- Koondrook, Victoria
Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Koondrook
state = vic
caption = Main street of Koondrook
lga =Shire of Gannawarra
postcode = 3580
est =
pop = 802
pop_footnotes =
elevation= 78
maxtemp = 22.2
mintemp = 8.4
rainfall = 391.4
stategov = Swan Hill
fedgov = Mallee
dist1 = 301
location1=Melbourne
dist2 = 74
location2= Swan Hill
dist3 = 24
location3= Kerang
dist4 = 2
location4= Barham (NSW)Koondrook is a town situated on the
Murray River , Victoria,Australia . The town is located in theShire of Gannawarra Local government area, 301 kilometres north west of the state capital,Melbourne . At the 2006 census, Koondrook had a population of 802.Census 2006 AUS
id=UCL203400
name=Barham-Koondrook (Koondrook Part) (Urban Centre/Locality)
accessdate=2007-10-25
quick=on]History
The
Wemba-Wemba Aborigines were thought to have occupied the Koondrook area prior to European settlement commencing in1843 . The Post Office opened on 1 March 1879. 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 ] In 1889 theKerang-Koondrook Tramway ["Kerang-Koondrook Tramway" Buckland, J.L. & ors. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin October, 1948 pp5-7] was opened linking the town to the Victorian railway network, being officially closed on March 3, 1981. ["Newsrail" (Australian Railway Historical Society) March 1990 (Vol 18 No 3)]The town today
Koondrook is connected by a bridge to its twin town of Barham in the neighbouring state of
New South Wales . Industry in the area includes dairying on the river flats and citrus production using irrigation supplied from the Murray River. Timber from the surrounding state forests is used in the production of quality redgum timber and furniture.Fishing and camping in the are popular activities for tourists in the surrounding state forests. The forests are important breeding areas for colonial waterbirds and are visited by migratory birds.
The town in conjunction with neighbouring township Barham across the Murray has an
Australian Rules football team competing in theCentral Murray Football League .Citation | last = Full Points Footy | title = Koondrook-Barham | url = http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Koondruk-Barham.htm | accessdate = 2008-07-25 ]Notable people
Melbourne Cup winningjockey Roy Higgins was born in Koondrook in1938 .References
External links
* [http://www.gannawarra.vic.gov.au/ Gannawarra Shire Council] - Official Website
* [http://thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au/implementing/six_significant_ecological_assets/gunbower_and_koondrookperricoota_forests Murray Darling Basin Commission] - State forests around Koondrook
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