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Ararat, Victoria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ararat Victoria |
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 The main street, looking west |
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| Population: | 8215 (2006)[1] |
| Established: | 1850s |
| Postcode: | 3377 |
| Area: | 12.6 km² (4.9 sq mi) |
| Property Value: | AUD $145,500 (2006) |
| Location: | 205 km (127 mi) from Melbourne |
| LGA: | Rural City of Ararat |
| Federal Division: | Wannon |
Ararat () is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia.
Ararat is the largest town in the local government area known as the Rural City of Ararat. The town is approximately 205 kilometres west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway. Ararat is in the federal Division of Wannon. It has a population of approximately 8220.
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In 1836, surveyor Thomas Mitchell passed through the area.
In 1841, Horatio Wills, on his way to selecting country further south, wrote in his diary, "like the Ark we rested" and named a nearby hill Mt Ararat. It is from this entry and the nearby Mount that the town takes its name.[2]
Ararat began as the result of a short-lived gold boom which began in 1857. Vines were planted in 1863 by French settlers.
Primary industries in the region include wool, beef and wine. A regional campus of the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE is located in Ararat. The town has a regional airport YARA (ARY). It is the sister city to Taishan, China.
Tourist attractions include:
- J Ward, a gaol for criminally insane closed in 1991 and now a museum
- The Gaol House Rock Festival
- Challicum Hills Wind Farm
- The Gum San Gold Museum
- The Golden Gateway Festival
- Numerous local wineries
- Close to the Grampians National Park
Two Royal Australian Navy ships have been named after this town. HMAS Ararat (K 34), a Bathurst class corvette, and HMAS Ararat (ACPB 89), an Armidale class patrol boat.
The city is located on the Western Highway. Ararat station is serviced by V/Line to and from Melbourne, as well as The Overland service from Melbourne to Adelaide.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Ararat (State Suburb). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ LocalHero. Local history of Ararat.
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| Melbourne |
| Ararat · Ballarat · Benalla · Bendigo · Geelong · Hamilton · Horsham · Moe · Morwell · Mildura · Portland · Sale · Shepparton · Swan Hill · Traralgon · Wangaratta · Warrnambool · Wodonga |
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This Victorian geography article is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |