Ararat, Victoria

 

is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about 198 kilometres (120 mi) west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera. Its urban population according to the Council's Website is 8,076 and services the region of 11,752 residents across the Rural City's boundaries.. It is the largest settlement in the Rural City of Ararat local government area and is the administrative centre.

Ararat Victoria

Barkly Street, looking east towards Mt Langi Ghiran History     Edward Roper, Gold diggings, Ararat, ca. 1854–58, oil on canvas, State Library of New South Wales      Upper Barkly Street in 1894. The fire brigade tower (since demolished) is the tall building in the distance, E.S. & A Bank and drapery business is on the right   Prior to the European settlement of Australia, Ararat was inhabited by the TjapwurongIndigenous Australian people. Europeans first settled in the Grampians region in the 1840s after surveyor Thomas Mitchell passed through the area in 1836. In 1841, Horatio Wills, on his way to selecting country further south, wrote in his diary, "like the Ark we rested" and named a nearby hill Mt Ararat. It is from this entry and the nearby Mount that the town takes its name. The Post Office opened 1 February 1856 although known as Cathcart until 31 August 1857.   In 1857, a party of Chinese miners en route to the Central Victorian gold fields struck gold at the Canton Lead which marked the beginning of great growth in Ararat. The Chinese community was substantial in Ararat, the Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre commemorates the history of the community. Rapid growth brought about a municipality, which was incorporated as a borough on 24 September 1858. Ararat became a city of asylums, with a large facility Aradale Mental Hospital was opened in 1865 and J Ward, a lunatic asylum for criminally insane (formerly the Ararat County Gaol), opened in 1887. Both have been closed but remain as significant reminders of the city's role in the treatment of mentally ill patients. Vines were planted in 1863 by French settlers..     Economy   Ararat's economy is driven by primary industries of the region including wool, beef and the Grampians Wine Region. The region has a number of wind farms including the Challicum Hills Wind Farm produce large amounts of renewable energy to the National Electricity Market. The city also has a significant service economy with health, community services and is a regional commerce centre. HM Prison Ararat is located in the town. Servicing visitors to the Grampians National Park and the local wine industry, tourism is a relatively small but significant industry in Ararat, employing 150 people and generating around $8 million to the economy, however its impact on the surrounding region is significant with tourists spending $270 million annually. Key tourist attractions include the Ararat Regional Art Gallery, Mount Langi Ghiran winery, tours through Aradale (Australia's largest abandoned 1800's lunatic asylum) and the Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre.     Geography     Ararat from One Tree Hill lookout looking south west toward the Challicum Hills Wind Farm   Ararat is nestled between several mountain ranges, including the Grampians National Park, Mount Langi Ghiran, Mount Cole, Mount Buangor, Ararat Hills Regional Park and the Pyrenees Ranges. Cemetery Creek, the valley's main catchment runs through the north of the town while Green Hill lake is on the city's eastern fringe.

Governance

 

The city is the location of the municipal offices and seat of government for the Rural City of Ararat local government area. Ararat is represented by the federal Division of Wannon. For law enforcement, Ararat has a single police station as well as a magistrates court and a children's court all located on Barkly Street..

Culture

Art

 

Sport

 

Australian rules football is a popular sport in Ararat. The Ararat Football Club (formed in 1871) was a founding club of the Wimmera Football League and continues to compete with its most recent premiership in 2001. A second club, the Ararat Eagles Football Club was formed more recently in 2000 to play in the Lexton Plains Football League, but now play in the Mininera & District Football League. Like many country football clubs, Ararat's clubs offer netball as a popular sport for women in Ararat, with the Ararat Rats representing the city in the Wimmera Netball Association..

The horse racing club, the Wimmera Racing Club, schedules around five race meetings a year at Ararat including the Ararat Cup meeting in November. Ararat Harness Racing Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack in the town. Golfers play at the Aradale Golf Club on Grano Street or at the course of the Chalambar Golf Club on Golf Links Road. Motocross has become a popular sport in the area, and the Ararat Motorcycle Club regularly holds events up to state level. Association Football is played at junior level, with the Ararat and Grampians YMCA school competition from years 8-12..

 

Infrastructure

 

Transport

 

The main form of transport is road transport and motor vehicles. According to the 2006 Census, 88% of people traveled to work by motor vehicle, the vast majority of which traveled by automobile. Ararat is situated at the junction of several main roads including the Western Highway via High Street (running eastward to Ballarat and Melbourne and westward to Horsham and Adelaide); the Pyrenees Highway via Vincent Street (running east to Avoca and Maryborough); Ararat-Pomonal Road via Barkly Street (westward towards Halls Gap) and the Mortlake-Ararat Road via Vincent Street (running south with connections to the west and Hamilton, south and Warrnambool and to the east and Geelong). Ararat's urban area streets are laid out in grid plan. Roads are also important for public transport. Ararat Transit provides 120 bus services on three routes 6 days a week, connecting with train services. According to the 2006 Census, just 4 persons in Ararat traveled to work by bus. Taxi services are provided by Ararat Cabs (since November 2010), provides 6 normal taxi-cabs and 1 wheeel-chair bus, capable of 2 wheelchairs or 10 standard passengers.

Health

 

Former Ararat Hospital (1885-86)

Ararat & District Hospital (established in 1850) is a major regional hospital and is coordinated by the East Grampians Health Service and Ararat Medical Centre.

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ararat,_Victoria

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