Wodonga, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Wodonga
is a small city on the Victorian
side of the border with New South Wales
, 300 kilometres (186.4 mi) north-east of Melbourne
, Australia
. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury
. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA. Its population is approximately 30,000 people, and with Albury
forms an urban area with approximately 90,000 people.
, the town grew subsequent to the opening of the first bridge across the Murray in 1860.
Originally named Wodonga its name was changed to Belvoir then later back to Wodonga.
The Post Office opened 1 June 1856 although known as Belvoir until 26 July 1869.
It has been regarded as the smaller, less prosperous cousin of the two (once commonly referred to by locals as 'Struggle Town'). Whilst still somewhat smaller than Albury, economic growth in both areas has ameliorated such distinctions.
) as well as a variety of other, smaller enterprises. It also serves as a central point for the delivery of government services to the surrounding region.
It houses the Australian corporate headquarters for Mars Corp
. Wodonga is the site of an Australian Army
logistics base and a training centre for army technical apprentices, Latchford Barracks. It is also the home of a campus of La Trobe University
and Wodonga Institute of TAFE.
Several experiments in cross-border governance in an attempt to bring the cities of Albury and Wodonga together have been tried - see Albury-Wodonga
for details.
clubs in Wodonga, the Wodonga Football Club
, the Wodonga Raiders Football Club
and the Wodonga Saints Football Club. Wodonga and Wodonga Raiders compete in the Ovens & Murray Football League
, while the Wodonga Saints compete in the Tallangatta & District Football League
. There are many other sporting clubs in the region. Brisbane Lions
dual-premiership player Daniel Bradshaw
and celebrated Saint Kilda Saints forward Fraser Gehrig
is originally from Wodonga.
Wodonga is also home to a number of cricket clubs which compete in the Cricket Albury Wodonga (CAW) competition. These include the Belvoir Eagles, Wodonga Bulldogs and Wodonga Raiders.
Wodonga has a horse racing club, the Wodonga & District Turf Club, which schedules around seven race meetings a year including the Wodonga Cup meeting in November.
Golfers play the course at SS&A Wodonga on Parkers Road.
Much of the arts and theatrical activity in the region is conducted in a cross-border fashion; for instance HotHouse Theatre is located almost equidistant from the Wodonga and Albury city centres.
Australian Socceroos Archie Thompson
and Joshua Kennedy
played for soccer team Twin City Wanderers as children. Wodonga Diamonds Football Club and Wodonga Panthers Soccer Club are two other soccer clubs based in Wodonga. All three clubs compete in the Albury Wodonga Football Association.
The World's Biggest Rolling Pin (listed in the Guinness Book of World Records) is located in Wodonga, atop "Henri's Bakery".
Wodonga also has a radio controlled car site with both on road and off-road tracks on the Lincoln Causeway.
Wodonga is served by the Apex Club of Wodonga, the Wodonga Lions Club and two Rotary clubs - Belvoir Wodonga and Wodonga. Community Service is important to the Wodonga Community and activities such as the cities Australia Day Celebrations, Christmas Carols and the display of Santa's throughout the City over the festive season would not be possible without community service clubs. Recently Apexian Dean Freeman was awarded National Apexian of the Year for community service efforts throughout the area and overseas.
-Albury
and Melbourne
-Sydney
lines. The Sydney to Melbourne railway line, which runs through the centre of Wodonga is being relocated to the north of the town. A new railway station was also recently constructed. The new line was officially opened in late 2010, for which the town held a celebratory day for the last commercial passenger train to pass through the town center.
Wodonga is on the junction of the Hume Highway
(the main route from Melbourne to Sydney) and the Murray Valley Highway
(which follows the southern bank of the Murray River
).
Local public transport is provided by Dyson Group (which took over Mylon Motorways) who run buses on a number of routes both within Wodonga and to Albury. Bus services are generally quite infrequent and public transport use in Wodonga is very low. There are also long-distance bus services to the capitals.
There are a number of bicycle paths in Wodonga, including one to Albury.
Albury Airport
, which provides scheduled commuter flights to Melbourne and Sydney, is a short drive from Wodonga.
A daily tabloid owned by Fairfax Media, the Border Mail
, is printed in Wodonga. The Border Mail has offices in both Albury and Wodonga.
Television
Wodonga is part of the Albury-Wodonga/Murray/North-East Victoria television market and has access to all major TV networks. Channels available include Prime7 (part of the Seven Network
), WIN Television
(part of the Nine Network
), Southern Cross Ten
(part of Network Ten
), as well as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service
, more commonly known as SBS. Several of these networks also offer additional digital-only channels, including ABC2
, ABC3
, ABC News 24
, SBS Two, 7Two
, 7mate
, One HD, Eleven
, GEM
and GO!
.
Two television news bulletins featuring local content are offered in Albury-Wodonga and surrounding region. Prime7 broadcasts its bulletin live at 6.00pm from studios in Canberra
. WIN Television
's bulletin is produced in Ballarat but features Albury-Wodonga region based content, and airs on delay at 6.30pm. Southern Cross Ten also provides short local news updates which are produced in Shepparton, Victoria, however these do not feature significant local content from the Albury-Wodonga region.
Radio
There are three commercial radio stations broadcasting into Wodonga that are based over the border in Albury, namely 1494 2AY
, 105.7 The River, and Star FM
on 104.9 FM. Notably, Star FM's south eastern network is programmed out of the Albury/Wodonga Hub, going to centres around New South Wales
, Victoria
, Tasmania
and into South Australia
. Broadcast out of the same building is 105.7 The River, which is also networked to local stations around New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
Albury/Wodonga is one radio market, thus advertisements are directed to both sides of the border. The Albury/Wodonga market underwent significant change in 2005 when Macquarie Southern Cross Media bought 105.7 The River from RG Capital Radio Network
, and 2AY and Star FM from the DMG Radio Australia
. Due to cross-media ownership laws preventing the ownership of more than two stations in one market, Macquarie was required to sell one of these stations and in September 2005 sold 2AY to the Ace Radio
network. 2AY takes its night time programming from 3AW
Melbourne.
Commercial radio stations from Wangaratta (3NE, Edge FM) and Shepparton (3SR, Star FM) can also be received in some parts of Wodonga.
The ABC
produces breakfast and morning radio programs through its local radio network, from the studios of ABC Goulburn Murray
located in Wodonga. The rest of their content is delivered from Melbourne
. The ABC also deliver, ABC Radio National, ABC Classic FM
, and Triple J
on 103.3 FM.
There is also a community radio station known as 2REM 107.3 FM. The Albury-Wodonga Community Radio station play a large amount of speciality programs including those for the retiree, ethnic and aboriginal communities throughout the day and a range of musical styles including underground and independent artists from 8:00pm onwards.
In addition, the area is serviced by a Radio for the Print Handicapped
station, 2APH, on 101.7 FM. Wodonga TAFE's broadcasting training station, 87.8 Wodonga TAFE Radio
. Albury-Wodonga Christian Broadcasters transmits as 100.7 The Light http://www.thelight.org.au/ and dance formatted narrowcaster RawFM on 87.6 FM.
Wodonga is in the federal
Division of Indi
. The current representative for the Division of Indi
is Liberal Party of Australia
member Sophie Mirabella
.
State Government
Wodonga is in the Victorian
Electoral district of Benambra
. Bill Tilley
of the Liberal Party
was elected member for the electoral district of Benambra
in the 2006 Victorian State Election
in November 2006. He was re-elected in the November 2010 Victorian State Election.
, and a school for Years 7, 8 and 9, known as Wodonga Middle Years College
, on two campuses; Felltimber and Huon Campus. The former 3 public high schools in Wodonga were Wodonga High School
, Mitchell Secondary College
and Wodonga West Secondary College
. Wodonga High School celebrated its 50th birthday in 2005.
Seven private schools in Wodonga are Catholic College Wodonga
, Trinity Anglican College, Victory Lutheran College, Mount Carmel Christian School, St Augustines Primary School, St Monicas Primary School and Frayne College
.
Higher education is served by the Wodonga Institute of TAFE and La Trobe University
.
Wodonga is also home to the Flying Fruit Fly Circus School
, the educational arm of The Flying Fruit Fly Circus
, that provides educational services with an emphasis on the performing arts
and contemporary circus
training. In 2003 a devastating fire destroyed the school's facilities at, then Wodonga High School
, and the school relocated to Wodonga West Secondary College
(now Wodonga Middle Years College
Felltimber Campus).
is a small city on the Victorian
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....
side of the border with 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...
, 300 kilometres (186.4 mi) north-east 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...
, 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...
. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA. Its population is approximately 30,000 people, and with Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
forms an urban area with approximately 90,000 people.
History
Founded as a customs post with its twin city Albury on the other side of the Murray RiverMurray 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...
, the town grew subsequent to the opening of the first bridge across the Murray in 1860.
Originally named Wodonga its name was changed to Belvoir then later back to Wodonga.
The Post Office opened 1 June 1856 although known as Belvoir until 26 July 1869.
It has been regarded as the smaller, less prosperous cousin of the two (once commonly referred to by locals as 'Struggle Town'). Whilst still somewhat smaller than Albury, economic growth in both areas has ameliorated such distinctions.
Industry
Major secondary industries based in Wodonga include 'LOGIC' a logistics distributions hub, a large cattle market, a pet food factory (Mars Corporation), a cardboard box factory (VISY), an abattoir and a foundry (Bradken LimitedBradken Limited
Bradken Limited is a global manufacturing company headquartered in Australia. The company is a component of the S&P/ASX 200 index. Bradken has 26 manufacturing facilities throughout Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and China.Bradken is a manufacturer and...
) as well as a variety of other, smaller enterprises. It also serves as a central point for the delivery of government services to the surrounding region.
It houses the Australian corporate headquarters for Mars Corp
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,...
. Wodonga is the site of an Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
logistics base and a training centre for army technical apprentices, Latchford Barracks. It is also the home of a campus of La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
and Wodonga Institute of TAFE.
Several experiments in cross-border governance in an attempt to bring the cities of Albury and Wodonga together have been tried - see Albury-Wodonga
Albury-Wodonga
Albury-Wodonga is the broad settlement incorporating the twin Australian cities of Albury and Wodonga, which are separated geographically by the Murray River and politically by a state border: Albury on the north of the river is part of New South Wales while Wodonga on the south bank is in...
for details.
Sport and culture
There are three Australian rules footballAustralian 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...
clubs in Wodonga, the Wodonga Football Club
Wodonga Football Club
The Wodonga Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Ovens & Murray Football League.The club is based in Wodonga, Victoria.Wodonga made four consecutive grand finals from 1967 to 1970, winning two premierships....
, the Wodonga Raiders Football Club
Wodonga Raiders Football Club
The Wodonga Raiders FC, originally played in the Tallangatta & District Football League as the Kergunyah Football Club. This club once played in the Yackandandah DFA....
and the Wodonga Saints Football Club. Wodonga and Wodonga Raiders compete in the Ovens & Murray Football League
Ovens & Murray Football League
The Ovens and Murray Football League, often referred to locally as the O&M, is a semi-professional Australian rules football league based around ten clubs in north-eastern Victoria and the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, and affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League...
, while the Wodonga Saints compete in the Tallangatta & District Football League
Tallangatta & District Football League
The Tallangatta and District Football League is an Australian rules football competition in north-east Victoria and the southern/border region of the New South Wales Riverina...
. There are many other sporting clubs in the region. Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
dual-premiership player Daniel Bradshaw
Daniel Bradshaw
Daniel Mark Bradshaw is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League....
and celebrated Saint Kilda Saints forward Fraser Gehrig
Fraser Gehrig
Fraser Gehrig is a retired Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League who played for the St Kilda Football Club and the West Coast Eagles...
is originally from Wodonga.
Wodonga is also home to a number of cricket clubs which compete in the Cricket Albury Wodonga (CAW) competition. These include the Belvoir Eagles, Wodonga Bulldogs and Wodonga Raiders.
Wodonga has a horse racing club, the Wodonga & District Turf Club, which schedules around seven race meetings a year including the Wodonga Cup meeting in November.
Golfers play the course at SS&A Wodonga on Parkers Road.
Much of the arts and theatrical activity in the region is conducted in a cross-border fashion; for instance HotHouse Theatre is located almost equidistant from the Wodonga and Albury city centres.
Australian Socceroos Archie Thompson
Archie Thompson
Archibald Gerald Thompson is a New Zealand-born Australian professional football player, currently playing for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League, where he holds the League all time scoring record...
and Joshua Kennedy
Joshua Kennedy
Joshua Blake Kennedy is an Australian professional football player who plays as a striker for the Australia national association football team and Nagoya Grampus.- Club career :...
played for soccer team Twin City Wanderers as children. Wodonga Diamonds Football Club and Wodonga Panthers Soccer Club are two other soccer clubs based in Wodonga. All three clubs compete in the Albury Wodonga Football Association.
The World's Biggest Rolling Pin (listed in the Guinness Book of World Records) is located in Wodonga, atop "Henri's Bakery".
Wodonga also has a radio controlled car site with both on road and off-road tracks on the Lincoln Causeway.
Wodonga is served by the Apex Club of Wodonga, the Wodonga Lions Club and two Rotary clubs - Belvoir Wodonga and Wodonga. Community Service is important to the Wodonga Community and activities such as the cities Australia Day Celebrations, Christmas Carols and the display of Santa's throughout the City over the festive season would not be possible without community service clubs. Recently Apexian Dean Freeman was awarded National Apexian of the Year for community service efforts throughout the area and overseas.
Transport
Wodonga railway station lies on the MelbourneMelbourne
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...
-Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
and 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...
-Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
lines. The Sydney to Melbourne railway line, which runs through the centre of Wodonga is being relocated to the north of the town. A new railway station was also recently constructed. The new line was officially opened in late 2010, for which the town held a celebratory day for the last commercial passenger train to pass through the town center.
Wodonga is on the junction of the Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
(the main route from Melbourne to Sydney) and the Murray Valley Highway
Murray Valley Highway
The Murray Valley Highway is a popular tourist route, which follows the south side of the Murray River in Victoria, Australia. The route effectively acts as the northern-most highway in Victoria...
(which follows the southern bank of the 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...
).
Local public transport is provided by Dyson Group (which took over Mylon Motorways) who run buses on a number of routes both within Wodonga and to Albury. Bus services are generally quite infrequent and public transport use in Wodonga is very low. There are also long-distance bus services to the capitals.
There are a number of bicycle paths in Wodonga, including one to Albury.
Albury Airport
Albury Airport
Albury Airport is a regional airport located near Albury, New South Wales, Australia. The airport also serves Albury's adjacent sister city of Wodonga, Victoria....
, which provides scheduled commuter flights to Melbourne and Sydney, is a short drive from Wodonga.
Media
PrintA daily tabloid owned by Fairfax Media, the Border Mail
The Border Mail
The Border Mail is a daily newspaper published in Albury-Wodonga, Australia, serving the twin cities and the surrounding region.The first edition was printed on 24 October 1903 by editor Hamilton Mott and his brother Decimus...
, is printed in Wodonga. The Border Mail has offices in both Albury and Wodonga.
Television
Wodonga is part of the Albury-Wodonga/Murray/North-East Victoria television market and has access to all major TV networks. Channels available include Prime7 (part of the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
), WIN Television
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
(part of the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
), Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten is an Australian television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The channel is owned by the Macquarie Media Group as is affiliated to Network Ten...
(part of Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
), as well as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
, more commonly known as SBS. Several of these networks also offer additional digital-only channels, including ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
, ABC3
ABC3
-Future shows:Programming confirmed for future broadcast will include:* After School Care * Bindi's Boot Camp * Bushwacked! * Dance Academy * Dancing Down Under...
, ABC News 24
ABC News 24
ABC News 24 is an Australian 24-hour news channel launched and owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The channel replaced the former ABC High Definition simulcast of ABC1 and commenced broadcasting at 7:30pm 5:30 on Thursday, 22 July 2010.-Pre-launch:The ABC announced in January 2010...
, SBS Two, 7Two
7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
, 7mate
7mate
7mate is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010.The network stated that 7mate would contain sport and regular programs aimed primarily at a male audience, with programming drawn from a combination of new...
, One HD, Eleven
Eleven (TV channel)
Eleven is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel, which was launched by ElevenCo, on 11 January 2011.-Joint venture:...
, GEM
GEM
-Broadcasting and entertainment:* G.E.M., a pop singer from Hong Kong* GEM , an Australian free-to-air TV Channel* Gem , stylized as GEM, an indie rock band from Utrecht, The Netherlands...
and GO!
Go! (Australian TV channel)
GO! is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 9 August 2009.-Origins:...
.
Two television news bulletins featuring local content are offered in Albury-Wodonga and surrounding region. Prime7 broadcasts its bulletin live at 6.00pm from studios in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. WIN Television
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
's bulletin is produced in Ballarat but features Albury-Wodonga region based content, and airs on delay at 6.30pm. Southern Cross Ten also provides short local news updates which are produced in Shepparton, Victoria, however these do not feature significant local content from the Albury-Wodonga region.
Radio
There are three commercial radio stations broadcasting into Wodonga that are based over the border in Albury, namely 1494 2AY
2AY
2AY is an AM radio station broadcasting from Albury, New South Wales, to South West New South Wales and North East Victoria.-History:2AY Albury was started by Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited, and opened on December 17, 1930. In recent times, 2AY, and Star FM Albury, were owned by DMG Radio...
, 105.7 The River, and Star FM
Star FM (Australian radio network)
Star FM is an Australian radio network, consisting of stations in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.The brand was created in 1999 by DMG Radio Australia. In 2004 Macquarie Regional RadioWorks bought all the stations except Star 104.5FM on the New South Wales Central Coast which is...
on 104.9 FM. Notably, Star FM's south eastern network is programmed out of the Albury/Wodonga Hub, going to centres around 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...
, 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....
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and into South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. Broadcast out of the same building is 105.7 The River, which is also networked to local stations around New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
Albury/Wodonga is one radio market, thus advertisements are directed to both sides of the border. The Albury/Wodonga market underwent significant change in 2005 when Macquarie Southern Cross Media bought 105.7 The River from RG Capital Radio Network
RG Capital Radio Network
Before being sold to Macquarie Bank, RG Capital was in a majority ownership by Australian gameshow king Reg Grundy.-Timeline:*1995 - Reg Grundy acquires SEA FM radio group for $66m*2000 - Floated on ASX...
, and 2AY and Star FM from the DMG Radio Australia
DMG Radio Australia
DMG Radio Australia operates commercial radio networks in metropolitan and regional areas of Australia. The company is 50% owned by United Kingdom company, Daily Mail and General Trust Group. Lachlan Murdoch's Illyria Pty Ltd bought 50% of the company in November 2009.DMG Radio Australia was formed...
. Due to cross-media ownership laws preventing the ownership of more than two stations in one market, Macquarie was required to sell one of these stations and in September 2005 sold 2AY to the Ace Radio
Ace Radio
ACE Radio is an Australian radio company, owning several AM and FM stations in Victoria.Its latest acquisition is 2AY Albury Wodonga, purchased from Macquarie Regional RadioWorks in 2005.-AM network:*1494 2AY Albury-Wodonga...
network. 2AY takes its night time programming from 3AW
3AW
3AW is a talkback radio station in Melbourne, Australia on 693 kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station.-History:...
Melbourne.
Commercial radio stations from Wangaratta (3NE, Edge FM) and Shepparton (3SR, Star FM) can also be received in some parts of Wodonga.
The ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
produces breakfast and morning radio programs through its local radio network, from the studios of ABC Goulburn Murray
ABC Goulburn Murray
ABC Goulburn Murray is an ABC Local Radio station based in Albury-Wodonga, formerly known as 2CO. From studios located in Wodonga, the station covers parts of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales including Albury, Wodonga, Wangaratta, and Benalla.The station's lineup of local programming...
located in Wodonga. The rest of their content is delivered from 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...
. The ABC also deliver, ABC Radio National, ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM is a classical music radio station available in Australia, and internationally online. It is operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established in 1976 as "ABC-FM", and later for a short time was known as "ABC Fine Music" , before adopting its current name...
, and Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
on 103.3 FM.
There is also a community radio station known as 2REM 107.3 FM. The Albury-Wodonga Community Radio station play a large amount of speciality programs including those for the retiree, ethnic and aboriginal communities throughout the day and a range of musical styles including underground and independent artists from 8:00pm onwards.
In addition, the area is serviced by a Radio for the Print Handicapped
Radio Print Handicapped Network
RPH Australia is the national peak representative organisaion for a unique Australian network of radio reading service designed to meet the daily information needs of people who, for any reason, are unable to access normal printed material...
station, 2APH, on 101.7 FM. Wodonga TAFE's broadcasting training station, 87.8 Wodonga TAFE Radio
Wodonga TAFE Radio
Wodonga TAFE Radio is a narrowcast radio station broadcasting on 87.8 MHz. It operates from a studio at the Wodonga Institute of TAFE, McCoy Street, Wodonga, and began broadcasting in June 2005. The station is staffed entirely by students of the Institute's broadcasting course...
. Albury-Wodonga Christian Broadcasters transmits as 100.7 The Light http://www.thelight.org.au/ and dance formatted narrowcaster RawFM on 87.6 FM.
Government
Federal GovernmentWodonga is in the federal
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
Division of Indi
Division of Indi
The Division of Indi is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. It is located in north-eastern Victoria. Its northern border is formed by the Murray River...
. The current representative for the Division of Indi
Division of Indi
The Division of Indi is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. It is located in north-eastern Victoria. Its northern border is formed by the Murray River...
is Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member Sophie Mirabella
Sophie Mirabella
Sophie Mirabella is an Australian federal politician. She has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2001, representing the Division of Indi, Victoria...
.
State Government
Wodonga is in the Victorian
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....
Electoral district of Benambra
Electoral district of Benambra
The Electoral district of Benambra is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is located in north-east Victoria and includes the towns of Chiltern, Wodonga, Yackandandah, Beechworth, Tallangatta, and Corryong...
. Bill Tilley
Bill Tilley
Bill Tilley is the Liberal Party of Australia member for the seat of Benambra in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. He was elected at the 2006 Victorian state election, beating Labor candidate and Wodonga mayor Lisa Mahood and former Nationals Upper House member Bill Baxter.Prior to his candidacy,...
of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
was elected member for the electoral district of Benambra
Electoral district of Benambra
The Electoral district of Benambra is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is located in north-east Victoria and includes the towns of Chiltern, Wodonga, Yackandandah, Beechworth, Tallangatta, and Corryong...
in the 2006 Victorian State Election
Victorian state election, 2006
An election for the 56th Parliament of Victoria took place on Saturday, 25 November 2006. Just over 3 million Victorians registered to vote elected 88 members to the Legislative Assembly and, for the first time, 40 members to the Legislative Council under a proportional representation system...
in November 2006. He was re-elected in the November 2010 Victorian State Election.
Education
From 2006, the three government high schools have merged to form a senior college for Years 10, 11 and 12, known as Wodonga Senior Secondary CollegeWodonga Senior Secondary College
Wodonga Senior Secondary College is a public school in Wodonga, Victoria. It was formed in 2005-2006 when the three public schools in Wodonga; Wodonga High School, Wodonga West Secondary College, and Mitchell Secondary College merged together and pooled resources, as part of a plan to address...
, and a school for Years 7, 8 and 9, known as Wodonga Middle Years College
Wodonga Middle Years College
Wodonga Middle Years College is a public school in Wodonga, Victoria, Australia. It is a single college consisting of two campuses, Felltimber and Huon, based on the grounds and facilities of the former public schools Wodonga West Secondary College and Mitchell Secondary College, respectively...
, on two campuses; Felltimber and Huon Campus. The former 3 public high schools in Wodonga were Wodonga High School
Wodonga High School
Wodonga High School was one of three public secondary schools educating Years 7-12 in Wodonga, Victoria. It was founded in 1955, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005 under principal, Peter McLean....
, Mitchell Secondary College
Mitchell Secondary College
Mitchell Secondary College was one of three public secondary schools educating years 7-12 in Wodonga, Victoria. In 2005-2006 it formally merged and pooled resources with the other two public secondary schools in Wodonga, Wodonga High School and Wodonga West Secondary College...
and Wodonga West Secondary College
Wodonga West Secondary College
Wodonga West Secondary was one of three public secondary schools educating Years 7-9 in Wodonga, Victoria. In 2005-2006 it formally merged and pooled resources with the other two public secondary schools in Wodonga, Wodonga High School and Mitchell Secondary College...
. Wodonga High School celebrated its 50th birthday in 2005.
Seven private schools in Wodonga are Catholic College Wodonga
Catholic College Wodonga
Catholic College is a co-educational Catholic school in Wodonga, Victoria, Australia, catering for students in Years 7 to 12. Founded by the Wodonga Parish in 1979, Catholic College aims to “bring life in Jesus’ name” and to continue the work of the Sisters of Mercy in educating young people for a...
, Trinity Anglican College, Victory Lutheran College, Mount Carmel Christian School, St Augustines Primary School, St Monicas Primary School and Frayne College
Frayne College
Frayne College is a co-educational school located in Baranduda, Victoria, for students from prep - Year 9.The college has a focus on the environment and individual growth...
.
Higher education is served by the Wodonga Institute of TAFE and La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
.
Wodonga is also home to the Flying Fruit Fly Circus School
Flying Fruit Fly Circus School
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus School in Wodonga, Victoria is the only primary and secondary-level circus school in Australia. It was founded in 1987 as the educational arm of The Flying Fruit Fly Circus...
, the educational arm of The Flying Fruit Fly Circus
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus is a full-time children's circus in Australia, on the Murray River in the twin towns Albury-Wodonga on the Victoria New South Wales border. . Many of the children attend their schooling at the Flying Fruit Fly Circus School where they undertake educational studies as...
, that provides educational services with an emphasis on the performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
and contemporary circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
training. In 2003 a devastating fire destroyed the school's facilities at, then Wodonga High School
Wodonga High School
Wodonga High School was one of three public secondary schools educating Years 7-12 in Wodonga, Victoria. It was founded in 1955, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005 under principal, Peter McLean....
, and the school relocated to Wodonga West Secondary College
Wodonga West Secondary College
Wodonga West Secondary was one of three public secondary schools educating Years 7-9 in Wodonga, Victoria. In 2005-2006 it formally merged and pooled resources with the other two public secondary schools in Wodonga, Wodonga High School and Mitchell Secondary College...
(now Wodonga Middle Years College
Wodonga Middle Years College
Wodonga Middle Years College is a public school in Wodonga, Victoria, Australia. It is a single college consisting of two campuses, Felltimber and Huon, based on the grounds and facilities of the former public schools Wodonga West Secondary College and Mitchell Secondary College, respectively...
Felltimber Campus).