Bright (pronunciation: ) is a town in northeastern Victoria,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, 319 metres above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardis ...

at the southeastern end of the Ovens Valley. At the , Bright had a population of 2,406. It is in the

Alpine Shire The Alpine Shire is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of and in 2022 had a population of 13,235. It includes the towns of Bright, Dinner Plain, ...

local government area. Its postcode is 3741.

History

Hamilton Hume and William Hovell explored the area in 1824, naming the Ovens River. The town was first known as Morse's Creek after F.H. Morse but in 1861 it was renamed in honour of the British orator and politician

John Bright John Bright (16 November 1811 – 27 March 1889) was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, one of the greatest orators of his generation and a promoter of free trade policies. A Quaker, Bright is most famous for battling the Corn La ...

. The Post Office opened on 25 January 1860 as Morse's Creek and was renamed Bright in 1866. During the

Victorian gold rush The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony, and an influx of population growth and financial capit ...

there was a rush to the nearby Buckland River. As the gold deposits gradually diminished, Chinese miners arrived in the area to sift the abandoned claims. Tensions over Chinese success from Anglo-Irish miners caused the violent

Buckland Riot The Buckland riot was an anti-Chinese race riot that occurred on 4 July 1857, in the goldfields of the Buckland Valley, Victoria, Australia, near present-day Porepunkah. At the time approximately 2000 Chinese and 700 European migrants were livi ...

in 1857, resulting in deaths of Chinese miners and the fleeing of 2,000 Chinese. The riot was eventually quelled by the Beechworth police under the command of Robert O'Hara Burke from 80 kilometres away. Bright has a rich cultural heritage and many locations within the town along with street names can be traced to present day residents. The Bright Historical Society has extensive records of the region's past. The Bright Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.

Features

The main industry of the town at the beginning of the 21st century is tourism, with much focus on the autumnal colours of the European trees planted in the area. A major cultural event is the Bright Autumn Festival. Due to the number of paragliding and hang glider launch sites close to Bright, the town has been a centre of activity for paragliding festivals and competitions. Bright is a major gateway to alpine scenery and has a variety of native birds and animals. Morses Creek and the Ovens River have adjoining tracks for short or long walks. Bright is also a popular family destination over summer and the population swells, particularly after Christmas. During the summer months Bright enjoys consistently warm and sunny days with comfortable overnight temperatures. The town is close to the Victorian Alps and various alpine national parks including the

Mount Buffalo National Park The Mount Buffalo National Park is a national park in the alpine region of Victoria, Australia. The national park is located approximately northeast of Melbourne in the Australian Alps. Within the national park is Mount Buffalo, a moderately ...

Mount Feathertop Mount Feathertop is the second-highest mountain in the Australian state of Victoria and is part of the Australian Alps and is located within the Alpine National Park. It rises to and is usually covered in snow from June to September. Unlike m ...

, Mount Bogong and

Mount Hotham Mount Hotham is a mountain located in the Victorian Alps of the Great Dividing Range, in the Australian state of Victoria. The mountain is located approximately north east of Melbourne, from Sydney, and from Adelaide by road. The nearest ...

are also near the township. At 1986 metres above

, Bogong is the highest peak in the state of Victoria, and Feathertop is the second highest at 1922 metres. The railway station has been preserved as a local history museum. Although trains no longer run from the township, the 95 km Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail allows cyclists to travel the same route that train passengers would have travelled via the townships of

Myrtleford Myrtleford is a town in northeast Victoria, Australia, 280 km (170 miles) northeast of Melbourne and 46 km (29 miles) southeast of Wangaratta. Myrtleford is part of the Alpine Shire local government area and in 2016 the town had a p ...

, Beechworth and Wangaratta.

Climate

Owing to its southern latitude, Bright has a

temperate climate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

(''Cfb'') under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

scheme, with four distinct seasons. Summer is warm and usually dry, with very cool nights. Autumn is mild and damp. Winter and spring are characterised by chilling rains.

Frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a g ...

commonplace throughout the year, with occasional winter

snowfall Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

. The highest recorded temperature in Bright was on 8 February 1983 and the lowest recorded temperature was on 30 June 1986.

Education

Bright P-12 College is located within walking distance of the town centre. The college population comprises students from the surrounding townships of Porepunkah,

Harrietville Harrietville is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Alpine Road, in the Alpine Shire. At the , Harrietville and the surrounding area had a population of 338. History Harrietville was named after the first white woman who lived ...

and Wandiligong. The college also operates an annex school in

Dinner Plain Dinner Plain is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Alpine Road, 13 kilometres from Mount Hotham Alpine Resort, and 375 kilometres from Melbourne. At the , Dinner Plain had a population of 230, yet has over 200 lodges and chale ...

during the winter season. The college is one of a few state educational facilities where primary and secondary students share the same campus.

Flora and fauna

The local area has a variety of plants and animals. Many wildflowers, large and small trees, undergrowth and

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...

s can be seen close to each other. Within 350 metres of the town centre, just a few minutes walk,

platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or mono ...

, fish, yabbies and amphibians can be seen in their natural environment. Overhead there are

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threa ...

, harmless native bees and many species of birds including willy wagtail, kookaburra,

magpie Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent creatures, and is on ...

and cockatoo which can often be heard in the area. Lyrebirds can be heard outside of town and wombats and the occasional

echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...

can be seen. Several species of mostly small reptile such as lizards live in the area and

goannas A goanna is any one of several species of lizards of the genus '' Varanus'' found in Australia and Southeast Asia. Around 70 species of ''Varanus'' are known, 25 of which are found in Australia. This varied group of carnivorous reptiles ranges ...

snakes Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

can be found on one of the many nearby wooded bushwalking tracks.

Sport

Hang-gliding and

paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'p ...

are popular activities and the Mystic Flight Park is located 3 kilometres from town.

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...

occurs in the rivers and dams in the area and are stocked with trout from the local hatchery. Native Murray cod have also been caught in the local rivers, but these are becoming increasingly rare.

Mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

trails exist close to the town centre. The tracks range from technical, fast, singletracks to easy river side rides. Best trails are found within the Baker's Gully area and downhill tracks are located off Mystic Hill, Apex Hill and in the Porepunkah pines on the south side of the Ovens River.

Cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from ...

: The

Audax Alpine Classic The Alpine Classic (formerly Audax Alpine Classic) is an Australian bicycle event run every Australia Day weekend (late January) in Bright, Victoria. The event is currently managed by O2 Events, having previously been organised by Audax Australi ...

cycle event is run every

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port ...

weekend by Audax Australia with over 2000 cyclists descending on Bright. The 200 km route takes the rider to Falls Creek and back and then a return trip to

Mount Buffalo Mount Buffalo is a mountain plateau of the Australian Alps and is within the Mount Buffalo National Park in Victoria, Australia. It is located approximately northeast of Melbourne. It is noted for its dramatic scenery. The summit of the high ...

. The town has an

Australian Rules Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

football team competing in the

Ovens & King Football League The Ovens & King Football Netball League is a minor country Australian rules football league based in North-Eastern Victoria in the vicinity of Wangaratta and more recently Benalla. History The ''Ovens & King Football League'' was formed on ...

. Golfers play at the Bright Country Golf Club on Back Porepunkah Road. Bright is the location of The Buffalo Stampede, which was Australia's first ever Sanctioned

Skyrunning Skyrunning is a sport of mountain running up to or exceeding where the minimum average incline is 6% over the total distance and at least 5% has an incline of 30% or more. The climbing difficulty does not exceed II grade UIAA. Poles, crampons and ...

event in April 2014 with 2 events (75 km Ultra SkyMarathon and 42 km SkyMarathon). Starting and finishing at Howitt Park, the 75 km Ultra SkyMarathon takes runners up Mystic Hill, down to Baker's Gully, over Clearspot before descending into the Buckland Valley. Runners then make their way up Keatings Ridge over to Eurobin Creek before climbing The Big Walk to the Mt Buffalo Chalet. Once at the Chalet runners take the underground river track to Lake Catani and travel through Chalwell's Galleries before making their way back to the Chalet and retracing their steps all the way back to Howitt Park. The 42 km SkyMarathon takes on the same route but finishes at the Mount Buffalo Chalet once runners have completed the Chalet loop to Lake Catani and through Chalwell's Galleries to take them up to the 42 km mark. In 2015 a new event (The Sky26er) will be a part of this event. The Sky 26er will also start in Howitt Park before crossing the Ovens River and running up and over Quins Gap then climbing Telegraph Spur to the top of Mt Porepunkah. Once at the summit of Mt Porepunkah runners descend to Smart Creek Gap before climbing Tawonga Gap Ridge and making their way to Apex Lookout before they descend back into Bright to finish at Howitt Park. With a successful debut in 2014, the Buffalo Stampede is set to bring record numbers of runners and supporters to the township of Bright in April 2015.

Local attractions

Local attractions include farms, wineries, historic sites, fruit orchards, restaurants, touring the beautiful natural landscape, surrounding mountains and more. There are many events held in the Bright township and surrounding areas. In spring, Bright holds regular markets, as well as the Bright Spring Festival, Bright 6 Hour Mountain Bike Event, Bright High Country Horse Endurance Ride, Art Exhibitions, Bright Grand Fireworks Spectacular and Concert, Bright Alpine Four Peaks Mountain Climb Harrietville Bluegrass and Traditional Country Music Convention and the Alpine Delight (Audax Cycling Event). In summer, one can attend the Christmas Carols at the Bright Art Gallery, Carols by Candlelight at the Bright Sound Shell, the Rotary Waterside at Centenary Park or go for a Tandem Paraglide for an aerial view of Bright, or the Tour of Duty Bright, Military 6x6 vehicle for all the mountain secrets. There are also many markets in Bright and

, as well as the Alpine Valley's Gourmet Weekend and Drive in Movies at Pioneer Park. SP Ausnet - Tour of Bright - Road Cycling Race Autumn brings the Bright Autumn Festival featuring lush

autumn leaf colour Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normal green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn season, various shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. The phenomenon ...

, the Alpine Classic Golf Tournament, held in Bright,

and Wangaratta. The Bright Easter Market is on as well as the Alpine Film Festival. The Buffalo Stampede

Ultramarathon An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of . Various distances are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of to over . 50k and 100k are bot ...

starting and finishing in Howitt Park is held mid-April bringing runners from all over the world to compete. Winter brings snow to the surrounding peaks and the opening of the Snow Season on Queen's Birthday weekend.

Communication

Mail is delivered every weekday and collection from post boxes is regular. The area is within mobile phone coverage areas for Telstra, Optus and Vodafone and has 4G speeds of between 2Mbit/s and 75Mbit/s (as of May 2016). In addition to mobile, internet access is also via WiFi hotspots, internet cafe style access and ADSL. There are no longer any ADSL1 ports (as of January 2010).

Transport

Road access to town is via the Great Alpine Road connecting to the Melbourne to Sydney Hume Freeway about to the northwest or to the north or through the Murray Valley Highway to the northeast, Canberra and the east coast, or along the continuation of the Great Alpine Highway to the southeast of the state. Air access is via small aircraft landing strips in the area like

Mount Hotham Airport Mount Hotham Airport is a small Australian regional airport, which serves the Victorian ski resort of Mount Hotham. The airport opened in 2000, and it is Australia's highest-altitude airport. Airlines and destinations QantasLink formerly ...

by road to the southeast, and Porepunkah Airport. The town was served by the Bright railway line but this closed in the 1980s. During the late 1990s the line was converted into the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail for cyclists and walkers. In terms of public transport, Bright is now served by a

V/Line V/Line is a statutory authority that operates regional passenger train and coach services in Victoria, Australia. It provides passenger train services on five commuter lines and eight long-distance routes from its major hub at Southern Cross ...

coach service from Wangaratta several times daily and the Alps Link to Omeo via

operated by

Dysons Dysons is a bus and coach operator in Victoria, Australia. History Dysons was founded in June 1952 when Laurie Dyson purchased the business of Ned Gastin with route 46A Regent station to Janefield Hospital. Over the years a number of route ...

Media

Radio

In addition, many radio stations from Wangaratta and

Albury Albury () is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – t ...

can be heard in the Bright area.

Television

* ABC *

Prime7 Prime7, formerly Prime Television and other names, was an Australian television network. Prime Television launched on 17 March 1962 as '' CBN-8'' in Orange, and later expanded to cover regional New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Ca ...

* SBS *

Southern Cross 10 10 Regional is an Australian television network owned by Southern Cross Austereo that is broadcast in Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The network is the primary affiliate of Network 10 i ...

* WIN Television