Ouyen, Victoria
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| Ouyen Victoria |
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 The Queen Bee Roadhouse at Ouyen. |
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| Population: | 1383 (2006)[1] | ||||||
| Postcode: | 3490 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 50 m (164 ft) | ||||||
| Location: | |||||||
| LGA: | Rural City of Mildura | ||||||
| State District: | Mildura | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Mallee | ||||||
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Ouyen () is a town in Victoria, Australia, located at the junction of the Calder Highway and Mallee Highway, 107 kilometres south of Mildura, 457 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, in the Rural City of Mildura. At the 2006 census the town had a population of 1383. The area was originally occupied by the Wergaia Aborigines. The name is believed to be is derived from the Wergaia word 'wuya-wuya', which some believe means 'pink-eared duck', whilst others claim it means 'ghost waterhole'.[2]
The town was established around the Ouyen railway station, built in 1906 on the Mildura Line.The Post Office opened on October 22, 1907 [3] It is also the junction for a railway line west parallel to the Mallee Highway. This line is presently in poor condition and used only for collecting grain from silos in small towns between Ouyen and the South Australian border, as the Victorian part is broad gauge, but the line from Pinnaroo to Tailem Bend has been converted to standard gauge, with no facility for handling the break of gauge. The line was used for interstate freight and The Overland[citation needed] as a broad gauge connection while the main Melbourne to Adelaide line (through Bordertown) was being converted from broad to standard gauge in 1995.
Property became available for purchase in 1910, and much of it was cleared for sheep grazing, and crops of wheat and oats.
Ouyen is the commercial and transport centre for the surrounding grain farming region. Trucks arrive at harvest time to transport grain to Portland for shipping, or to flour mills for processing.
[edit] Culture
Since 1998, the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph has been held in Ouyen.[4] The 2006 competition was won by Tatura Hot Bread from Tatura.[5] Judging criteria include "when tasted, should reveal a custard with a creamy smooth texture and a balance of vanilla taste with a crisp, crunchy pastry topped with a smooth and shiny glaze/fondant". [6]
The town also hosts an Autumn Art Show in April and the Mallee Wildflower Festival in October and was the location for the 2003 Ouyen Raindance where 500 women danced naked in a secret location in an attempt to raise the spirits of the town suffering from a prolonged drought.
The town is the site of the Big Mallee Root once a mainstay of the economy of soldier settlers of the area being collected for sale as firewood.
[edit] References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Ouyen (State Suburb). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ Ouyen. Sydney Morning Herald (2004-02-08). Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
- ^ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, <https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country=>. Retrieved on 11 April 2008
- ^ Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett (19 July 1998). "Premier announces "The Great Vanilla Slice Triumph"". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
- ^ The Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph. Baking Industry Association of Victoria. Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
- ^ Travel news - The Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph. ninemsn (2006-07-20). Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
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