Waubra (formerly known as The Springs) is a town in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

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 ...

. The town is on the

Sunraysia Highway Sunraysia Highway (route B220) is a north–south rural highway in western Victoria, linking Ouyen to the north-western Ballarat suburb of Mitchell Park, and acts as a secondary route to Calder Highway, the main route between Melbourne an ...

, north west of

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) () is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Ballarat had a population of 111,973, making it the third-largest urban inland city in Australia and the third-largest city in Victoria. Within mo ...

and split between the

Pyrenees Shire The Shire of Pyrenees is a local government area (LGA) in Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of and in June 2018 had a population of 7,353. It includes the towns of Avoca, Beaufort, Lexton and ...

Hepburn Shire The Shire of Hepburn is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central part of the state. It covers an area of and, in the 2021 Census the shire had a population of 16,604. It includes the towns of Clunes, Creswick, D ...

and

City of Ballarat The City of Ballarat is a local government area in the west of the state of Victoria, Australia. It covers an area of and, in June 2023, had a population of 118,137. It is primarily urban with the vast majority of its population living in the ...

local government areas. At the , Waubra and the surrounding area had a population of 308. The town is known for the

Waubra Wind Farm The Waubra wind farm is located on both sides of the Sunraysia Highway 35 km north-west of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. Upon its completion in July 2009, it was the largest wind farm in Australia and was the largest wind farm by numbe ...

, one of the largest windfarms in Australia. It was the biggest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere on completion. The town was named after the local

Wathaurong The Wadawurrung nation, also called the Wathaurong, or Wathaurung, are an Aboriginal Australian people living in the area near Melbourne, Geelong, and the Bellarine Peninsula in the state of Victoria. They are part of the Kulin alliance. The ...

tribe "Waubra" that populated the area prior to European settlement.pg. 9. The Argus. Friday 25 November 1938

History

The original inhabitants were the "Waubra" a

indigenous Australian tribe. Thomas Mitchell was the first European to visit the area, and during his 1839 journey, planted a flag on nearby Mount Mitchell. The first settler was Mr John Warne who established a pastoral run in 1857. The settlement was originally known as "The Springs". The Post Office opened on 20 April 1860. The railway came in October 1888 with the opening of a

Victorian Railways The Victorian Railways (VR), trading from 1974 as VicRail, was the state-owned operator of most rail transport in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companie ...

gauge branchline. It was renamed Waubra in 1889. In 1931, passenger services were withdrawn and the line continued as a "goods only" line through to its closure in January 1968. The centenary of the town was celebrated in 1939 marking 100 years since Major Mitchell's sighting of the area.

Culture

The Waubra Kangaroos football team competes in the

Central Highlands Football League The Central Highlands Football Netball League is an Australian Rules Football & Netball League in the Ballarat, Victoria, Ballarat region. The league coordinates Senior, Reserve, Under 18, Under 15 and Under 12 grades. History ;Central Highla ...

. Since 2010, the town has celebrated an annual Community Festival. It began as the Waubra Windfarm Festival and was sponsored by

Acciona Energy Acciona, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational conglomerate dedicated to the development and management of infrastructure (construction, water, industrial and services) and renewable energy. The company, via subsidiary Acciona Energía, produces 2 ...

, the name changed to the Waubra Windfarm Community Festival in 2011 and in 2012 became the Waubra Community Festival & Farmers Market. It has attracted large crowds and is held at the recreation reserve.

Economy

Waubra's economy is based on agriculture and associated services, more than 38% of residents are farmers.2006 Census The farming is mostly livestock although a number of wineries operate in the district. Due to the proximity to Ballarat and struggling local industry, many people commute to the city by motor vehicle for work - the found that 67.5% of employed people travelled by car (either as driver or as passenger). Facilities in the town include a general store and a primary school.

References

External links

Travel guideWaubra community website
{{authority control Towns in Victoria (state)