Rutherglen is a small town in north-eastern

Victoria, Australia Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in ...

, near 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 ...

border with

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. The town was named after the Scottish town of

Rutherglen Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...

which lies just outside

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

. At the , Rutherglen had a population of 2,109.

Features

Rutherglen is located north of

Wangaratta Wangaratta ( ) is a city in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, from Melbourne along the Hume Highway. The city had an estimated urban population of 19,318 at June 2018. Wangaratta has recorded a population growth rate of almost 1% annually ...

and west of

Wodonga Wodonga ( Waywurru: ''Wordonga'') is a city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA. Its population is approximately ...

, just 10 kilometres from the Murray River at the border towns of

Wahgunyah Wahgunyah is a town in northeastern Victoria, Australia. The town is on the southern bank of the Murray River, opposite Corowa, New South Wales, in the Shire of Indigo. Wahgunyah is north east of the state capital, Melbourne and west of Alb ...

and

Corowa Corowa is a town in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It is on the bank of the Murray River, the border between New South Wales and Victoria, opposite the Victorian town of Wahgunyah. It is the largest town in the Federation Council ...

. Originally a gold-mining town of the mid-19th century, it has since developed into a major wine-producing area, with 17 wineries all located within a short drive from the town centre. Star Hotel Rutherglen 2021

The main street of Rutherglen maintains its historical charm, with most of the shop fronts retaining the same look they had a century ago. Attractions within the town include Lake King which is surrounded by Apex Park and Rutherglen Park, as well as the historical wine-bottle-shaped water tower in Campbell Street.

History

Rutherglen Post Office opened on 1 November 1860. The Rutherglen Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.

Wine

The Rutherglen wine region is a wine-producing area around the town of Rutherglen and is particularly noted for its sweet

fortified wine Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Comma ...

styles including

Muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was ...

, Topaque (formerly known as Tokay) and

Port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

. The largest winery in the region is the All Saints Winery, located just a short drive north-west outside of

. Established in 1864, it features landscaped gardens, ponds, a restaurant and wine tasting facilities. The Rutherglen Wine Experience Visitor Information Centre, located in the town centre on Main Street, offers displays of the town's rich history, how wines are made, and comprehensive tourist information.

Sport

The town in conjunction with nearby 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 (Corowa-Rutherglen) competing in the

Ovens & Murray Football League The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League (O&MFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition containing ten clubs based in north-eastern Victoria, the southern Riverina region of New South Wales and the Ovens and Murray are ...

. Another Australian rules football team, Rutherglen Football Club, play in the

Tallangatta & District Football League The Tallangatta and District Football League (TDFL) is an Australian rules football competition in north-east Victoria and the southern border area of Riverina region of the New South Wales. The clubs compete across four competitions, two of ...

. Golfers play at the course of the Rutherglen Golf Club on Murray Street. The current club professional is Paul Black.

Climate

Rutherglen features a

mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(''Csa'') with hot, dry summers and cool, damp winters. Climate data are sourced from Rutherglen Research; established in 1912 and still operating today. It is at an elevation of . The highest temperature recorded was on 14 January 1939, whereas the lowest was on 14 June 2006.

Notable people

* Sir John Harris (1868–1946), politician and sherry pioneer *

Michael Joseph Savage Michael Joseph Savage (23 March 1872 – 27 March 1940) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of New Zealand, heading the First Labour Government from 1935 until his death in 1940. Savage was born in the Colon ...

(1872–1940), Prime Minister of New Zealand, lived at North Prentice *

Erle Cox Erle Cox (15 August 1873 – 20 November 1950) was an Australian journalist and science fiction writer. Life Cox was born at Emerald Hill, Victoria, on 15 August 1873, the second son of Ross Cox, who had emigrated from his native Dublin as ...

(1873–1950), author * Robert Campbell (born 1982), former Hawthorn footballer

Festivals and events

*Rutherglen Regatta: second weekend of January *Tastes of Rutherglen: second weekend of March - third weekend of March *Winery Walkabout: Queen's Birthday long weekend of June *Rutherglen Agricultural Show: third weekend of October *Tour de Rutherglen: first weekend of November *Rutherglen Farmers Market: second weekend each month

References

Heritage citation
for the Victoria Hotel in the National Trust (Victoria) Register
Wine styles of Rutherglen
by Australian wine critic, James Halliday
Rutherglen Tokay and Muscat
by U.S. wine critic

Robert M. Parker, Jr. Robert McDowell Parker Jr. (born July 23, 1947) is a retired U.S. wine critic. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter '' The Wine Advocate'' are influential in American wine buying and are therefore a major factor in setting t ...

Wine styles of Rutherglen
by Australian wine critic, James Halliday
Rutherglen Tokay and Muscat
by U.S. wine critic

External links

Rotary Club of Rutherglen
{{authority control Towns in Victoria (Australia) Towns in Upper Hume Shire of Indigo Mining towns in Victoria (Australia)