Yarra Glen, Victoria
Encyclopedia
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...
, 40 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges
Shire of Yarra Ranges
The Yarra Ranges Shire is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer eastern and northeastern suburbs of Melbourne extending into the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges...
. At the 2006 Census, Yarra Glen had a population of 2598.
History
The Ryrie brothers (William, James and Donald) were the first Europeans to settle in the area, when they established the 43000 acres (174 km²) Yering run in 1837 after droving their cattle to the area from NSW. The brothers planted the first grape vines in the Yarra Valley in 1838 and produced their first wine in 1845. Joseph FurphyJoseph Furphy
Joseph Furphy , is widely regarded as the "Father of the Australian novel". He mostly wrote under the pseudonym Tom Collins, and is best known for his novel Such is Life , regarded as an Australian classic.-Biography:Furphy was born at Yering Station in Yering, Victoria...
, often regarded as the father of the Australian novel, was born on the station in 1843.
The Post Office opened on 11 January 1861 as Yarra Flats and was renamed Yarra Glen in 1889 when the railway arrived.
The now National Trust-listed Yarra Glen Grand Hotel was established in 1888. Its four story Italianate tower was added subsequent to the construction of the original hotel building.
The Black Friday
Black Friday (1939)
The Black Friday fires of 13 January 1939, in Victoria, Australia, were considered one of the worst natural bushfires in the world, and certainly the single worst in Australian history as a measure of land affected...
fires of 1939 badly damaged the area around Yarra Glen, as did the fires of 2009.
Sport
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football LeagueYarra Valley Mountain District Football League
The Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in Victoria to the east and northeast of Melbourne.-History:...
.
Yarra Glen has a horse racing club, Yarra Valley Racing, which schedules around nine race meetings a year including the Yarra Glen Cup meeting in March.
Yarra Valley Harness Racing
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack in the town.
External links
- Yarra Glen - Tourism Victoria website
- Yarra Glen Tourism Website
- Yarra Glen Website