Koondrook, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Koondrook is a town situated on the Murray River
, Victoria
, Australia
. The town is located in the Shire of Gannawarra Local government area, 301 kilometres (187 mi) north west of the state capital, Melbourne
. At the 2006 census
, Koondrook had a population of 802.
Aborigines
were thought to have occupied the Koondrook area prior to European settlement commencing in 1843. The Post Office opened on 1 March 1879.
In 1889 the Kerang-Koondrook Tramway
was opened linking the town to the Victorian railway network
, being officially closed on 3 March 1981.
to its twin town of Barham
in the neighbouring state of New South Wales
. Industry in the area includes dairying on the river flats and citrus production using irrigation supplied from the Murray River. Timber from the surrounding state forests is used in the production of quality redgum
timber and furniture.
Fishing and camping in the area popular activities for tourists in the surrounding state forests. The forests are important breeding areas for colonial waterbirds and are visited by migratory birds.
The town in conjunction with neighbouring township Barham
across the Murray has an Australian rules football
team competing in the Central Murray Football League
.
winning jockey
Roy Higgins
was born in Koondrook in 1938.
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
, 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...
. The town is located in the Shire of Gannawarra Local government area, 301 kilometres (187 mi) north west of the state capital, 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...
. 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,...
, Koondrook had a population of 802.
History
The Wemba-WembaWemba-Wemba
The Wemba-Wemba are an Indigenous Australian group in north-Western Victoria and south-western New South Wales, Australia, including in the Mallee and the Riverina regions. They are also known as the Wamba-wamba....
Aborigines
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....
were thought to have occupied the Koondrook area prior to European settlement commencing in 1843. The Post Office opened on 1 March 1879.
In 1889 the Kerang-Koondrook Tramway
Kerang-Koondrook Tramway
The Kerang-Koondrook Tramway was an Australian private railway of broad gauge, running from the state owned Victorian Railways network at Kerang to the Murray River town of Koondrook, with intermediate stations at Yeoburn, Hinksons, Teal Point and Gannawarra.The long line was opened in 1889, with...
was opened linking the town to the Victorian railway network
Rail transport in Victoria
Rail transport in Victoria, Australia, is provided by a number of railway operators who operate over the government-owned railway lines. Victorian lines use broad gauge, with the exception of a number of standard gauge freight and interstate lines, a few experimental narrow gauge lines, and...
, being officially closed on 3 March 1981.
The town today
Koondrook is connected by a bridgeMurray River crossings
The Murray River in south-eastern Australia has been a significant barrier to land-based travel and trade. This article lists and briefly describes all of the recognised crossing points. Many of these had also developed as river ports for transport of goods along the Murray...
to its twin town of Barham
Barham, New South Wales
Barham is a town in the western Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 823 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney and 303 kilometres north west of Melbourne. Situated on the banks of the Murray River across from Koondrook in the neighbouring state of...
in the neighbouring state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Industry in the area includes dairying on the river flats and citrus production using irrigation supplied from the Murray River. Timber from the surrounding state forests is used in the production of quality redgum
River Red Gum
The River Red Gum is a tree of the genus Eucalyptus. It is one of around 800 in the genus. It is a plantation species in many parts of the world, but is native to Australia, where it is widespread, especially beside inland water courses...
timber and furniture.
Fishing and camping in the area popular activities for tourists in the surrounding state forests. The forests are important breeding areas for colonial waterbirds and are visited by migratory birds.
The town in conjunction with neighbouring township Barham
Barham, New South Wales
Barham is a town in the western Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 823 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney and 303 kilometres north west of Melbourne. Situated on the banks of the Murray River across from Koondrook in the neighbouring state of...
across the Murray has an Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
team competing in the Central Murray Football League
Central Murray Football League
The Central Murray Football League is a major country Australian rules football competition based in northern Victoria, Australia and southwest New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
.
Notable people
Melbourne CupMelbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
winning jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
Roy Higgins
Roy Higgins
Roy Henry Higgins MBE is a former Australian jockey who rode in the late 1960s and the 1970s. He grew up in the southern New South Wales town of Deniliquin where he was apprenticed to local horse trainer Jim Watters...
was born in Koondrook in 1938.
External links
- Koondrook Website - Koondrook Website
- Gannawarra Shire Council - Official Website
- Murray Darling Basin Commission - State forests around Koondrook