Wangaratta, Victoria
Encyclopedia : W : WA : WAN : Wangaratta, Victoria
Wangaratta is a city of about 19,000 people in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, about 230 km (150 mi) from Melbourne along the Hume Highway, with Benalla 45 km (25 mi) to the southwest, and Albury-Wodonga 72 km (40 mi) to the northeast. It is located at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers which flow from the Victorian alps. It is within the municipality of Rural City of Wangaratta.
The main annual event is the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, which has been attended by thousands each year since 1990.
Gold was found in the surrounding area during the 1800s and this is reflected in the name of a nearby ghost town of El Dorado where the remains of an old dredge can still be seen today.
Wangaratta is the closest city or town of any size to Falls Creek and Mount Hotham, Victoria's best snowfields, and there is a considerable wine and gourmet food industry in the nearby Milawa region. The nearby small town of Glenrowan is well known as the site of the final shootout that led to the capture of Australia's most famous bushranger, Ned Kelly.
Notable buildings include the Anglican Cathedral and its Cathedral Close (unique in Australia), as well as the eccentric art déco courthouse.
The geographical layout of the city is unusual in that the business district is located at the northeastern extremity of the urban area, with outlying suburbs extending only to the south and west. The reason for this arrangement is that the area beyond the rivers, to the north and east of the business district, was until the 1970s prone to flooding and so unsuitable for building. Levees were constructed in the 1970s to alleviate the flooding, however development in this area has been slow.
In 2005, the city hosted many games for the Australian Football International Cup event, with several countries competing in the sport of Australian Rules Football.
Wangaratta has four secondary schools: Galen Catholic College (private), Cathedral College (private), Wangaratta High School, Ovens Secondary College (to be amalgamated with Wangaratta High School in 2007). There is also the Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE.
Historically, there was disagreement about whether the first syllable should be pronounced 'Wong' or 'Wang', the latter pronunciation being perceived as slightly less cultured, at least by those within the city itself. The 'Wong' pronunciation was never used by a majority of the population, and never received any wide currency outside the district. It was officially disavowed by the Wangaratta City Council's declaration in favour of the 'Wang' pronunciation in the 1980s. Some locals, particularly the elderly, continue to use the 'Wong' pronunciation.
Locals often abbreviate the name of Wangaratta, to produce the unfortunate, yet amusing placename of 'Wang'.
The station is on the main railway line between Sydney and Melbourne and is served by VLine services from Albury as well as a twice daily Countrylink XPT service to and from Sydney.
Radio stations
- ABC Classic FM 96.1
- 3WPR Community FM 101.3
- The Edge 102.1 FM (commercial)
- Triple J 103.3/94.5 FM
- ABC Goulburn Murray 106.5 FM/97.7 FM
- Radio National 990 AM/756 AM
- 3NE 1566 AM (commercial)
- See also: List of Australian radio stations
Bibliography
- Why Wangaratta, and Moments in Jazz (books on the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues).
- O'Callaghan, Bill and Bill Findlay (1984). "Wangaratta, 1959–1984: A Silver City", City of Wangaratta.
- (1927) "Wangaratta: Capital of North Eastern Victoria", Committee of the Back to Wangaratta Celebrations.
- Whittaker, D. M. (1963). "Wangaratta: Being the History of the Township that sprang up at Ovens Crossing and grew into a modern City", Wangaratta City Council.
External links
| Countrylink Southern | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albury | ↔ | Wangaratta | ↔ | Benalla |
|
Cities of Victoria
| Capital: |
Melbourne
| Cities: |
Ararat |
Ballarat |
Benalla |
Bendigo |
Geelong |
Latrobe City |
Mildura |
Portland |
Shepparton |
Swan Hill |
Wangaratta |
Warrnambool |
Wodonga
| |
|---|
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