- Mooroopna, Victoria
Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Mooroopna
state = vic
caption = Royal Mail Hotel
lga =City of Greater Shepparton
postcode = 3629
est =
pop = 7,203
elevation=
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov = Rodney, Shepparton
fedgov = Murray
dist1 = 181
dir1 = N
location1=Melbourne
dist2 = 4
dir2 = W
location2=Shepparton Mooroopna is a rural town located convert|181|km|mi|0|lk=on north of
Melbourne , Victoria,Australia . It is on the banks of the Goulburn River opposite the larger town of Shepparton. TheMidland Highway crosses the river between the two towns. At the 2006 census, Mooroopna had a population of 7,203.Census 2006 AUS
id=SSC26205
name=Mooroopna (State Suburb)
accessdate=2007-08-05
quick=on]History
The name Mooroopna was used by the original Kaieltheban tribe living in the area and meant 'deep water hole'. This refers to a very deep part of the Goulburn River behind the old Mooroopna Hall. The Kaielthebans (population 50 in 1841) were part of the
Bangerang race living in the region before the arrival of Europeans.Two entrepreneurs,
Joseph Hawdon andCharles Bonney , camped on the edge of Gemmill's Swamp, close to Mooroopna, in January 1838. They were overlanding large herds of cattle and sheep from an area close to modern Seymour toAdelaide , about 1200 km by bullock dray along the Goulburn andMurray River s. Three years later, squatters settled in surrounding areas running sheep on the well-grassed plains. The first settler in the town was William Simmonds Archer who purchased land in 1860 and built his home/hotel in McLennan Street, overlooking the river. He was followed by W. H. Morrell who selected most of the remaining township. Early commerce flowed from revenue gained by punt owners at Shepparton and in Mooroopna, who exploited the traffic from gold fields in Bendigo to those in Beechworth. The Post Office opened on 19 April 1873. 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 ]Thirty years later, the population had reached 812 and the town then prospered, hindered often by droughts and damaging floods. It is now the second largest urban area in the Goulburn Valley.Fact|date=February 2007
Mooroopna became a centre for local commerce especially after the beginning of irrigation from the early 1880s. The first school was opened in 1874, the first bank in the same year, the punt in 1875, the Mooroopna Hospital in 1876 and the railway from Seymour in 1880.cite journal | year = 1990 | month = March | title = Tracks Across the State | author = Sid Brown | journal = Newsrail | publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) | pages = pages 71-76 ] Like other country towns, Mooroopna became infested with hotels and churches, the influence and numbers of both having declined since the Second World War. Also, like other towns, Mooroopna lost young men to wars in South Africa, Europe and in Asia and has several memorials recording their names.
The Historical Society of Mooroopna was established in 1983 and exists to collect, collate and display items and material relevant to the history of Mooroopna and the surrounding district.
Government
Mooroopna was originally part of the Shire of Waranga, proclaimed in 1865. With boundary changes it became a riding of the Shire of Rodney in 1886.
Separated only by the Goulburn River from Shepparton, the town resisted many moves for amalgamation, but was forced into union with its larger neighbour in 1994 with the creation of the
City of Greater Shepparton . The total population is about 60,403 (30 June 2004 ), and is expected to increase to 81,378 by 2031 [ [http://www.greatershepparton.com.au/business/fastfacts/ City of Greater Shepparton ] ] . The first councillors were elected in 1997.Mooroopna is within the Victorian state
electoral district of Shepparton and the FederalDivision of Murray .Industry
In the beginning, industry revolved around the processing of grains and fruit but, in the past 30 years, Mooroopna has become a desirable residential area for nearby Shepparton.
The town now consists of mainly residential areas, many parks and gardens and some factories. It is home to the Mooroopna site of
SPC Ardmona ,Ridley AgriProducts , andED Parsons . It is a major player in 'The Food Bowl of Australia' and will have a critical place in the proposed freight and logistics centre, planned for Toolamba Road, south of the town.Transport
V/Line services on the Shepparton line stop at the local railway station, which is also served byPacific National operated container freight services for Patrick PortLink.chools, society
Three primary schools are located in Mooroopna, being Mooroopna Primary, Mooroopna Park Primary, and Catholic school St. Mary's Primary. Mooroopna Secondary College is also located on Echuca Road.
Westside Performing Arts Centre, the home of many school productions by schools throughout the Shepparton area, as well as outside performers, adjoins Mooroopna Secondary.
Mooroopna HUB was recently built in the centre of the town. Offering a free library, and rooms to cater for group/club meetings. Mooroopna HUB is a wheelchair friendly environment.
Located 1 kilometre away is SPC Ardmona Kidstown, a playground as big as the MCG, Kidstown offers a relaxed environment for adults and a perfect day out for the kids, with play equipment being made on site with the help of local groups, clubs and businesses.Fact|date=February 2007
The Mooroopna Country Music Club is a charity organization that started around 1965. It holds "Family Days" on the last Sunday of every month except December. There is a special guest artist every month, this was highlighted in 1983 by the appearance of
Waylon Jennings During the football season, locals support the Mooroopna Football Netball Club (MFNC CATS), located at the John Grey Oval and competing in the
Goulburn Valley Football League . Citation | last = Full Points Footy | title = Mooroopna | url = http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Mooroopna.htm | accessdate = 2008-07-25 ] . Team colours are Navy Blue and White. Mooroopna basketball team "The Cats" wear black and red and play in the Greater Shepparton Basketball Association.Notes
External links
*Historical Society Of Mooroopna [http://www.hsm.org.au/]
*Greater Shepparton City Council [http://www.greatershepparton.com.au/mooroopna/]
*Maps of Mooroopna [http://www.arta.com.au/vicmaps/mooroopna/]
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