Harrow, Victoria

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Harrow
Victoria
Population: 96[1]
Postcode: 3317
Location:
LGA: Shire of West Wimmera
State District: Lowan
Federal Division: Wannon, Mallee

Harrow is a town in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of West Wimmera Local Government Area, 391 kilometres north west of the state capital Melbourne, overlooking the Glenelg River valley. At the 2006 census, Harrow and the surrounding area had a population of 96.[1]

The first European explorer of the area was Thomas Mitchell and a monument marks the spot where he crossed the Glenelg River. A town originally known as Upper Glenelg was established in the 1840s and is claimed to be the oldest inland town in Victoria. The Post Office opened on March 1, 1849 as Upper Glenelg (Harrow from 1854).[2] At its peak, the town included a range of shops and services including two hotels.[3] Harrow is the burial place of Johnny Mullagh, member of the Australian Aboriginal cricket team, the first Australian cricket team to tour England. He also represented the Victorian cricket team in first-class cricket

The Marsh clan is one of the oldest existing families from this region. Les and James Marsh were the first settlers in the 1830s and there homestead is still viewable to this day.[3]

In recent years, there has been a drift away from Harrow to larger towns in the region. In an effort to counteract this, Harrow has pioneered several popular events such as the regular "Beaut Blokes" events. The event was established to offset a perceived gender imbalance by introducing women from cities such as Melbourne and Geelong to single men from the district. The concept has now been picked up by other rural communities throughout Australia.[4] A sound and light show is held weekly, retelling the history of Harrow in a humorous and interactive manner.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Harrow (State Suburb). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-08-04.
  2. ^ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, <https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country=>. Retrieved on 11 April 2008 
  3. ^ a b Harrow. SHM Travel. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  4. ^ McNair, Ben. "Blokes saved", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 29 September 2005. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. 
  5. ^ Reading, Lyndal. Ange Newton. Rural Legends. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 37°10′S 141°36′E / -37.167, 141.6

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