Benalla, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Benalla
state = vic
locator_x = 170
locator_y = 144

---

caption = Aerial view from the east
lga = Rural City of Benalla
postcode = 3672
pop = 10,035 (2006 census) [Census 2006 AUS|id = SSC25127 |name = Benalla|accessdate = 2007-07-01 ]
est = 1840s
elevation= 169.5
maxtemp = 22.0
mintemp = 8.7
rainfall = 670.5
stategov = Benalla
fedgov = Indi
dist1 = 40
location1= Wangaratta
dist2 = 188
location2= Melbourne
dist3= 61
location3= Shepparton

Benalla is an agricultural city of about 10,000 people located just off the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, about 40 kilometres south of Wangaratta. Its Local Government Area is the Rural City of Benalla.

Overview

The site was originally taken up as a pastoral run by the Reverend Joseph Docker in 1838 and called "Benalta Run", from the Aboriginal word for Musk Duck. A town was laid out on the site in 1846. The Post Office opened on December 1, 1844 but named Broken River until January 1, 1854 Citation
last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocd.w?
access-date = 2008-04-11 ]

The Broken River can cause extensive flooding. There is a park and walking track along the river at Benalla, featuring a ceramic sculpture community that was created as part of an employment project for local artists some years ago.

Industries include agricultural support services, tourism, a medium density fibreboard factory, Thales Australia ammunition factory and aviation. The rose gardens and the annual Rose Festival dating from 1967 have contributed to tourism.

Benalla has a regional airport YBLA (BLN) which began life as a major RAAF training base during the second world war and now also serves as the home of the Gliding Club of Victoria as well as a ballooning and ultralight centre.

The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Goulburn Valley Football LeagueCitation | last = Full Points Footy | title = Benalla | url = http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Benalla.htm | accessdate = 2008-07-25 ] and a team ( Benalla All Blacks) competing in the Ovens & King Football League.

The Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE has a campus in Benalla which includes the "Benalla Performing Arts and Convention Centre" opened by the Minister of Education in 2004. [Media Release, Minister for Education " [http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/798c8b072d117a01ca256c8c0019bb01/92a64f19d043f00aca256f4d00026c60!OpenDocument Kosky opens $4.2 Millon Benalla Performing Arts Centre] ", Lynne Kosky, Victorian Government, November 12, 2004. Accessed September 8, 2008]

Benalla is where champion cyclist Baden Cooke was born and the place of war hero Sir (Ernest) Edward "Weary" Dunlop's education.

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.

In October 2002 Benalla was the scene of a rail accident when a B-Double semi trailer collided with a heritage steam train. Three people were killed and a fourth received severe burns when the locomotive rolled onto its side. [cite news |title= Three dead, one critical in steam train crash |url= http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/14/1034222688434.html |format= html |publisher= Sydney Morning Herald |location= Sydney |date= 2002-10-14 |accessdate=2008-02-18 ] [cite news |title= Three killed in Benalla train crash |url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200210/s700190.htm |format=html |publisher= Australian Broadcasting Corporation |location= |date= 2002-010-13 |accessdate=2008-02-18 ] [cite web |url= http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2002/RAIR/rair2002003.aspx |title= Rail Safety Investigation Report - Final |accessdate= 2008-02-18 |author= |last= |first= |format= html |work= Collision between steam passenger Train 8382 & Loaded B-double truck |publisher= Australian Transport Safety Bureau] The driver of the truck was charged but later acquitted of culpable driving.

Notable residents

*Edward "Weary" Dunlop - Surgeon and World War II Prisoner of War.
*Baden Cooke - Olympic Cyclist
*Mark Seymour - Lead singer of Hunters & Collectors and solo artist.
*Nick Seymour - Bass player in Crowded House.
*Lisa Maxwell - Rock/Pop/Alternative solo artist.
*Ivan Durrant - Prominent Australian artist, works displayed worldwide.
*Albert Ernest Kitson - Geologist and Naturalist
*Tom Long - Actor
*Hugh Sawrey - Prominent Australian Artist, works displayed worldwide
*Tommy Dunderdale - Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
*Hector Waller - captain of the light cruiser HMAS Perth in the Second World War

References

* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/AS/7/Benalla.html FallingRain Map - elevation = 158m]
* Wilson, Robert. "The book of Australia" LANSDOWNE PRESS 1980

External links

* [http://www.benallaonline.com.au/ Benalla Online]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20041015234740/www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/benalla.html Australian Places - Benalla]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Benalla,+Australia&ll=-36.549999,145.970001&spn=0.047025,0.10849&t=k Benalla on Google Maps]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/Victoria/Benalla/2005/02/17/1108500206241.html SMH Article on Benalla]