Antwerp, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Antwerp is a small town in Victoria, Australia
. It is located on the Dimboola - Rainbow Road, in the Shire of Hindmarsh, 22 kilometers north of Dimboola
and 356 kilometers north-west of Melbourne.
The area was first settled by Europeans in 1846, when George Shaw and Horatio Ellerman applied for 130000 acres (526.1 km²) for sheep grazing. Ellerman named the area after his birthplace, the Belgian
city of Antwerp. In 1858 two Moravian missionaires, Reverend Friedrich Hagenauer
and Reverend Spieseke, arrived in the area. By 1859 they had built a church, and in 1860 they baptised their first Aborigine
.
During the 1880s, the Eucalyptus Mallee Oil Company began operations in the township, distilling eucalyptus oil
, which was sold under the brand name EMU.
Today, the ruins of the Ebenezer Mission
to Aborigines still stand, but little else remains of the town besides a few houses, a grain silo, and a general store.
The first Antwerp Post Office opened on 25 November 1891 but was renamed Antwerp North in 1892 (and later Tarranyurk) when a new Antwerp Post Office opened in the current location of the township. This office closed in 1990.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located on the Dimboola - Rainbow Road, in the Shire of Hindmarsh, 22 kilometers north of Dimboola
Dimboola, Victoria
Dimboola is located in Shire of Hindmarsh in the Wimmera region of Western Victoria, Australia, 334 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.Situated on the Wimmera River in the State of Victoria,the town of Dimboola was previously known as 'Nine Creeks'.Following a survey conducted in late 1862 by...
and 356 kilometers north-west of Melbourne.
The area was first settled by Europeans in 1846, when George Shaw and Horatio Ellerman applied for 130000 acres (526.1 km²) for sheep grazing. Ellerman named the area after his birthplace, the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
city of Antwerp. In 1858 two Moravian missionaires, Reverend Friedrich Hagenauer
Friedrich Hagenauer
Friedrich Hagenauer was a Presbyterian minister and missionary in Australia who established Ebenezer Mission and Ramahyuck mission.Reverend Friedrich Hagenauer and Reverend F.W...
and Reverend Spieseke, arrived in the area. By 1859 they had built a church, and in 1860 they baptised their first Aborigine
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
.
During the 1880s, the Eucalyptus Mallee Oil Company began operations in the township, distilling eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from the leaf of Eucalyptus, a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae native to Australia and cultivated worldwide. Eucalyptus oil has a history of wide application, as a pharmaceutical, antiseptic, repellent, flavouring, fragrance and industrial uses...
, which was sold under the brand name EMU.
Today, the ruins of the Ebenezer Mission
Ebenezer Mission
Ebenezer Mission station was established near Lake Hindmarsh, Victoria, Australia in 1859 by the Moravian Church on the land of the Wotjobaluk. The first missionaries were two Germans, Reverend Friedrich Hagenauer and Reverend F.W. Spieseke. In 1861 the Victorian Colonial Government gazetted as a...
to Aborigines still stand, but little else remains of the town besides a few houses, a grain silo, and a general store.
The first Antwerp Post Office opened on 25 November 1891 but was renamed Antwerp North in 1892 (and later Tarranyurk) when a new Antwerp Post Office opened in the current location of the township. This office closed in 1990.