Colac, Victoria
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| Colac Victoria |
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| Population: | 10,857 (2006)[1] | ||||||
| Postcode: | 3250 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 134.0 m (440 ft) | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Colac Otway Shire | ||||||
| State District: | Polwarth | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Corangamite | ||||||
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Colac is a town in the western district of Victoria, Australia, situated approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne on the southern shore of Lake Colac. It is approximately 40 km inland from Bass Strait and is on the Princes Highway, which is the alternative route from Melbourne to Adelaide and part of Australia's circumnavigational Highway 1, which is reputed to be the longest road in the world. At the 2006 census, Colac had a population of 10,857.
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[edit] History
The area was first settled by Hugh Murray in 1837 and proclaimed a town in 1948. The railway though the town was opened in 1877,[2] and extended from 1883 as part of the line to the south west of the state. A number of branch lines also originated from the town, the narrow gauge branch line to Beech Forest and Crowes opened in 1902 and closed in 1962, and the Alvie line opened in 1923 and closed in 1954. The Irrewarra-Cressy line towards Ballarat also ran from Colac between 1889 and 1953.[2]
Colac Botanic Gardens in Queen Street located on the shores of Lake Colac, were established in 1868, and remodelled in 1910 by William Guilfoyle and include a huge diversity of plants with many old and rare trees and a rose arbour. As one of the gateways to the Otway Ranges, Colac is an entry point to some of Victoria's most picturesque scenery. The Twelve Apostles, Shipwreck Coast and the Great Ocean Road are all readily accessible on sealed roads.
A plaque on the southern side of the Memorial Square commemorates two historic speeches given on consecutive nights in Colac, beginning on September 5th 1914 with the then Federal opposition leader, Andrew Fisher, and followed the next night by Prime Minister Joseph Cook. The two speeches declared Australia's commitment to follow Britain into World War I, with Fisher declaring "Australia will stand by the mother country to our last man and our last shilling" and Cook's famous reiteration that "If the old country is at war, so are we."
[edit] Transport
The local railway station is served by V/Line passenger services on the Warrnambool line. The town is also located on the Princes Highway.
[edit] Events
Colac is the home of the annual "Cliff Young Australian 6-day race". The event has been going for over 20 years and is a running/walking event. It is held on the Memorial Square which is right in the Heart of Colac and attracts entries from all over the world.[3]
[edit] Industry
With a wealth of natural resources, such as agriculture and timber, Colac has a strong manufacturing background, with major local employers including Bulla Dairy Foods, CRF (Colac Otway) Pty Ltd, Fonterra Cororooke, and AKD Softwoods.
While historically the region supported numerous successful brickworks, nowadays the major primary industries are agriculture such as the dairying, beef, lamb and finewool merino industries.
[edit] Media
Colac has its own newspaper, The Colac Herald, published on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.[4] Colac is serviced by a number of local radio stations: 3CS 1134AM, MIXX FM 106.3MHz, and Otway FM 104.7MHz& 99.1MHz.[5][6][7]
Most digital & analogue terrestrial television services are received via UHF from Ballarat Lookout Hill, in addition to the Ballarat service, a local repeater on nearby Warrion Hill provides an alternative source of ABC & SBS located on VHF / UHF respectively.
FM radio services direct from Melbourne can be received in Colac but signal levels are low. Television services direct from Melbourne can be received in Colac but large antenna arrays must be used with mixed results.
Colac is serviced by Austar Subscription Television delivered by DTH satellite transmission, via Optus C1 Ku Band Satellite located at 156E.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Colac (Statistical Local Area). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ a b Sid Brown (March 1990). "Tracks Across the State". Newsrail: pages 71-76. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division).
- ^ Cliff Young Australian 6-day race
- ^ The Colac Herald
- ^ 3CS 1134AM
- ^ MIXX FM 106.3MHz
- ^ Otway FM (Community Radio Service) 104.7MHz& 99.1MHz
[edit] External links
- Colac Otway Web
- Trades and Services
- Colac Otway Towns
- Colac Otway Travel
- Colac Otway Shire Council information about local services, economic development and cultural activities in the Colac Otway Shire
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