Wannon River
Encyclopedia
Wannon River is a river in Victoria
, Australia. It is a tributary
of the Glenelg River
and its total length is approximately 220 kilometres (137 mi) from its headwaters in the Grampians
north of Dunkeld
where it joins with the Glenelg River south of Casterton
.
The river passes alongside Dunkeld and through the townships of Cavendish
and Wannon. Hamilton
, Coleraine
and Penshurst
lie within the river basin.
Of historic importance is the role of the river in the early settlement of the area by the Henty Brothers
.
The main land use along the river is production of sheep for wool. Other land uses include production of sheep for prime lambs and cattle for beef.
Two waterfalls of note are found on the river approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Hamilton: Wannon Falls
and Nigretta Falls
. These are tourist attractions with facilities for visitors. Impressionist
painter Louis Buvelot
painted many scenes around the falls and the river in the 1880s.
The Division of Wannon
,an Australian Electoral Division, held from 1955 until 1983
by former Prime Minister of Australia
Malcolm Fraser
is named after the river.
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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. It is 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 Glenelg River
Glenelg River (Victoria)
The Glenelg River is a river in southwestern Victoria and southeastern South Australia in Australia. The river starts in the Grampian Ranges and runs for over 350 kilometres, making it the longest river in south-west Victoria. A short stretch of the lower end winds through South Australia before...
and its total length is approximately 220 kilometres (137 mi) from its headwaters in the Grampians
Grampians National Park
The Grampians National Park is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne. The Park was listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 15 December 2006 for its outstanding natural beauty and being one of the richest indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern...
north of Dunkeld
Dunkeld, Victoria
Dunkeld is a town in Victoria, Australia at the southern end of the Grampians National Park, in the Shire of Southern Grampians. It is approx 283 km west of Melbourne on the Glenelg Highway. The town's population is holding steady but ageing...
where it joins with the Glenelg River south of Casterton
Casterton, Victoria
Casterton is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Glenelg Highway, 42 kilometres east of the South Australian border, in the Shire of Glenelg. The Glenelg River passes through the town...
.
The river passes alongside Dunkeld and through the townships of Cavendish
Cavendish, Victoria
Cavendish is a township in the Shire of Southern Grampians in the Western District of Victoria, Australia on the Wannon River. At the 2006 census, Cavendish and the surrounding area had a population of 454....
and Wannon. Hamilton
Hamilton, Victoria
Hamilton is a city in western Victoria, Australia. It is located at the intersection of the Glenelg Highway and the Henty Highway...
, Coleraine
Coleraine, Victoria
Coleraine is a town in Victoria, Australia on the Glenelg Highway, west of the state capital, Melbourne and north-west of Hamilton in the Shire of Southern Grampians local government area. It was named after the town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland...
and Penshurst
Penshurst, Victoria
Penshurst is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Shire of Southern Grampians local government area and is located at the foot of Mount Rouse, an extinct volcano. At the 2006 census, Penshurst had a population of 461...
lie within the river basin.
Of historic importance is the role of the river in the early settlement of the area by the Henty Brothers
Henty Brothers
Henty Brothers may refer to one of:* James Henty founded James Henty and Company, merchants* William Henty solicitor, member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council for Tamar, and colonial secretary in the Weston cabinet....
.
The main land use along the river is production of sheep for wool. Other land uses include production of sheep for prime lambs and cattle for beef.
Two waterfalls of note are found on the river approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Hamilton: Wannon Falls
Wannon Falls
Wannon Falls are waterfalls located in the Southern Grampians Shire, 19 km west of Hamilton, Victoria, Australia. The Falls are fed by the Wannon River that has its head waters in the Grampians mountains. The Falls plunge over a lava basalt cliff dropping into a large pool 30 metres below....
and Nigretta Falls
Nigretta Falls
The Nigretta Falls are waterfalls located in the Southern Grampians Shire, 16 km west of Hamilton, Victoria, Australia. The Falls are fed by the Wannon River that has its head waters in the Grampians mountains...
. These are tourist attractions with facilities for visitors. Impressionist
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
painter Louis Buvelot
Louis Buvelot
Louis Buvelot , born Abram-Louis Buvelot, was a Swiss-born landscape painter who emigrated to Australia in 1865 and influenced the Heidelberg School of painters.-Early life:...
painted many scenes around the falls and the river in the 1880s.
The Division of Wannon
Division of Wannon
The Division of Wannon is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the south-west of the state, and encompasses most of the Western Region of the state. It adjoins the South Australian border in the west, and the Bass Strait coast in the south. The Division...
,an Australian Electoral Division, held from 1955 until 1983
by former Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Malcolm Fraser
Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
is named after the river.
External links
- http://maps.google.com/maps?q=-37.671619,141.841013&ie=UTF8&ll=-37.671619,141.841013&spn=-37.671619,141.841013&z=14&layer=c&cbll=-37.671619,141.841013&panoid=EmeE30Iz1DMWqnNXAGeGFw&cbp=1,0,,0,5/Google Street View- The river at Wannon from the bridge on the Glenelg HighwayGlenelg HighwayThe Glenelg Highway is a 301 kilometre highway in south-eastern Australia, linking Mount Gambier with Ballarat. Most of the highway is located within the Western part of the state of Victoria; except for a short, 15 km stretch from the South Australia/Victoria state border near Ardno to...
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