Mystic Park is a rural locality in the Australian state of
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 ...
. It straddles the
Murray Valley Highway
Murray Valley Highway is a state highway located in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. The popular tourist route mostly follows the southern bank of the Murray River and effectively acts as the northernmost highway in Victoria. For all b ...
between
Kerang
Kerang is a rural town on the Loddon River in northern Victoria in Australia. It is the commercial centre to an irrigation district based on livestock, horticulture, lucerne and grain. It is located north-west of Melbourne on the Murray V ...
and
Swan Hill
Swan Hill is a city in the northwest of Victoria, Australia on the Murray Valley Highway and on the south bank of the Murray River, downstream from the junction of the Loddon River. At , Swan Hill had a population of 11,508.
Indigenous Peopl ...
, and falls within the
Shire of Gannawarra
The Shire of Gannawarra is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the northern part of the state. It covers an area of and, in June 2018 had a population of 10,547.
It includes the towns of Cohuna, Kerang, Koondrook, Le ...
local government area. Mystic Park had a population of 181 people at the time of the
2016 Australian census
The 2016 Australian census was the 17th national population census held in Australia. The census was officially conducted with effect on Tuesday, 9 August 2016. The total population of the Commonwealth of Australia was counted as – an incre ...
.
[2016 Census QuickStats: Mystic Park]
Retrieved 10 March 2018.
Mystic Park contains Lake Tutchewop, part of the
Kerang Wetlands, and also includes the northern and western shores of Kangaroo Lake (the lake itself falls within the
Lake Charm
Lake Charm is a small town situated on the Murray Valley Highway, just west of a lake of the same name. Located in the northwest of Victoria, Australia, within the Shire of Gannawarra. Lake Charm is 19 km from Kerang, Victoria, Kerang. At th ...
locality). It also takes in the Tutchewop Wildlife Reserve, the Mystic Park Bushland Reserve, and part of the Koorangie Wildlife Reserve. Agriculture has historically been the main occupation in Mystic Park, although in recent years tourism has become more important – notably the Kangaroo Lake Caravan Park and the Mystic Park Vineyard (owned by
Brown Brothers).
The origins of Mystic Park's name are unknown, but the locality takes its name from the Mystic Park Hotel, which was established in 1879 on the stagecoach run to Swan Hill. A station on the
Piangil railway line was opened in 1890, and a township was gazetted in 1893. At one point, the locality supported a church, a school, a
mechanics' institute, and a football club (which competed in the
Kerang and District Football League
The Golden Rivers Football Netball League (GRFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball organisation with clubs in north central Victoria and the western Riverina district of New South Wales.
The League formed in 1919 and was known as the ...
).
John Gorton
Sir John Grey Gorton (9 September 1911 – 19 May 2002) was an Australian politician who served as the nineteenth Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1968 to 1971. He led the Liberal Party during that time, having previously been a l ...
, the
Prime Minister of Australia
The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...
from 1968 to 1971, lived in Mystic Park for much of his life. His father, John Rose Gorton, headed a syndicate called Lake Kangaroo Estates, which bought land in the area in 1920 and developed citrus orchards. His son took over the management of the property in 1936.
References
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Towns in Victoria (Australia)