Mitta Mitta is a town in the

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 ...

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

of Victoria in the Mitta Mitta Valley. It stands on the Omeo Highway and is 415 km from

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 ...

(and the same distance from Canberra), and is located on the

Mitta Mitta River Mitta Mitta River, a perennial river and a direct tributary of the Murray River within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Alpine district of Victoria, Australia. The name Mitta Mitta derives from the Aboriginal word ''mida-modoen ...

not far from Dartmouth Dam. At the 2021 census, Mitta Mitta and the surrounding area had a population of 171.

Etymology

The name "Mitta Mitta" derives from the name local Aboriginal people gave to the

– "mida-modunga" (where reeds grow, modunga being a particular type of reed).

Brief history

The Mitta Mitta Valley was settled by early pastoralists in 1835 and Mitta Mitta became a settlement when gold was discovered there in 1852. Substantial hydraulic sluicing replaced alluvial mining, th
Pioneer Mine
being the most successful, yielding over 441 kg of gold until it closed in 1904. This large open-cut mine still forms the backdrop to the town. Aboriginals used the River as a food source, social connections and sometimes wars. Their presence goes back at least 4,000 years and artifacts are frequently found along the River and creeks. The principle tribe in the district was the Jaitmatang (also spelt Yaithmathang) with the theddora-mittung occupying the area around the southern end of the Valley near present Mitta Mitta. Their spoken language was Dhudhoroa Language, no longer spoken but being revived in some local primary schools.

Economy

Mining, cropping and cattle provided income until the Federation Drought. Dairy farming was a major pursuit until around 2000 and since then, beef cattle production has since become the principal activity with the Mitta Valley offering some the finest and productive country in the State. Some niche agri-business enterprises are appearing, namely the production of hazelnuts and mushrooms. The town was seriously compromised during the 2003 bushfires and was shut down in 2020 during the January bushfires and subsequent COVID-19 lockdown until early 2022. Mitta is fast developing into a tourist mecca that provides an opportunity for economic and population growth to offset some of the pressures from a falling permanent population and a decline in local dairy production. A mountain bike precinct is being developed that will further accelerate the town's importance as a visitor destination, although there are concerns that the infrastructure (especially a portable water supply and sewerage) is insufficient to sustain this development. Houses within the township are more frequently being acquired as 'weekenders', indicating the desirability of Mitta Mitta as a beautiful and peaceful retreat.

Geography

Mitta Mitta is situated at the southernmost end of the intermontane Mitta Mitta Valley on the foothills of the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills. It runs roughl ...

. At the airport, Mitta Mitta is 250 m (820 ft) above mean sea level. The town is at the confluence of the

and Snowy Creek, 18 km from

Mount Bogong Mount Bogong, located in the Alpine National Park and part of the Victorian Alps of the Great Dividing Range, is the highest mountain in Victoria, Australia, at above sea level. The Big River separates the massif of the mountain from t ...

, the highest mountain in Victoria. The hamlet sits between Mt Welcome (883 m) and Mt Misery (721 m). Mitta Mitta is on the Omeo Highway, a major transportation connection between Northern Victoria and

Gippsland Gippsland () is a rural region in the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains south of the Victorian Alps (the southernmost section of the Great Dividing Range). It covers an elongated area of east of th ...

. Prior to the completion of the Dartmouth Dam in 1979, the valley was subjected to frequent flooding. The floral emblem of Mitta Mitta is the Mitta Wattle
acacia dawsonii
, also known as the poverty wattle and is to be found close to the town on the Omeo Highway and Dartmouth Road.

Climate

Mitta Mitta has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfb'') with warm, sunny summers that are cool by nightfall. Winters are damp and rainy followed by cool springs with a strong seasonal lag. Average rainfall is , with July and August the wettest months and February the driest. Mitta Mitta township from the air

Education

Mitta Mitta Primary School
(no 887) was openedColquohoun,S.A., Mitta Mitta from the Early Pioneer Days, 1972, Mitta Mitta, Victoria on 1 October 1869. It is a small school that has been threatened with closure a number of times. Children rode horses to the school until the 1980s. Secondary children are bussed to

Tallangatta Tallangatta () is a town in north-eastern Victoria, Australia. The town lies on the banks of the Mitta Arm of Lake Hume, approximately south-east of Albury-Wodonga along the Murray Valley Highway. At the , Tallangatta had a population of 1 ...

, a 140 km daily round trip. In 2023, Mitta Mitta Primary had 15 students enrolled, up from a 2014 low of just four.https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/revealed-victorias-smallest-schools-deliver-big-benefits/news-story/db864a5c5b52ad1bfa1448448b6a6483

Population

The 2021 Census provides the following data for Mitta Mitta and surrounds: Median age was 56 56% are married, 26% never married 20% have bachelor's degree Level and above 81% born in Australia 52% no religion, 17% Catholic, 7% Anglican In 2016, there were around 45 full-time residents in the hamlet. The 2016 Census provides the following data for Mitta Mitta and surrounds (including farming communities, population 171): Median age was 52 48% are married, 35% never married 22% have bachelor's degree Level and above 67% born in Australia 30% no religion, 23% Catholic, 13% Anglican 83% with internet access from home

Governance

In local government, the Mitta Valley is covered by the Shire of Towong with the local seat of government at

. In state politics, Mitta Mitta is located in the Legislative Assembly district of Benambra. In federal politics, Mitta Mitta is located in a single House of Representatives division—the Division of Indi.

Transportation & Communications

Mitta Mitta Airport (privately owned) provides access to the town for Air Ambulance, flight training, fire fighting, agriculture services and visitors. A daily freight service operates between Albury/Wodonga and Mitta Mitta. A community-funded television translator situated on Mt Sugarloaf relays free-to-air programs from Albury. Telstra provides 4G mobile phone coverage to the town and a CB repeater on Channel 1 offers a safety and emergency service.

Community

The Mitta Valley has a strong culture of volunteerism with the 2021 Census indicating that 35% of the population volunteer through an organisation. The town operates a Country Fire Authority (CFA) branch together with a local State Emergency Service (SES) branch. Locally trained Ambulance Community Officers (ACOs) service an area of 2500 km² on a 24/7 basis on behalf of

Ambulance Victoria Ambulance Victoria (AV), a Victorian agency of the Department of Health, is the statutory provider of pre-hospital emergency care and ambulance services in Victoria. Ambulance Victoria was formed on 1 July 2008 with the merger of the Metrop ...

. There is a Victoria Police Station in the centre of the town. The major annual event is th
Mighty Mitta Muster
held on the long weekend in March and is conducted by local volunteers. The town in conjunction with neighbouring township Eskdale 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 Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

football team "Mitta United" competing in the

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

. Golfers play at the course of the Mitta Mitta Golf Club on Magorra Park.

References

External links

Mitta Mitta Homepage & Tourist Information
{{authority control Mining towns in Victoria (state) Towns in Victoria (state) Shire of Towong