Merino, Victoria

Merino /məˈriːnoʊ/^[1] is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. It is located in the Shire of Glenelg local government area, 363 kilometres west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2021 census, Merino had a population of 249.^[2]

Merino Victoria
High Street, Merino, 2015
Merino
Coordinates	37°43′0″S 141°33′0″E
Population	249 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	3310
Location	342 km (213 mi) W of Melbourne 226 km (140 mi) W of Ballarat 48 km (30 mi) W of Hamilton 77 km (48 mi) N of Portland 23 km (14 mi) south west of Casterton
LGA(s)	Shire of Glenelg
State electorate(s)	Lowan
Federal division(s)	Wannon

Traditional ownership

The formally recognised traditional owners for the area in which Merino sits are the Gunditjmara People^[3] who are represented by the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.^[4]

European history

The first European settlement of the area was in 1837, when Francis Henty, brother of Edward Henty, established Merino Downs station. Henty established the station after a report on the high quality pasture from the explorer Major Thomas Mitchell, at the Henty property near Portland.^[5] A store and post office agency was established in 1854 and the first town lots were sold the next year. An official Post Office opened on 1 June 1858.^[6]

The town continued to grow through the 1850s and 1860s with the construction of churches, hotels and schools. In 1870, the courthouse was moved from Digby to Merino. In 1884, Merino railway station was opened, on the 51-kilometre (32 mi)-long branch line from Branxholme, on the Portland railway, to Casterton.^[7] The line was closed in 1977.^[8] The station building was moved to a property in Carlsruhe, in central Victoria, where it is used as accommodation.^[9]

The Merino co-operative butter factory was established around 1885. After both World War I and World War I, parts of the surrounding area was opened up for soldier settlement.^[10] In 1955, Merino was connected to the electricity grid.^[11]

Merino has a heritage cinema which is housed in the Merino Hotel. Golfers play at the Merino Golf Club on Digby Road.^[12]

References

1. Butler, S., ed. (2009). "Merino". Macquarie Dictionary (5th ed.). Sydney: Macquarie Dictionary Publishers Pty Ltd. 1952 pages. ISBN 978-1-876429-66-9.
2. "2021 Merino, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
3. "Map of formally recognised traditional owners". Aboriginal Victoria. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
4. "Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal". Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
5. "Settlement at Merino Downs, 1837". Ballarat Genealogy. Archived from the original on 28 August 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
6. Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 22 January 2021.
7. "The Casterton Railway". The Australasian. 6 September 1884. p. 28. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via Trove.
8. "Casterton Line". Vicsig. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
9. "Merino Station Accommodation". Hedge Farm Enterprises Pty Ltd. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
10. ""Struan" later renamed "Paschendale" Estate". Casterton and District Historical Society. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
11. "Henty & Merino Historic Timeline". Ballarat Genealogy. Archived from the original on 28 August 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
12. Golf Select. "Merino". Retrieved 11 May 2009.

External links

Media related to Merino, Victoria at Wikimedia Commons