Birchip, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Birchip
state = vic


caption = Location of Birchip in Victoria (red)
lga = Shire of Buloke
postcode = 3483
est =
pop = 822 (2006)Census 2006 AUS | id = SSC25165 | name = Birchip (State Suburb) | accessdate = 2007-10-01 | quick = on]
elevation= 102
maxtemp = 22.2
mintemp = 8.6
rainfall = 374.1
stategov = Swan Hill
fedgov = Mallee
dist1 = 312
dir1 = NW
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 172
dir2 = NW
location2= Bendigo
dist3 = 137
dir3 = NE
location3= Horsham
dist4 = 116
dir4 = SW
location4= Swan Hill
dist5 = 65
dir5 = NW
location5= Warracknabeal

Birchip is a town in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia on the Sunraysia Highway north of Donald. The town is located in the Shire of Buloke Local Government Area. At the 2006 census Birchip had a population of 822. It has a P-12 school, and an Australian rules football club, "The Bulls", also known as the Birchip-Watchem Bulls.

Closer settlement began in the area known as Wirrimbirchip around 1882 and a Post Office under that name opened on July 2, 1883 (Birchip from January 1, 1890). Citation

last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | accessdate = 2008-04-11 ] The town was surveyed as Birchip in 1887 though known by the inhabitants by the original name for quite some years later.

The farms in the area typically grow wheat, barley, canola, and other cereals. Some people have pig sheds, though most livestock in the district are sheep. There is a hospital which shares a lodge for elderly care.

Five main roads enter the town. It is located approximately 312 kilometres northwest of Victoria's capital city Melbourne. A road passes through Birchip that divides the Wimmera region of Victoria (to the south) from the Mallee region of Victoria (to the north). To travel to Birchip from Melbourne there are two preferred routes, one through Ballarat via the Sunraysia Highway and one through Bendigo via the Calder Highway. Each route's travel times are similar and the Ballarat route is more mountainous in some areas. There is an aerodrome for light aircraft.

Birchip is also home to the BCG (Birchip Cropping Group and Wimmera Farming Systems) - a farmer-driven agricultural organisation operating as a not-for-profit incorporated association, conducting applied research and extension on all the major crops grown in the Wimmera and Mallee. BCG aim to improve the profitability and long-term viability of Mallee and Wimmera communities through research, demonstration and exchange of ideas amongst farmers and industry groups. Citation

last = Birchip Cropping Group | title = crops| url = http://www.bcg.org.au | accessdate = 2008-05-11 ]

With its neighbouring township Watchem Birchip has a football team (Birchip-Watchem) competing in the North Central Football League.

References