Birregurra
| Birregurra Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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 Main street | |||||||||||||||
  Birregurra | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°20′0″S 143°47′0″E / 38.33333°S 143.78333°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 942 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3242 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Colac Otway Shire | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Polwarth | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Wannon | ||||||||||||||
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Birregurra, is a town in Colac Otway Shire, Victoria, Australia, approximately 130 kilometres (81 mi) south-west of Melbourne. At the 2021 census, it had a population of 942.[1]
The name comes from an Aboriginal word thought to mean "kangaroo camp".[2] The town is on Gulidjan Country.
History
[edit]In 1839, Wesleyan missionaries and the Victorian colonial government established the Buntingdale Aboriginal Mission in the area - Victoria's first Aboriginal mission.[3]
A post office opened in the area on 1 October 1858 and was renamed Mount Gellibrand in 1894, a few days before another nearby office was opened as Birregurra.[4]
Railway
[edit]The railway through the town opened in 1877,[5] as part of the line to the south-west of the state. A branch line to Forrest, which opened in 1891 and closed in 1957, junctioned with the main line at Birregurra.[5]
The local railway station is served by V/Line passenger services on the Warrnambool line.[6]
Sport
[edit]Birregurra has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Colac & District Football League.[7]
Birregurra also has a golf club.[8]
Education
[edit]The town has a primary school which had 92 students as of 2023[update],[9] and is located on Beal Street.
Businesses
[edit]The town has cafes, a local providore showcasing local produce, the Royal Mail Hotel, a general store, gift shops and a hairdresser.
Birregurra is home to the Brae restaurant, which was number 44 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2017.[10]
Local events
[edit]Birregurra is host to the Birregurra Festival and Art Show, which starts on the second full weekend of October each year.[11]
A produce market is held on the second Sunday of each month from November to April, where local vendors sell cakes, jewellery, plants, fresh fruit and vegetables, wine, arts and crafts.[12] Organisers hold a barbecue for patrons of the market and all proceeds return to the community.
Birregurra was the filming location for the fictional Victorian town of Haven Bay in season 1 of the Channel 10 television series The Henderson Kids.[13]
Notable people
[edit]- Mary Glowrey (1887–1957) was an Australian-born and educated doctor, who spent 37 years in India, where she set up healthcare facilities.
- Firth McCallum (1872–1910) was an Australian rules footballer with Geelong Football Club and was named among the top players of the 1899 VFL season.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Birregurra". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ "Birregurra". Victorian Places. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Francis Tuckfield". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions History. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b Brown, Sid (March 1990). "Tracks Across the State". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). pp. 71–76.
- ^ "Melbourne to Warrnambool" (PDF). V/Line. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Full Points Footy. "Birregurra". Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
- ^ Golf Select. "Birregurra". Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ "Birregurra Primary School". The Good Schools Guide. Good Education Media. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ "Brae". The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ Cornish, Richard (19 September 2014). "Six reasons to visit Birregurra". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Birregurra Sunday Market". Otway Harvest Trail. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "The Henderson Kids". AustLit. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Birregurra at Wikimedia Commons
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