Benalla, Victoria
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| Benalla Victoria |
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| Population: | 10,035 (2006 census) [1] | ||||||
| Established: | 1840s | ||||||
| Postcode: | 3672 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 169.5 m (556 ft) | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Rural City of Benalla | ||||||
| State District: | Benalla | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Indi | ||||||
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Benalla is an agricultural city of about 10,000 people located just off the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, about 40 kilometres south of Wangaratta. Its Local Government Area is the Rural City of Benalla.
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[edit] Overview
The site was originally taken up as a pastoral run by the Reverend Joseph Docker in 1838 and called Benalta Run, from the Aboriginal word for Musk Duck. A town was laid out on the site in 1846. The Post Office opened on December 1, 1844 but named Broken River until January 1, 1854 [2]
The Broken River can cause extensive flooding. There is a park and walking track along the river at Benalla, featuring a ceramic sculpture community that was created as part of an employment project for local artists some years ago.
Industries include agricultural support services, tourism, a medium density fibreboard factory, Thales Australia ammunition factory and aviation. The rose gardens and the annual Rose Festival dating from 1967 have contributed to tourism.
Benalla has a regional airport YBLA (BLN) which began life as a major RAAF training base during the second world war and now also serves as the home of the Gliding Club of Victoria as well as a ballooning and ultralight centre.
Benalla is where champion cyclist Baden Cooke was born and the place of war hero Sir (Ernest) Edward "Weary" Dunlop's education. It has also been home to many other well known athletes and artists (see list below).
The station is on the main railway line between Sydney and Melbourne and is served by VLine services from Albury as well as a twice daily Countrylink XPT service to and from Sydney.
In October 2002 Benalla was the scene of a rail accident when a B-Double semi trailer collided with a heritage steam train. Three people were killed and a fourth received severe burns when the locomotive rolled onto its side.[3] [4] [5] The driver of the truck was charged but later acquitted of culpable driving.
[edit] Famous Sons, Daughters and Residents
- Edward "Weary" Dunlop - Surgeon and World War II Prisoner of War.
- Baden Cooke - Olympic Cyclist
- Mark Seymour - Lead singer of Hunters & Collectors and solo artist.
- Nick Seymour - Bass player in Crowded House.
- Lisa Maxwell - Rock/Pop/Alternative solo artist.
- Ivan Durrant - Prominent Australian artist, works displayed worldwide.
- Albert Ernest Kitson - Geologist and Naturalist
- Tom Long - Actor
- Hugh Sawrey - Prominent Australian Artist, works displayed worldwide
- Tommy Dunderdale - Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
- Hector Waller - captain of the light cruiser HMAS Perth in the Second World War
[edit] References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Community Profile Series : Benalla. 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved on 2007-07-01.
- ^ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, <https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocd.w?>. Retrieved on 11 April 2008
- ^ "Three dead, one critical in steam train crash" (html), Sydney: Sydney Morning Herald, 2002-10-14. Retrieved on 2008-02-18.
- ^ "Three killed in Benalla train crash" (html), Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2002-010-13. Retrieved on 2008-02-18.
- ^ Rail Safety Investigation Report - Final (html). Collision between steam passenger Train 8382 & Loaded B-double truck. Australian Transport Saftey Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-02-18.
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2007) |
- Wilson, Robert. The book of Australia LANSDOWNE PRESS 1980
[edit] External links
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