Mooroopna, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Mooroopna is a rural town located 181 kilometres (112 mi) north of Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
. It is on the banks of the Goulburn River
opposite the larger town of Shepparton
. The Midland Highway
crosses the river between the two towns. At the 2006 census
, Mooroopna had a population of 7,203.
behind the old Mooroopna Hall. The Kaielthebans (population 50 in 1841) were part of the Bangerang race living in the region before the arrival of Europeans.
Two entrepreneurs, Joseph Hawdon
and Charles Bonney
, camped on the edge of Gemmill's Swamp, close to Mooroopna, in January 1838. They were overlanding large herds of cattle and sheep from an area close to modern Seymour
to Adelaide
, about 1200 km by bullock dray along the Goulburn
and Murray River
s. Three years later, squatters settled in surrounding areas running sheep on the well-grassed plains. The first settler in the town was William Simmonds Archer who purchased land in 1860 and built his home/hotel in McLennan Street, overlooking the river. He was followed by W. H. Morrell who selected most of the remaining township. Early commerce flowed from revenue gained by punt owners at Shepparton
and in Mooroopna, who exploited the traffic from gold fields in Bendigo
to those in Beechworth
. The Post Office opened on 19 April 1873.
Thirty years later, the population had reached 812 and the town then prospered, hindered often by droughts and damaging floods. It is now the second largest urban area in the Goulburn Valley.
Mooroopna became a centre for local commerce especially after the beginning of irrigation from the early 1880s. The first school was opened in 1874, the first bank in the same year, the punt in 1875, the Mooroopna Hospital in 1876 and the railway from Seymour in 1880. Like other country towns, Mooroopna became infested with hotels and churches, the influence and numbers of both having declined since the Second World War. Also, like other towns, Mooroopna lost young men to wars in South Africa, Europe and in Asia and has several memorials recording their names.
The Historical Society of Mooroopna was established in 1983 and exists to collect, collate and display items and material relevant to the history of Mooroopna and the surrounding district.
Separated only by the Goulburn River from Shepparton, the town resisted many moves for amalgamation, but was forced into union with its larger neighbour in 1994 with the creation of the City of Greater Shepparton
. The total population is about 60,403 (30 June 2004), and is expected to increase to 81,378 by 2031. The first councillors were elected in 1997.
Mooroopna is within the Victorian state electoral district of Shepparton
and the Federal Division of Murray
.
The town now consists of mainly residential areas, many parks and gardens and some factories. It is home to the Mooroopna site of SPC Ardmona
, Ridley AgriProducts, and ED Parsons. It is a major player in 'The Food Bowl of Australia' and will have a critical place in the proposed freight and logistics centre, planned for Toolamba Road, south of the town.
V/Line
services on the Shepparton line stop at the local railway station, which is also served by Pacific National
operated container freight services for Patrick PortLink
.
Mooroopna Primary School
Mooroopna Park Primary School
St Mary's Primary School
Secondary Schools
Mooroopna Secondary College
Mooroopna HUB was recently built in the centre of the town. Offering a free library, and rooms to cater for group/club meetings. Mooroopna HUB is a wheelchair friendly environment.
Located one kilometre away is SPC Ardmona Kidstown, a playground as big as the MCG
, Kidstown offers a relaxed environment for adults and a perfect day out for the kids, with play equipment being made on site with the help of local groups, clubs and businesses.
.
. Team colours are Navy Blue and White. Mooroopna basketball team "The Cats" wear black and red and play in the Greater Shepparton Basketball Association.
Golfers play at the course of the Mooroopna Golf Club.
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...
, 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...
. It is on the banks of the Goulburn River
Goulburn River (Victoria)
The Goulburn River is a major inland river in Victoria, Australia.The headwaters of the Goulburn River rise in the western end of the Victoria Alps, near Mount Buller. The Eildon Dam creates Lake Eildon, a major storage of water for irrigation...
opposite the larger town of Shepparton
Shepparton, Victoria
Shepparton is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in the north east of Victoria, Australia approximately north-east of Melbourne. It is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. The estimated population of Shepparton's statistical area is 48,926.It began as a sheep station...
. The Midland Highway
Midland Highway
The Midland Highway links major towns in Victoria , beginning from Geelong and leading all the way to Mansfield. It winds through country Victoria in a large arc, travelling via the towns of Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton...
crosses the river between the two towns. 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,...
, Mooroopna had a population of 7,203.
History
The name Mooroopna was used by the original Kaieltheban tribe living in the area and meant 'deep water hole'. This refers to a very deep part of the Goulburn RiverGoulburn River (Victoria)
The Goulburn River is a major inland river in Victoria, Australia.The headwaters of the Goulburn River rise in the western end of the Victoria Alps, near Mount Buller. The Eildon Dam creates Lake Eildon, a major storage of water for irrigation...
behind the old Mooroopna Hall. The Kaielthebans (population 50 in 1841) were part of the Bangerang race living in the region before the arrival of Europeans.
Two entrepreneurs, Joseph Hawdon
Joseph Hawdon
Joseph Hawdon was a pioneer settler and overlander of Australia and New Zealand.Hawdon was born at Wackerfield, Durham, England, the son of John Hawdon. At the suggestion of his brother elder brother John , he decided to travel to Australia, arriving in Sydney in November 1834...
and Charles Bonney
Charles Bonney
Charles Bonney was a pioneer and politician in Australia.-Early life:Bonney was the youngest son of the Rev. George Bonney, a fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, and his wife Susanna, née Knight. He was born at Sandon, near Stafford, Staffordshire, England...
, camped on the edge of Gemmill's Swamp, close to Mooroopna, in January 1838. They were overlanding large herds of cattle and sheep from an area close to modern Seymour
Seymour, Victoria
Seymour is a township in the Shire of Mitchell in the state of Victoria, Australia and is located north of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Seymour had a population of 6,063...
to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, about 1200 km by bullock dray along the Goulburn
Goulburn River (Victoria)
The Goulburn River is a major inland river in Victoria, Australia.The headwaters of the Goulburn River rise in the western end of the Victoria Alps, near Mount Buller. The Eildon Dam creates Lake Eildon, a major storage of water for irrigation...
and Murray River
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...
s. Three years later, squatters settled in surrounding areas running sheep on the well-grassed plains. The first settler in the town was William Simmonds Archer who purchased land in 1860 and built his home/hotel in McLennan Street, overlooking the river. He was followed by W. H. Morrell who selected most of the remaining township. Early commerce flowed from revenue gained by punt owners at Shepparton
Shepparton, Victoria
Shepparton is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in the north east of Victoria, Australia approximately north-east of Melbourne. It is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. The estimated population of Shepparton's statistical area is 48,926.It began as a sheep station...
and in Mooroopna, who exploited the traffic from gold fields in Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
to those in Beechworth
Beechworth, Victoria
Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s...
. The Post Office opened on 19 April 1873.
Thirty years later, the population had reached 812 and the town then prospered, hindered often by droughts and damaging floods. It is now the second largest urban area in the Goulburn Valley.
Mooroopna became a centre for local commerce especially after the beginning of irrigation from the early 1880s. The first school was opened in 1874, the first bank in the same year, the punt in 1875, the Mooroopna Hospital in 1876 and the railway from Seymour in 1880. Like other country towns, Mooroopna became infested with hotels and churches, the influence and numbers of both having declined since the Second World War. Also, like other towns, Mooroopna lost young men to wars in South Africa, Europe and in Asia and has several memorials recording their names.
The Historical Society of Mooroopna was established in 1983 and exists to collect, collate and display items and material relevant to the history of Mooroopna and the surrounding district.
Government
Mooroopna was originally part of the Shire of Waranga, proclaimed in 1865. With boundary changes it became a riding of the Shire of Rodney in 1886.Separated only by the Goulburn River from Shepparton, the town resisted many moves for amalgamation, but was forced into union with its larger neighbour in 1994 with the creation of the City of Greater Shepparton
City of Greater Shepparton
The City of Greater Shepparton is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the northern part of the state. It has an area of 2,420 square kilometres, and in 2001 it had a population of 56,000...
. The total population is about 60,403 (30 June 2004), and is expected to increase to 81,378 by 2031. The first councillors were elected in 1997.
Mooroopna is within the Victorian state electoral district of Shepparton
Electoral district of Shepparton
The Electoral district of Shepparton is a rural Lower House electoral district of the Victorian Parliament. It is located within the Northern Victoria Region of the Legislative Council....
and the Federal Division of Murray
Division of Murray
The Division of Murray is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the north of the state, adjoining the Murray River, which forms Victoria's border with New South Wales...
.
Industry
In the beginning, industry revolved around the processing of grains and fruit but, in the past 30 years, Mooroopna has become a desirable residential area for nearby Shepparton.The town now consists of mainly residential areas, many parks and gardens and some factories. It is home to the Mooroopna site of SPC Ardmona
SPC Ardmona
SPC Ardmona is an Australian-based company that specialises in large fruit packing and owns and operates a canning factory in Shepparton, Victoria. It has many workers and is one of the main sources of income for that area. It was formed in 2002 by the merger of the former Shepparton Preserving...
, Ridley AgriProducts, and ED Parsons. It is a major player in 'The Food Bowl of Australia' and will have a critical place in the proposed freight and logistics centre, planned for Toolamba Road, south of the town.
Transport
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...
services on the Shepparton line stop at the local railway station, which is also served by Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
operated container freight services for Patrick PortLink
Patrick Corporation
Patrick Corporation Ltd was an Australian publicly listed logistics conglomerate. Headed by CEO Chris Corrigan before it was absorbed by Toll Holdings in 2006, Patrick had interests in shipping, rail and aviation, including a 62% shareholding in airline Virgin Blue...
.
Schools
Primary SchoolsMooroopna Primary School
Mooroopna Park Primary School
St Mary's Primary School
Secondary Schools
Mooroopna Secondary College
Community
Westside Performing Arts Centre, the home of many school productions by schools throughout the Shepparton area, as well as outside performers, adjoins Mooroopna Secondary.Mooroopna HUB was recently built in the centre of the town. Offering a free library, and rooms to cater for group/club meetings. Mooroopna HUB is a wheelchair friendly environment.
Located one kilometre away is SPC Ardmona Kidstown, a playground as big as the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
, Kidstown offers a relaxed environment for adults and a perfect day out for the kids, with play equipment being made on site with the help of local groups, clubs and businesses.
Sport
During the football season, locals support the Mooroopna Football Netball Club (MFNC CATS), located at the John Gray Oval and competing in the Goulburn Valley Football LeagueGoulburn Valley Football League
The Goulburn Valley Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia...
.
. Team colours are Navy Blue and White. Mooroopna basketball team "The Cats" wear black and red and play in the Greater Shepparton Basketball Association.
Golfers play at the course of the Mooroopna Golf Club.
External links
- Historical Society Of Mooroopna http://www.hsm.org.au/
- Greater Shepparton City Council http://www.greatershepparton.com.au/mooroopna/
- Maps of Mooroopna http://www.arta.com.au/vicmaps/mooroopna/