Walpeup is a town in the Mallee region of north west

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 ...

. The town is in the

Rural City of Mildura The Rural City of Mildura is a Local government areas of Victoria, local government area in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, located in the north-western part of the state. It covers an area of being the largest LGA in the state. In ...

local government area and on the

Mallee Highway Mallee Highway (formerly Ouyen Highway in Victoria) is a highway in south-eastern South Australia and north-western Victoria, Australia, Victoria, running mostly across the Mallee plains. It forms part of the shortest route between Adelaide, Sou ...

and Pinnaroo railway line between

Ouyen Ouyen is a town in Victoria, Australia, Victoria, Australia, located in the Rural City of Mildura at the junction of the Calder Highway and Mallee Highway, south of Mildura, and northwest of Melbourne. At the 2016 Australian census, 2016 censu ...

and the

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

n border, north west of the state capital,

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 south west of the regional centre of

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 ...

. At the , Walpeup had a population of 158.

History

The township was settled when the railway arrived, a full post office opening on 16 December 1912. The area of the locality contains the smaller area of Paigne which had a post office open from 1912 until 1916.

Education

The Mallee Research Station at Walpeup was established in 1922 to research dryland farming in the Mallee. It is a campus of the

Sunraysia Institute of TAFE The Sunraysia Institute of TAFE, also known as SuniTAFE is a provider of vocational education and training services in north-west Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1980, its first campus is located in Mildura, Victoria, with additional campuses ...

. It also has a

Bureau of Meteorology The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together ...

automatic weather station. Walpeup Primary School opened on 3 June 1912 in the "Little White Hall", with a one-room school building being built in 1914. A second room was added in 1927. The school was "de-staffed" from April 2015, with the last five students having to transfer to Underbool school. Walpeup South State School (No. 3929), alternatively known as Hungry Hut, opened in 1912 and closed in 1951. The building was later moved and served as the dressing shed at the Walpeup Recreation Reserve.

Facilities

The main tourist attractions in Walpeup are the Walpeup Memorial Hall (Glen Street) and the Dryland Gardens (Creagan Street). The Hall houses a large collection of historic photographs of locals who served in either World War, a "welcome home" banner from the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

— only found within the last five years and now restored and displayed — and a hand-sewn community mural tapestry created in 1989. The Dryland Gardens, on the corner of Glen and Creagan streets, display many native trees and shrubs from around the local region and Australia, particularly a large variety of Eremophilas. The garden is tended by local volunteers. Travellers can stay in their own caravans or tents at the wayside stop on the corner of Creagan Street and Murphy Road. The wayside stop contains a covered barbecue area as well as well maintained play equipment and lawn. Within 100 metres of the wayside stop is Shubert's Walk, a nature walk displaying many native trees and shrubs in their natural setting.

Sport

With its neighbouring township

Underbool Underbool is a town in the Mallee region of north-west Victoria, Australia. The town is in the Rural City of Mildura local government area and on the Mallee Highway—between Ouyen and the South Australian border – north west of the state ...

, Walpeup used to field

Australian rules football 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 ...

teams (Walpeup-Underbool) in the

Mallee Football League The Mallee Football League (MFL) was an Australian rules football competition in South Australia. The league comprised teams located in south eastern South Australia and one team (Murrayville) located in western Victoria (Australia), Victoria. ...

until the league was disbanded at the end of 2015. Golfers play at the course of the Walpeup Golf Club on Patchewollock Road.

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in Victoria (Australia) Mallee (Victoria)