Serpentine, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Serpentine is a town in north west Victoria
, Australia
. Located on the Loddon Valley Highway
, the town is 201 kilometres north west of the state capital, Melbourne
and 51 kilometres north west of the regional centre, Bendigo
. Serpentine is in the Shire of Loddon Local government area and, including the surrounding state suburb, had a population of 380 at the 2006 census.
The town is named for Serpentine Creek, a tributary
of the Loddon River
. The creek in turn was named for explorer
Thomas Mitchell's description of the River Red Gum
trees lining the rivers and creeks of the area.
Selectors began to take up allotments in 1862 and the townsite was established as Serpentine Creek in 1863. A Post Office under that name had been open since 1848, the name being changed to Serpentine in 1917.
It eventually became the seat of the then Shire of East Loddon
. Today, Serpentine is a producer of grain and cattle and a popular place for anglers.
The Burke and Wills expedition
is alleged to passed the townsite in 1860 while attempting to reach the Gulf of Carpentaria
.
The town has an Australian Rules football team (Bears Lagoon-Serpentine) competing in the Loddon Valley Football League
.
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...
. Located on the Loddon Valley Highway
Loddon Valley Highway
The Loddon Valley Highway runs roughly north-west from Bendigo to Kerang on the Murray Valley Highway. Previously assigned State Route 141, it was later designated as B260....
, the town is 201 kilometres 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...
and 51 kilometres north west of the regional centre, 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...
. Serpentine is in the Shire of Loddon Local government area and, including the surrounding state suburb, had a population of 380 at the 2006 census.
The town is named for Serpentine Creek, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Loddon River
Loddon River
The Loddon River is a 392-km long tributary of the Murray River that flows through central and northern Victoria, Australia. The river rises near Trentham and flows by Glenlyon. It then flows generally northward through Guildford and Newstead, 40 km west of Bendigo through the Cairn Curran...
. The creek in turn was named for explorer
European exploration of Australia
The European exploration of Australia encompasses several waves of seafarers and land explorers. Although Australia is often loosely said to have been discovered by Royal Navy Lieutenant James Cook in 1770, he was merely one of a number of European explorers to have sighted and landed on the...
Thomas Mitchell's description of the River Red Gum
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...
trees lining the rivers and creeks of the area.
Selectors began to take up allotments in 1862 and the townsite was established as Serpentine Creek in 1863. A Post Office under that name had been open since 1848, the name being changed to Serpentine in 1917.
It eventually became the seat of the then Shire of East Loddon
Shire of East Loddon
The Shire of East Loddon was a Local Government Area located about northwest of Bendigo in northwestern Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1864 until 1995.-History:...
. Today, Serpentine is a producer of grain and cattle and a popular place for anglers.
The Burke and Wills expedition
Burke and Wills expedition
In 1860–61, Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres...
is alleged to passed the townsite in 1860 while attempting to reach the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
.
The town has an Australian Rules football team (Bears Lagoon-Serpentine) competing in the Loddon Valley Football League
Loddon Valley Football League
The Loddon Valley Football League is based in Central Victoria.-History:The Loddon Valley Football League was formed in 1903 and is one of the oldest country leagues to have survived without a name change or amalgamation.-Current:...
.
External links
- SMH Travel site
- Loddon Shire Council - Official Site