Dimboola, Victoria
Encyclopedia
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 contractor Frederick Smith of Ararat, a plan for a township in the County of Dimboola was proposed. It was first recognised as being a township when mentioned in the April 1863
edition of the 'Government Gazette". At the 2006 census
Dimboola had a population of 1863.
Before the arrival of white people into the district, the Aborigines called the area Watchegatcheca which had the meaning 'Wattle Tree and White Cockatoos'. The name 'Dimboola' has generally been accepted to have come from the Ceylonese ~Dimbula meaning 'Land of Figs'. The name came from the District Surveyor of the time John George Winchester Wilmot, who had previously lived in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka
). The relationship of the name to this area is suggested to have come from 'Upper Regions Station' where an abundance of fruit trees grew in the garden, many of which were figs.
The Post Office opened on 3 April 1863, but was known as Nine Creeks until 1869.
Dimboola's economy is predominantly rural, with wheat
, sheep and timber
being traditionally important, although there have been recent forays into emu
and alpaca
rearing and olive plantations.
Paintings of Dimboola landscapes by noted Australian painter Sidney Nolan
, who was stationed in the area while on army duty in World War II, can be found in the National Gallery of Victoria. Dimboola is also the setting of the play (and subsequent film
) Dimboola
by Jack Hibberd
.
The town's secondary college
, is the only memorial
secondary college in the Southern Hemisphere
, hence its name, Dimboola Memorial Secondary College. Distinguished Australian-British physicist Richard Dalitz
was born in Dimboola.
The Dimboola Show is held on the third Thursday in Oct and coincides with Caulfield Cup Day.
has V/Line
coach services. The Overland stops at the station three times per week.
.
Golfers play at the Dimboola Golf Club on Riverside.
Wimmera
The Wimmera is a region in the west of the Australian state of Victoria.It covers the dryland farming area south of the range of Mallee scrub, east of the South Australia border and north of the Great Dividing Range...
region of Western Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
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...
, 334 kilometres north-west of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.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 contractor Frederick Smith of Ararat, a plan for a township in the County of Dimboola was proposed. It was first recognised as being a township when mentioned in the April 1863
edition of the 'Government Gazette". At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
Dimboola had a population of 1863.
Before the arrival of white people into the district, the Aborigines called the area Watchegatcheca which had the meaning 'Wattle Tree and White Cockatoos'. The name 'Dimboola' has generally been accepted to have come from the Ceylonese ~Dimbula meaning 'Land of Figs'. The name came from the District Surveyor of the time John George Winchester Wilmot, who had previously lived in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
). The relationship of the name to this area is suggested to have come from 'Upper Regions Station' where an abundance of fruit trees grew in the garden, many of which were figs.
The Post Office opened on 3 April 1863, but was known as Nine Creeks until 1869.
Dimboola's economy is predominantly rural, with wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, sheep and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
being traditionally important, although there have been recent forays into emu
Emu
The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
and alpaca
Alpaca
An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
rearing and olive plantations.
Paintings of Dimboola landscapes by noted Australian painter Sidney Nolan
Sidney Nolan
Sir Sidney Robert Nolan OM, AC was one of Australia's best-known painters and printmakers.-Early life:Nolan was born in Carlton, a suburb of Melbourne, on 22 April 1917. He was the eldest of four children. His family later moved to St Kilda. Nolan attended the Brighton Road State School and...
, who was stationed in the area while on army duty in World War II, can be found in the National Gallery of Victoria. Dimboola is also the setting of the play (and subsequent film
Dimboola (film)
Dimboola is a 1979 Australian independent film about a country wedding reception. It is based on the 1969 play of the same name by Jack Hibberd and was principally filmed on location in Dimboola, Victoria.-Cast:* Max Gillies* Natalie Bate* Bill Garner...
) Dimboola
Dimboola (play)
Dimboola is a play by the Australian author Jack Hibberd. It premiered in 1969 at La Mama Theatre under the direction of Graeme Blundell. The whole action of the play supposedly takes place at a real wedding at which the actors represent the families of the bride and groom and the audience are...
by Jack Hibberd
Jack Hibberd
Dr Jack Hibberd is an Australian playwright.-Biography:Hibberd studied medicine at the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Newman College and practised as a clinical immunologist in Melbourne from 1964 until 1973...
.
The town's secondary college
Secondary college
Secondary college is the common name for government secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. The term arose through the mergers of high schools and technical schools in the late 1980s and mid-1990s, where most government secondary schools were renamed "secondary college"...
, is the only memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
secondary college in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, hence its name, Dimboola Memorial Secondary College. Distinguished Australian-British physicist Richard Dalitz
Richard Dalitz
Richard Henry Dalitz was an Australian physicist known for his work in particle physics.Born Dimboola, Victoria near Melbourne, Dalitz studied physics and mathematics at Melbourne University before moving to the United Kingdom in 1946, starting his PhD research at the University of Cambridge...
was born in Dimboola.
The Dimboola Show is held on the third Thursday in Oct and coincides with Caulfield Cup Day.
Transport
The Dimboola railway stationDimboola railway station, Victoria
Dimboola is a railway station in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia. The only passenger rail service which stops at the station is the Overland which runs thrice weekly each way between Melbourne and Adelaide. V/Line also operates road coach services to and from the station.The station is located on...
has V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
coach services. The Overland stops at the station three times per week.
Sport
Dimboola has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Wimmera Football LeagueWimmera Football League
The Wimmera Football League is based in Western Victoria, with clubs located in towns in the Wimmera region. The regional centres along the Western Highway from Ararat to Nhill as well as Minyip-Murtoa and Warracknabeal.The league is a major country league....
.
Golfers play at the Dimboola Golf Club on Riverside.