Hopetoun, Victoria

Hopetoun
Victoria

Memorial Hall in Hopetoun, built in 1922
Hopetoun
Coordinates 35°43′S 142°21′E / 35.717°S 142.350°ECoordinates: 35°43′S 142°21′E / 35.717°S 142.350°E
Population 589 (2006 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 3396
Location
  • 395 km (245 mi) NW of Melbourne
  • 195 km (121 mi) south of Mildura
  • 62 km (39 mi) north of Warracknabeal
  • 118 km (73 mi) north of Horsham
LGA(s) Shire of Yarriambiack
State electorate(s) Mildura
Federal Division(s) Mallee

Hopetoun is a town which serves as the major service centre for the Southern Mallee area of Victoria, Australia. Hopetoun is situated 400 kilometres north-west of Melbourne on the Henty Highway in the Shire of Yarriambiack. At the 2006 census, Hopetoun had a population of 589.[1]

History

The town was named after the 7th Earl of Hopetoun, Victorian Governor from 1889 to 1895 and later the first Governor-General of Australia. The Post Office opened on 12 September 1891 when the township was established.[2]

During the early 2009 Australian heatwave, the town experienced several days of intense heat, with a peak of 48.8 °C (119.8 °F). The reading was the highest temperature nationwide during the event, and also broke the record for highest temperature in Victoria.[3]

The town today

The town consists of one hotel, a newsagent, post office, chemist/pharmacist, hairdressers, one service stations, 2 primary schools (one state, one catholic) and a high school which caters for surrounding townships. It also has a fast food cafe called the Bon Bon and an Op Shop. Hopetoun Airport serves the town.

Local attractions include Wyperfeld National Park, Yarriambiack Creek and Lake Corrong.

Hopetoun - Beulah has football and netball teams competing in the Mallee Football League, a golf course, lawn bowls, cricket and tennis competitions, basketball and many other sporting and recreational activities for all ages.

Golfers play at the course of the Hopetoun Golf Club on Rainbow Road.[4]

The current township population is 555. (2011 Census)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hopetoun, Victoria.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Hopetoun (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
  2. ↑ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, retrieved 2008-04-11
  3. ↑ "The exceptional January-February 2009 heatwave in south-eastern Australia" (PDF), Bureau of Meteorology (National Climate Centre), 2009-02-12: 2
  4. ↑ Golf Select, Hopetoun, retrieved 2009-05-11