Murtoa, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Murtoa is a wheat district town in Victoria
, Australia
, situated around Lake Marma on the Wimmera Highway
, 305 kilometres (190 mi) north-west of the state capital, Melbourne
. The town is in the Shire of Yarriambiack local government area. At the 2006 census
, Murtoa had a population of 912.
The name Murtoa is believed to come from a local Aboriginal word meaning "home of the lizard". Murtoa's post office opened on 1 August 1874.
The working section of the present day Murtoa silos can hold up to 400,000 tonnes of grain.
Because wheat could not be exported during the Second World War, a stick grain shed, 260m long and 60m wide, was built from 640 unmilled tree trunks in 1941. The sticks were sunk in earth and a concrete slab poured around it. This impressive cathedral-like structure has a partially collapsed roof and has been declared unsafe to enter. A cyclone rated wire net has been placed over the roof to contain any potential collapse. The stick shed is heritage listed and, in October 2008, the Victorian government allocated funds to upgrade it. Some have considered a potential upgraded use of the stick shed as a tourist attraction, however Murtoa's isolated location and the fact that the shed is situated amongst a working wheat silo have caused commentators to question the viability of this idea.
A larger stick shed and a third incomplete stick shed adjacent to the first (remaining) one were demolished in the past.
In 2007 the drought took effect on Murtoa's lake, Lake Marma, and it dried up. Once home to many species of birds and animals, it is now a common mistake to believe it has been dry for decades.
.
The horse racing club, the Wimmera Racing Club, schedules four race meetings a year at Murtoa including the Murtoa Cup meeting in October and the Marma Cup on New Year's Day.
Golfers play at the course of the Murtoa Golf Club on Murtoa-Lubeck Road.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, situated around Lake Marma on the Wimmera Highway
Wimmera Highway
Wimmera Highway is a 345 kilometre highway that connects the towns of Marong, Victoria and Naracoorte, South Australia, through the major junctions of Sunraysia Highway, Henty Highway and Western Highway.-See also:*Highways in Australia*Highways in Victoria...
, 305 kilometres (190 mi) north-west of the state capital, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. The town is in the Shire of Yarriambiack local government area. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Murtoa had a population of 912.
The name Murtoa is believed to come from a local Aboriginal word meaning "home of the lizard". Murtoa's post office opened on 1 August 1874.
The working section of the present day Murtoa silos can hold up to 400,000 tonnes of grain.
Because wheat could not be exported during the Second World War, a stick grain shed, 260m long and 60m wide, was built from 640 unmilled tree trunks in 1941. The sticks were sunk in earth and a concrete slab poured around it. This impressive cathedral-like structure has a partially collapsed roof and has been declared unsafe to enter. A cyclone rated wire net has been placed over the roof to contain any potential collapse. The stick shed is heritage listed and, in October 2008, the Victorian government allocated funds to upgrade it. Some have considered a potential upgraded use of the stick shed as a tourist attraction, however Murtoa's isolated location and the fact that the shed is situated amongst a working wheat silo have caused commentators to question the viability of this idea.
A larger stick shed and a third incomplete stick shed adjacent to the first (remaining) one were demolished in the past.
In 2007 the drought took effect on Murtoa's lake, Lake Marma, and it dried up. Once home to many species of birds and animals, it is now a common mistake to believe it has been dry for decades.
Schools
Murtoa also has two schools, Our Lady Help of Christians {OLHC}, a Catholic school in Marma Sreett, and Murtoa College, a prep to Year 12 state school in Webb Street. There is also a kindergarten.Sport
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Wimmera Football LeagueWimmera Football League
The Wimmera Football League is based in Western Victoria, with clubs located in towns in the Wimmera region. The regional centres along the Western Highway from Ararat to Nhill as well as Minyip-Murtoa and Warracknabeal.The league is a major country league....
.
The horse racing club, the Wimmera Racing Club, schedules four race meetings a year at Murtoa including the Murtoa Cup meeting in October and the Marma Cup on New Year's Day.
Golfers play at the course of the Murtoa Golf Club on Murtoa-Lubeck Road.