Mildura, Victoria

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Mildura Victoria

Population:	23,893 (2001)
Established:	1887
Elevation:	50 m
Time zone: • Summer (DST)	AEST (UTC+10) AEST (UTC+11)
Location:	550 km from Melbourne
LGA:	Rural City of Mildura
Region:	Sunraysia
Federal Division:	Mallee

Mildura is a locality in northwestern Victoria, Australia. It is located in the Rural City of Mildura. Mildura is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the bank of the Murray River, at geographic coordinates 34°11′S 142°09′E. The locality's population was 23,893 at the 2001 census.

Mildura is also known as the centre of Victoria's Food Bowl and is a major producer of citrus fruits (especially oranges), and wine. It is also very famous for its grape production and many wineries source grapes from Mildura, due to the red soil being optimal for growing the fruit.

1 Climate
2 History
3 Transport
4 Toxic waste dump proposal
5 Fruit fly
6 External links

[edit] Climate

Mildura enjoys a mostly warm climate. It is only about 50 metres above sea level despite being several hundred kilometres from the coast, and is surrounded by dry grassland.

Rainfall is about 290 mm a year and is spread evenly across the months and seasons. Winter and Spring enjoy the most rain, with a couple of thunderstorm events each year.

Days are mostly clear with 100+ days of full sunshine each year. The temperature can range from below 0 °C some nights to over 40 °C in summer.

[edit] History

Many Aboriginal people lived around the site of Mildura because of the abundant food. Local tribes included the Latje Latje and Yerre Yerre. Europeans noticed this abundance, and decided to harness it. So they brought sheep to graze the natural pastures.

The towns of Wentworth, Gol Gol, Curlwaa and Yelta sprang up in the mid to late 1800s. The number of Aboriginals started to decrease.

The Victorian government decided the region was the perfect place for an irrigation colony. So they sent for the Canadian Chaffey brothers, who had been very successful at such projects in the USA.

After much political wrangling, the settlement of Mildura was established in 1887. It was named after the Mildura sheep station that provided most of the land. The name is of Aboriginal origin, and means either "red sand" or "sore eyes".

In the 1890s came the scourge of the rabbit. This devastated the sheep farmers, especially south of the Murray. There was also a financial recession at this time. Combined, these factors restricted growth of the new settlement.

After this period, the new settlement grew and grew. It was soon the main town of the district. Suburbs and new satellite towns sprang up. In 1937 it officially became a city. Today, Mildura is a bright, thriving regional centre, and the surrounding Sunraysia district has a population of over 50,000.

[edit] Transport

Mildura is on the intersection of the Sturt Highway from Adelaide to Sydney, and the Calder Highway to Melbourne via Bendigo.

Mildura has a railway connection to Melbourne, which is used for freight transport. In July 2006, it was announced that the Mildura line would be upgraded using gauge convertible concrete sleepers.

V/Line runs daily overnight buses to Melbourne, along with other services connecting to trains at Swan Hill or Bendigo. Greyhound run buses to Adelaide and Sydney via Canberra. Countrylink run buses to Sydney. The Henty Highway Bus Service runs buses to Horsham.

Mildura has the third busiest airport in Victoria, serviced by five QantasLink flights daily to Melbourne, three Regional Express flights to Melbourne, and two O'Conner Airlines flights daily to Adelaide. Regional Express also operates flights to Sydney several days a week.

[edit] Toxic waste dump proposal

There is a controversial proposal by the Victorian Government to build a state-level toxic waste dump in Nowingi, south of Mildura. The site is a small enclave of state forest surrounded by national park, and contains habitat important to a number of threatened species.

Its hydrological composition is disputed, the government claiming spilled liquids would flow west into the Murray Sunset National Park, while most opponents claim they would flow east through Hattah Kulkyne National Park into the Murray River.

The site is around 500 km away from Melbourne, where most of the planned waste will be generated. Transporting the waste will incur higher costs and more opportunity for accident than a dump closer to Melbourne.

[edit] Fruit fly

Mildura is part of the 'Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone', in which certain fruits or vegetables may not be taken into the area (they can, however, be taken out). These fruits include tomatoes, capsicums, oranges, apples and bananas. This is to stop the fruit fly from invading the crops and plantations, and there are many 'Safe' bins into which people can dispose of fruits when entering the area.

[edit] External links

	Cities of Victoria
Capital:	Melbourne
Cities:	Ararat \| Ballarat \| Benalla \| Bendigo \| Geelong \| Latrobe City \| Mildura \| Portland \| Shepparton \| Swan Hill \| Wangaratta \| Warrnambool \| Wodonga