Wycheproof is a small town in the centre of the
Shire of Buloke
The Shire of Buloke is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of and, in June 2018, had a population of 6,184. It includes the towns of Birchip, Charlton, Donald, Sea Lake a ...
, in north western
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. As of the , it had a population of 610.
History
The name "Wycheproof" originates from an Aboriginal word meaning 'grass on a hill', referring to
Mount Wycheproof just off 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 lin ...
, which is the smallest registered mountain in the world, standing at
above sea level or above the surrounding plains. The economy of Wycheproof is driven mainly by wheat.
The
railway from Bendigo and Korong Vale reached the area in 1883 and was later extended north.
The township was established beside the railway and the Post Office opened on 1 April 1884 replacing earlier offices from 1876 serving the rural area named Wycheproof (renamed to Moffat) and Mount Wycheproof.
The last regular passenger service though the
local railway station was from Bendigo to Sea Lake on 7 May 1977 and was operated by a
Diesel Electric railmotor.
The town is unusual in that even today the railway line runs along the centre of the main street.
The Wycheproof Magistrates' Court, based in the historic
Wycheproof Court House, closed on 1 January 1983.
In an attempt to attract new residents, the local community developed a project to offer otherwise vacant
farmhouses for rent at
A$1 per week. Expressions of interest in the scheme have been heard from Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and Ireland as well as most parts of Australia. The project was inspired by a similar program at
Cumnock, New South Wales.
Sport
Wycheproof has a proud sporting history. With its neighbouring township
Narraport, Wycheproof has an
Australian rules football team (Wycheproof-Narraport) competing in the
North Central Football League
The North Central Football League is an Australian rules football league based in North Central Victoria, Australia.
The League was formed in 1930. Previous leagues in the area were the Birchip Football Association (as it was last called until ...
.
AFL
AFL may refer to:
Sports
* American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues:
** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
players from Wycheproof include
Corey Jones
Corey Jones (born 26 February 1981) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Kangaroos in the Australian Football League. Jones grew up in the small Victorian town of Wycheproof, near Bendigo.
Career
Jone ...
,
Mervyn Keane,
Greg Kennedy and
Chris Pym.
Wycheproof has a
horse racing club, the Mt Wycheproof & District Racing Club, whose one meeting a year is the Mount Wycheproof Cup meeting held on
Victoria Derby
The Victoria Derby, also known as the Penfolds Victoria Derby, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2,500 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbourn ...
day in late October or early November.
Golfers play at the course of the Wycheproof Golf Club on the Calder Highway.
Notable people
* Wycheproof is the birthplace of
Peta Credlin, who was Chief of Staff for
Tony Abbott
Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Abbott was born in Londo ...
, former Prime Minister and former leader of the
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is a centre-right political party in Australia, one of the two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-left Australian Labor Party. It was founded in 1944 as the successor to the United Au ...
.
*
VFL footballer
Greg Kennedy is from the Wycheproof district and recruited by Carlton from
Eaglehawk Football Club
The Eaglehawk Football Netball Club is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the town of Eaglehawk, Victoria and have competed in every BFL season since the league began in 1880, with the exception of 1904. Eaglehawk teams cur ...
/Wycheproof.
Gallery
Image:Main street of Wycheproof.jpg, Train headed down the main street of Broadway
Image:Wycheproof_railway_station,_Victoria.jpg, Remains of the railway station, prior to its restoration
References
External links
Photos of trains at Wycheproof, by various photographers
{{authority control
Towns in Victoria (Australia)
Street running
Shire of Buloke