Merino is a town in the
Western District of
Victoria,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. It is located in the
Shire of Glenelg local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
, 363 kilometres west of the state capital,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. At the
2021 census, Merino had a population of 249.
Traditional ownership
The formally recognised
traditional owners for the area in which Merino sits are the
Gunditjmara People
who are represented by the
Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.
European history
The first
European settlement of the area was in 1837, when
Francis Henty, brother of
Edward Henty, established Merino Downs
station. Henty established the station after a report on the high quality pasture from the explorer Major
Thomas Mitchell, at the Henty property near
Portland.
A store and post office agency was established in 1854 and the first town lots were sold the next year. An official Post Office opened on 1 June 1858.
The town continued to grow through the 1850s and 1860s with the construction of churches, hotels and schools. In 1870, the courthouse was moved from
Digby to Merino. In 1884, Merino railway station was opened, on the -long branch line from
Branxholme, on the
Portland railway, to
Casterton. The line was closed in 1977. The station building was moved to a property in
Carlsruhe, in central Victoria, where it is used as accommodation.
The Merino co-operative butter factory was established around 1885. After both
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, parts of the surrounding area was opened up for
soldier settlement.
In 1955, Merino was connected to the
electricity grid.
Merino has a heritage cinema which is housed in the Merino Hotel. Golfers play at the Merino Golf Club on Digby Road.
References
External links
Towns in Victoria (state)
Western District (Victoria)
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