundary changes it became a riding of the Shire of Rodney in 1886.
Separated only by the Goulburn River from Shepparton, the town resisted many moves for amalgamation, but was forced into union with its larger neighbour in 1994 with the creation of the City of Greater Shepparton
The City of Greater Shepparton is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of and, in June 2018, had a population of 66,007. It includes the city of Sheppa ...
. The total population is about 63,269 (30 June 2014), and is expected to increase to 81,378 by 2031.City of Greater Shepparton
The first councillors were elected in 1997.
Mooroopna is within the Victorian state
electoral district of Shepparton
The electoral district of Shepparton is a rural Lower House electoral district of the Victorian Parliament. It is located within the Northern Victoria Region of the Legislative Council.
The electoral district of Shepparton covers an area of 3 ...
and the Federal
Division of Nicholls
The Division of Nicholls is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria, which was contested for the first time at the 2019 federal election.
Geography
Federal electoral division boundaries in Australia are determined at redistr ...
.
Industry
In the beginning, industry revolved around the processing of grains and fruit but, in the past 30 years, Mooroopna has become a desirable residential area for nearby Shepparton.
The town now consists of mainly residential areas, many parks and gardens.
SPC Ardmona
SPC Global Limited, trading as SPC Australia and formerly SPC Ardmona, is an Australian-based company that specialises in large fruit packing and owns and operates a canning factory in Shepparton. SPCA closed its Mooroopna processing plant in ...
closed its Mooroopna processing plant in 2011.
Transport
V/Line
V/Line is a statutory authority that operates regional passenger train and coach services in Victoria, Australia. It provides passenger train services on five commuter lines and eight long-distance routes from its major hub at Southern Cross ...
services on the
Shepparton line stop at the
local railway station, which is also served by
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest rail freight businesses.
History
In February 2002, National Rail Corporation, National Rail's freight operations and rollingstock (owned by the Government of Australia, Federal, Government of New ...
operated container freight services for
Patrick PortLink.
Schools
Child Care Centres
*Frank.R.Pullar Children's Centre
*Morrell Street Occasional Care
*World of Learning
;Preschools
*Alexandra Street Kindergarten
*Echuca Road Kindergarten
*Rodney Neighbourhood Kindergarten
*Save the Children Kindergarten
;Primary Schools
*Mooroopna Primary School
*Mooroopna Park Primary School
*St Mary's Primary School
*Mooroopna North Primary School
Community
Westside Performing Arts Centre, the home of many school productions by schools throughout the Shepparton area, as well as outside performers, adjoins Mooroopna Secondary.
Mooroopna HUB was built in the Centre of the town. Offering a free library, and The Mooroopna Education, Activity and Community Centre (MEAC) which caters for health and wellbeing courses, has regular local Art Exhibitions and rooms to cater for group/club meetings. Mooroopna HUB is a wheelchair and a disability friendly environment.
Sport
During the football season, locals support the Mooroopna Football Netball Club (MFNC Cats), located at the John Gray Oval and competing in the
Goulburn Valley Football Netball League
The Goulburn Valley Football Netball League is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia. It is a member of the Victorian Country Football League and has won the Victorian Co ...
.
Team colours are navy blue and white. Mooroopna basketball team "The Cats" wear black and red and play in the Greater Shepparton Basketball Association.
Golfers play at the course of the Mooroopna Golf Club.
Notes
External links
*Historical Society of Mooroopn
*Greater Shepparton City Counci
*Maps of Mooroopn
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Towns in Victoria (Australia)
Towns in Goulburn Valley
City of Greater Shepparton