Shepparton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shepparton Victoria
Shepparton CBD, communications tower and "Mooving Art" display from Monash Park
Shepparton Location in City of Greater Shepparton
Population	51,631 (2018) (28th)
• Density	207.44/km2 (537.3/sq mi)
Established	24 September 1860 (1860-09-24)
Gazetted	28 September 1860
Elevation	116 m (381 ft)
Area	248.9 km2 (96.1 sq mi)(2011 urban)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEDT (UTC+11)
Location	184 km (114 mi) NNE of Melbourne 123 km (76 mi) NE of Bendigo 185 km (115 mi) SW of Albury 61 km (38 mi) W of Benalla 4 km (2 mi) E of Mooroopna
LGA(s)	City of Greater Shepparton
County	Moira
State electorate(s)	Shepparton
Federal Division(s)	Nicholls
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 22.4 °C 72 °F 8.7 °C 48 °F 436.7 mm 17.2 in

Shepparton (Yortayorta: Kanny-goopna) is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in northern Victoria, Australia, approximately 181 kilometres (112 mi) north-northeast of Melbourne. As of June 2018 the estimated population of Shepparton, including the adjacent town of Mooroopna, was 51,631.

It began as a sheep station and river crossing in the mid-19th century, before undergoing a major transformation as a railway town. Today it is an agricultural and manufacturing centre, and the centre of the Goulburn Valley irrigation system, one of the largest centres of irrigation in Australia. It is also a major regional service city and the seat of local government and civic administration for the City of Greater Shepparton, which includes the surrounding towns of Tatura, Merrigum, Mooroopna, Murchison, Dookie, Toolamba and Grahamvale.

Toponomy

The name of Shepparton is derived from the surname of the town's first European settler, Sherbourne Sheppard, and not, as is sometimes imagined, from Shepperton, England.

History

Prior to the white settlement of Australia, the area was inhabited by the Yorta Yorta, an indigenous Australian people traditionally occupying the land around the junction of the Goulburn and Murray Rivers in present-day northern Victoria and southern New South Wales. The Yorta Yorta tribe which inhabited the Shepparton area were known as the Kailtheban.

Surveyor General Thomas Mitchell was the first European to be recorded travelling through the area, crossing the Goulburn River in 1836 on his return to Sydney from an expedition to survey the Darling River and its tributaries. Joseph Hawdon and Charles Bonney would follow two years later, camping on the town site by the Goulburn River in 1838 while droving cattle from Albury to Adelaide.

The first permanent settlement in the area was the "Tallygaroopna" sheep station, established in the early 1840s. By 1843 the station was being run by a man named Sherbourne Sheppard, the town's eventual namesake. With the advent of the Victorian gold rush in the 1850s, the area became a popular river crossing point for miners travelling east from the Bendigo and Ballarat goldfields. As there was yet no bridge across the Goulburn River, Irish entrepreneur Patrick Macguire soon set up a punt service to ferry travellers across the river, erecting the town's first building in the process, the punt house. Macguire sold the building to John Hill in 1853, who converted it into a hotel, the Emu Bush Inn. This settlement soon became known as Macguire's Punt, a name it would keep into the 1870s. A post office opened in February 1854, but closed in July that same year.

The settlement was first surveyed in 1855. By this time, in addition to Macguire's Punt, it had also become known as Sheppard town, Sheppardton, and Shepparton. The post office reopened in May 1858, and two years later the Governor of Victoria officially declared Shepparton a township on 24 September 1860. It remained a small settlement of a half-dozen buildings into the 1870s despite adding a police station, a general store, a blacksmith, a foundry, and a public hall which remains the city's oldest building.

Wyndham Street, Shepparton in 1908

The railway from Seymour reached the town in 1880. A mechanics institute opened between 1880 and 1888 as Shepparton rapidly developed into a major manufacturing and service centre.

During the Victorian railway boom the railways expanded, and by the turn of the century Shepparton was central to a large network of regional branch lines on the Toolamba–Echuca railway line — lines leading to Cobram, Nathalia, Dookie, Picola and Katamatite. Rail-served industries helped Shepparton grow into a city. While these lines experienced a brief boom, almost all of them would later close. The Goulburn River also developed as a secondary transport hub, with paddle steamers and ferries operating at The Barges.

Wyndham Street in 1951. The Shepparton Post Office and tower (built 1882) was the city's major landmark. Urban renewal from 1966 onwards has resulted in the replacement of all buildings pictured.

In the post-war era the city's population virtually tripled, with immigration to the city becoming a major factor, particularly migrants from Italy. During the post-war boom of the 1960s and '70s successive local councils began a progress campaign to modernise the city and many older buildings were replaced with newer buildings.

Climate

Shepparton has a semi-arid (Köppen climate classification BSfk) climate, with hot summers and cold winters. The hottest summer month is January, when the average maximum temperature is 31.8 °C (89.2 °F). In winter, the weather becomes coldest in July when the minimum averages 3.4 °C (38.1 °F) and the maximum gets to 13.2 °C (55.8 °F).

Although the rainfall in Shepparton is fairly sparse, winter sees the most rain days. The rain doesn't get too heavy throughout the year. Even with the wettest month being in November, the rainfall still averages at 50.1 millimetres (1.97 in). The driest month in terms of rainfall and rain days is January, which receives an average of 27.5 millimetres (1.08 in) over 4.6 days.

The average wind speed in Shepparton is 4.03 metres per second.

Arts and culture

The city hosts the Moooving Art project, which involves local artists painting fibreglass cows, which are then displayed in tourist locations throughout the city and surrounding townships. The project is an artistic representation of the strong dairy industry prevalent in the Shepparton area.

Kidstown is Located between Shepparton and Mooroopna, it has two giant slides, a 35-metre (115 ft) flying fox and a train that goes right around the playground.

The city is home to a large swimming centre called Aquamoves, two performing arts centres, one in Mooroopna named WestSide, due to its geographical location and the other the Eastbank Centre located in Shepparton (which houses the centres' box office). Collectively the centres are called Riverlinks Venues".

Shepparton is also home of the Shepparton Art Museum, more commonly known as SAM. SAM houses the world's most significant collection of Australian ceramics, and is home to the biennial Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award and the Indigenous Ceramic Art Award. The museum features the surrealist sculpture Woman and Child by artist Sam Jinks.

Shepparton is also home to the Shepparton Theatre Arts Group (STAG), the city's premier theatrical group. STAG was formed in 1975 after an amalgamation between the Shepparton Dramatic Society and the Shepparton Light Music Company. The group presents one dramatic/comedic play, one musical and one rock revue each year. The Goulburn Valley Concert Orchestra, a community symphony orchestra, gives an annual major concert and a series of cafe concerts every year.

Sport

Association Football is popular in Shepparton with four senior clubs entering teams into competitions run by the North Eastern Soccer League; Shepparton (formerly Lemnos), Shepparton South and Shepparton United Teams are entered in men's, women's, boys' and girls' divisions. Shepparton is also home to the Goulburn Valley Suns Football Club. The soccer club was established in 2013, and currently competes in the National Premier Leagues.

Australian Rules Football is also popular in Shepparton. The main league, called the Goulburn Valley Football League (GVFL), includes 3 teams from the city. There are also other smaller leagues, such as the Murray Football League, Kyabram & District Football League and the Picola & District Football League which have teams from in and around Greater Shepparton. There is also a junior league in the schools (SDJFA). The city plays a major role in a team where the Australian Football League (AFL) frequently scouts for new talents to AFL clubs, which is the Murray Bushrangers.

Basketball is another popular sport in Shepparton. The Shepparton Lady Gators represent the Shepparton and Mooroopna region in women's basketball playing in the Big V division two competition. The men's team has gone into an extended recess after being one of the most successful country-based basketball teams in Australia, winning the CVIBL title in 1994 and the 2000, 2001 and 2003 Big V Championship ABA titles under the tutelage of Russell Parker. In 2011 the men's team returned to the court in the Country basketball league. They achieved success in 2015 winning a BIG V championship under the captaincy of leading scorer Matt Bartlett

Cycling is popular in Shepparton due to the flat terrain and extensive network of routes. The Goulburn Valley Hospice runs the annual Shepparton Fruit Loop Ride for cyclists. There is a velodrome facility located in the city's north and a world class BMX track as well as an extensive range of bike paths throughout the city and surrounding areas.

Shepparton Harness Racing Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack in the city.

The Shepparton Greyhound Racing Club holds regular meetings at its track on the Goulburn Valley Highway, Kialla.

Golfers play at the course of the Shepparton Golf Club on Golf Drive.

Shepparton is home to the Goulburn Valley Hockey Association. Hockey, whilst not having as great a following in previous years, still has a strong competition. The Shepparton field was resurfaced in 2015 with works to commence on a second field in the near future. The Goulburn Valley Hockey Association fields men's, women's and junior teams from the Shepparton Strikers, Shepparton Youth Club, Mooroopna, Benalla, Echuca and Euroa. The Hockey Association also features in State Hockey Championships for men and women at both Senior and Masters competitions and also provide teams for the Junior Country Championships.

Military

The Royal Australian Navy has named two warships HMAS Shepparton after the city, and the 8th/7th Battalion of the Royal Victoria Regiment has a base in the city's southeast.

Demographics

St. Brendan's Catholic Church

Shepparton Albanian Mosque

In the 2016 Census, there were 49,672 people in Shepparton - Mooroopna. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.8% of the population. 74.3% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were India 2.3%, Afghanistan 1.5%, England 1.3%, Italy 1.3% and New Zealand 1.1%. 74.7% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Arabic 2.5%, Italian 1.9%, Punjabi 1.7%, Hazaraghi 1.0% and Dari 1.0%.

Religion

The most common responses for religion were No Religion 26.7%, Catholic 24.5% and Anglican 11.0%. Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (58.0%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

The neighboring town of Orrvale contained a small Jewish community from 1913, which disbanded in 1966. In 2015, the City of Shepparton commemorated the site of the Jewish community's synagogue with a monument.

Shepparton is home to a multicultural Muslim community numbering some 3,500 (5.5%). There are 4 mosques in the city (Shia: Afghan, Iraqi; Sunni: Turkish, Albanian). The Shepparton Albanian Mosque is the first and oldest mosque in Victoria, built (late 1950s) by Albanian Australians whose local presence dates back to the interwar period.

Transport

Shepparton railway station and goods yard

The city is located at the junction of the Midland Highway and the Goulburn Valley Highway, the latter which is being progressively converted to freeway standard. The Peter Ross-Edwards Causeway connects Shepparton to Mooroopna.

V/Line runs bus coach services to Wangaratta, Bendigo and Griffith, New South Wales. A dedicated bus service to Shepparton from Melbourne Airport is also run twice daily passing through Seymour and Nagambie.

Shepparton railway station is serviced by V/Line rail services on the Shepparton line to and from Melbourne and to Mooroopna.

Shepparton Airport, located south of the city on the Goulburn Valley Highway and is home to Gawne Aviation. Shepparton also has buses that run around the suburbs and Mooroopna

Economy

SPC Ardmona factory

Shepparton's main industries are agriculture and associated manufacturing. Australia's largest processor of canned fruits, SPC Ardmona, has a production facility in Shepparton. Seasonal fruits, such as peaches, pears and apricots are preserved into a variety of packaging.

The manufacturing industry has evolved to cater for the needs of local primary producers.

Other major manufacturers in the city include Campbells Soup Company, Rubicon Water, and Pental.

Shepparton is a major regional commercial and shopping centre and service economy for the Greater Shepparton area. Major retailers in Shepparton include Target, Kmart, Harris Scarfe (formerly Fairleys Department Store), Bunnings Warehouse, Rebel, The Reject Shop and Dimmeys.

Shepparton is a major centre for infrastructure and civic services. The majority of the region's emergency response facilities are located there. The administrative headquarters for the Country Fire Authority (CFA) District 22 and one of only two Independent Rescue Agencies in Victoria are located in Shepparton. The Search and Rescue Squad originally started out as a "Dive and Recovery Unit" recovering lost property and persons from the rivers, lakes and water ways in the region.

Sport

Shepparton is home to the John McEwen Reserve, a sports field which is part of the Greater Shepparton Regional Sports Precinct. The complex contains space for a variety of sports including soccer, AFL, netball and others. It was redeveloped by the state and federal governments and opened in 2017. It is named after John McEwen, the Prime Minister of Australia from 19 December 1967 to 10 January 1968. The ground has a capacity of 3,200 and is the home ground for a number of teams including the Goulburn Valley Suns, and has hosted a number of matches in the A and W soccer leagues.

Association Football is popular in Shepparton with four senior clubs entering teams into competitions run by the North Eastern Soccer League; Shepparton (formerly Lemnos), Shepparton South and Shepparton United Teams are entered in men's, women's, boys' and girls' divisions.Shepparton is also home to the Goulburn Valley Suns Football Club. The soccer club was established in 2013, and currently competes in the National Premier Leagues.

Australian Rules Football is also popular in Shepparton. The main league, called the Goulburn Valley Football League (GVFL), includes 3 teams from the city. There are also other smaller leagues, such as the Murray Football League, Kyabram & District Football League and the Picola & District Football League which have teams from in and around Greater Shepparton. There is also a junior league in the schools (SDJFA). The city plays a major role in a team where the Australian Football League (AFL) frequently scouts for new talents to AFL clubs, which is the Murray Bushrangers.

Basketball is another popular sport in Shepparton. The Shepparton Lady Gators represent the Shepparton and Mooroopna region in women's basketball playing in the Big V division two competition. The men's team has gone into an extended recess after being one of the most successful country-based basketball teams in Australia, winning the CVIBL title in 1994 and the 2000, 2001 and 2003 Big V Championship ABA titles under the tutelage of Russell Parker. In 2011, the men's team returned to the court in the Country basketball league. They achieved success in 2015 winning a BIG V championship under the captaincy of leading scorer Matt Bartlett.

Cycling is popular in Shepparton due to the flat terrain and extensive network of routes. The Goulburn Valley Hospice runs the annual Shepparton Fruit Loop Ride for cyclists. There is a velodrome facility located in the city's north and a world class BMX track as well as an extensive range of bike paths throughout the city and surrounding areas.

Shepparton Harness Racing Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack in the city.

The Shepparton Greyhound Racing Club holds regular greyhound racing meetings at its track on the Goulburn Valley Highway, Kialla, the track opened on 10 December 2005. Previously the racing had been held at the Shepparton Showgrounds from 1973 until 2005.

Golfers play at the course of the Shepparton Golf Club on Golf Drive.

Shepparton is also home to the Goulburn Valley Hockey Association. Hockey, whilst not having as great a following in previous years, still has a strong competition. The Shepparton field was resurfaced in 2015 with works to commence on a second field in the near future. The Goulburn Valley Hockey Association fields men's, women's and junior teams from the Shepparton Strikers, Shepparton Youth Club, Mooroopna, Benalla, Echuca and Euroa. The Hockey Association also features in State Hockey Championships for men and women at both Senior and Masters competitions and also provide teams for the Junior Country Championships.

Education

Shepparton has numerous primary schools, such as state schools Bourchier Street Primary, Gowrie Street Primary, Guthrie Street Primary, St Georges Road Primary School, Grahamvale Primary, Kialla West Primary, Kialla Primary, Wilmot Road Primary, Shepparton East Primary and Orrvale Primary. Catholic primary schools include St. Brendan's (shares a campus with Notre Dame College, Shepparton), St. Mel's and St. Lukes (shares a location with Notre Dame College, Shepparton Emmaus Campus.) It also has two schools catering for students with disabilities, called Verney Road School and Berry Street School.

There were seven secondary schools in the Shepparton Region: Mooroopna Secondary College; McGuire College; Shepparton Ace College; Shepparton High School; Wanganui Park Secondary College; the Catholic Notre Dame College; the private Goulburn Valley Grammar School. However, in 2020, 4 of these schools (McGuire College, Shepparton High School, Mooroopna Secondary College and Wanganui Park Secondary College) merged to form the Greater Shepparton Secondary College (GSSC), using previous school sites as campuses while the GSSC buildings are being constructed on the previous site of Shepparton High School.

The University of Melbourne's School of Rural Health and Rural Clinical School of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences are also based in Shepparton.

La Trobe University also has a campus offering a range of degree programs including Arts, Business/Commerce, Nursing/Health Sciences, and Education. Approximately 400 students attend the university which provides day, evening, part-time, and full-time study options.

Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE has three campuses, one in Fryers Street which hosts the organisation's administration department as well as many teaching departments, the William Orr Campus, a 120 hectare property in Wanganui Road and another newer campus located in the vicinity of the McGuire College Australian Rules Football field and bus stop on Archer Street.

Notable people

Academia

• Thomas Shadrach James – Linguist and herbalist
• Avni Sali - Surgeon and academic

Arts and music

• Adam Briggs – Musician
• Anson Cameron – Author
• Adam Donovan – Musician and founder of Augie March
• Joseph Furphy – Author
• Amanda Garner – Ballroom dancer
• Edward Harrington – Poet and author
• Sir Bernard Thomas Heinze – Musician
• John Longstaff – Painter
• Clint Morris – Film producer
• Glenn Richards – Musician and founder of Augie March
• Danielle Rowe – Ballerina/choreographer

Sport

• Michael Barlow – Australian rules footballer
• Alou Kuol - Footballer for VfB Stuttgart
• Aiden Blizzard – Cricketer
• Marc Bullen – Australian rules footballer
• Will Brodie- Australian rules footballer
• Shannon Byrnes – Australian rules footballer
• Max Carlos - Boxer
• Justin Davies – Australian rules footballer
• Louise Dobson – Field hockey fullback at the 1996 Olympics
• Kevin Doolan – Australian Motorcycle speedway racer
• Robert Enes – Footballer
• Angela Foley – Australian rules footballer
• Shaun Hart – Australian rules footballer
• Jarman Impey – Australian rules footballer
• Garry Jacobson − Supercars champion
• Glenn James – Australian rules football umpire
• Nikos Kalafatis - Soccer player.
• Alex Keath – Cricketer and Australian rules footballer
• Steven King – Australian rules footballer
• Frankie Lagana – Footballer
• Brett Lancaster – Cyclist
• Vince Lia – Footballer
• Jarrod Lyle – Golfer
• Lee Naylor – Athlete
• Doug Palmer – Australian rules footballer
• Dwight Ritchie − Boxer
• Steele Sidebottom – Australian rules footballer
• Grant Thompson − Australian rules footballer
• Jason Traianidis – Australian rules footballer
• David Wirrpanda – Australian rules footballer
• Adem Yze – Australian rules footballer

Images for kids

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  The Maude Street Mall

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  City of Greater Shepparton Council Complex at Welsford Street

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  Former courts, part of the regional courts complex on High Street

See also

In Spanish: Shepparton para niños