Yarrawonga is a town in the
Shire of Moira
Moira Shire Council is a Local Government Area in the Northern Victoria Region of Victoria, Australia. Located in the north-east part of the state, it covers an area of . As at August 2021 the population was 30,522.
It includes the towns of C ...
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 ...
in the Australian state of
Victoria. In the
2021 census, Yarrawonga had a population of 8,661 people.
Geography
The town is located approximately north-east of the state capital, Melbourne,
situated on the south bank of the
Murray River
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...
, the border between Victoria and
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
.
Yarrawonga's twin town of
Mulwala is on the other side of the
Murray River
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...
.
History
Yarrawonga is Aboriginal, meaning 'cormorant’s nesting place,'
'where the cormorant builds' or 'yarra' meaning 'waterfalls,' and 'wonga' meaning 'pigeon.'
It is believed the Mulla Walla people occupied the area before the first white settlers arrived in 1842.
Yarrawonga was founded as a village in 1868,
with a Post Office being opened on 28 November 1874,
and a courthouse the very same year.
It was connected by rail to Melbourne in 1886.
Yarrawonga was proclaimed a shire in 1891,
It was renamed from 'North Yarrawonga Shire' (1891) to 'Yarrawonga Shire' in 1893.
Yarrawonga Weir and Lake Mulwala were constructed in the late 1930s as part of the Murray-Darling Irrigation Scheme.
Historically, one of the major industries in the Yarrawonga/Mulwala area has been the explosives factory, which was constructed in Mulwala over 1942–43. It is now operated by French company Thales but remains an Australian Department of Defence asset.
The Yarrawonga Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.
Demographics
In the
2016 census, Yarrawonga recorded a population of 7,930, 51.1% female and 48.9% male. The median age of the Yarrawonga population was 50 years, 12 years above the national median of 38. 81.9% of people living in Yarrawonga were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 2.4%, Scotland 0.7%, New Zealand 0.5%, India 0.4% and the Philippines 0.4%. 88.4% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.2% Italian, 0.2% Gujarati, 0.2% Punjabi, 0.2% French and 0.1% German.
In the
2021 census, Yarrawonga recorded a population of 8,661 people, 51.5% female and 48.5% male. The median age of the Yarrawonga population was 52 years, 14 years above the national median of 38. 84.8% of people living in Yarrawonga were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 2.2%, New Zealand 0.7%, the Philippines 0.6%, Scotland 0.6%, and Germany 0.5%. 90.6% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.3% Filipino, 0.3% Italian, 0.3% Punjabi, 0.3% Cantonese, and 0.2% Urdu.
Sport
The
Yarrawonga Football Club (the 'Mighty Pigeons') participates in the
Ovens and Murray Football League
The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League (OMFNL or O&MFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition containing ten clubs based in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, Victoria, the southern Riverina region of New South Wales ...
in the sport of
Australian rules football
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 ...
, which has produced
Barry Mitchell,
Joel Smith
Joel Smith (born 3 May 1977) is a former Australian rules footballer.
Beginning his career in 1995 as a bright young prospect for St Kilda, Smith played in the winning team in the club's first AFL Cup victory, the 1996 AFL Ansett Australia ...
,
Ben Dixon, and
Tom Lonergan as well as Caleb Mitchell.
Transport
Yarrawonga is served by a
standard gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
branch railway, which branches off the Melbourne-Sydney line at Benalla and terminates at
Oaklands in New South Wales.
Attractions
Yarrawonga's main attraction is
Lake Mulwala
Lake Mulwala, a man-made reservoir created through the construction of the Yarrawonga Weir across the Murray River, is located between and in Hume region of Victoria and in the Riverina region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The w ...
, formed by the damming of the Murray River. The lake is a popular location for activities such as boating, kayaking and fishing. There are two
crossings of the Murray between Yarrawonga and Mulwala; across the weir (Walking path only); and a
bridge over Lake Mulwala. This bridge contains an unusual bend and dip in the middle, a result of miscommunication between the two state governments.
Climate
Yarrawonga has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(''Cfa'') with hot, dry summers and cool, cloudy winters. The weather radar at Yarrawonga has proven a useful tool in monitoring important weather systems as far south as
Marysville, west to
Bendigo
Bendigo ( ) is an Australian city in north-central Victoria. The city is located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital.
As of 2022, Bendigo has a popula ...
and north to
Griffith
Griffith may refer to:
People
* Griffith (name)
* Griffith (surname)
* Griffith (given name)
Places Antarctica
* Mount Griffith, Ross Dependency
* Griffith Peak (Antarctica), Marie Byrd Land
* Griffith Glacier, Marie Byrd Land
* Griffith Ridge, ...
, meeting its eastern limit at the
Snowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", is an IBRA subregion in southern New South Wales, Australia, and is the tallest mountain range in mainland Australia, being part of the continent's Great Dividing Range, a cordillera syste ...
and is thus a reliable monitor of snowfall systems approaching from the west.
Popular culture
* Neil McBeath wrote the song "
I'm Going Back To Yarrawonga", published in 1919 and later recorded by
Ella Shields and
Leonard Hubbard in 1992 and 1996 respectively.
* Yarrawonga is also home to Australia's Tallest Man, Kewal Shiels, measuring .
Gallery
File:YarrawongaTownHall.JPG, Yarrawonga Town Hall
File:ForeshoreYarrawonga.JPG, Foreshore of Lake Mulwala
Lake Mulwala, a man-made reservoir created through the construction of the Yarrawonga Weir across the Murray River, is located between and in Hume region of Victoria and in the Riverina region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The w ...
at Yarrawonga
File:Victoria Police checkpoint at Yarrawonga on January 12th 2021.jpg, COVID-19 Victorian Border Checkpoint at Yarrawonga in January 2021
Notable people
*
Anne Curtis
Anne Curtis-Smith (; born 17 February 1985) is an Australian-born Filipino actress, television host, entrepreneur and model. Known for her versatile work in film and television productions, she is one of the most successful and highest-paid Fi ...
, actress, TV host personality
See also
*
Yarrawonga Airport
References
External links
Local history of YarrawongaMoira Shire Council– Official website
Yarrawonga – Mulwala tourismYarrawonga Railway Station & Silos
{{authority control
Towns in Victoria (state)
Shire of Moira
Populated places on the Murray River