Birregurra, is a town in
Colac Otway Shire,
Victoria,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, approximately south-west of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. At the
2021 census, it had a population of 942.
The name comes from an Aboriginal word thought to mean "kangaroo camp". The town is on
Gulidjan Country.
History
In 1839,
Wesleyan missionaries and the Victorian colonial government established the
Buntingdale Aboriginal Mission in the area - Victoria's first Aboriginal mission.
A post office opened in the area on 1 October 1858 and was renamed Mount Gellibrand in 1894, a few days before another nearby office was opened as Birregurra.
Railway
The railway through the town opened in 1877,
as part of
the line to the south-west of the state. A branch line to
Forrest
Forrest may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Forrest, Australian Capital Territory
*Forrest, Victoria, a small rural township
*Division of Forrest, a federal division of the Australian House of Representatives, in Western Australia
*Electoral distric ...
, which opened in 1891 and closed in 1957, junctioned with the main line at Birregurra.
The
local railway station is served by
V/Line
V/Line is a statutory authority that operates Regional rail, regional passenger rail and Intercity bus service, coach services in the Australian state of Victoria (state), Victoria. It provides passenger train services on five Commuter rail, ...
passenger services on the Warrnambool line.
Sport
Birregurra 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 Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
football team competing in the
Colac & District Football League.
Birregurra also has a golf club.
Education
The town has a primary school which had 92 students , and is located on Beal Street.
Businesses
The town has cafes, a local providore showcasing local produce, the Royal Mail Hotel, a general store, gift shops and a hairdresser.
Birregurra is home to the
Brae restaurant, which was number 44 in
The World's 50 Best Restaurants
The World's 50 Best Restaurants is a list produced by the UK media company William Reed Ltd, William Reed, which originally appeared in the British magazine ''Restaurant (magazine), Restaurant'' in 2002. The list and awards are no longer direc ...
in 2017.
Local events
Birregurra is host to the Birregurra Festival and Art Show, which starts on the second full weekend of October each year.
A produce market is held on the second Sunday of each month from November to April, where local vendors sell cakes, jewellery, plants, fresh fruit and vegetables, wine, arts and crafts. Organisers hold a barbecue for patrons of the market and all proceeds return to the community.
Birregurra was the filming location for the fictional Victorian town of Haven Bay in season 1 of the
Channel 10 television series ''
The Henderson Kids
''The Henderson Kids'' is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for Network Ten between 1985 and 1987. It was created and storylined by Roger Moulton, who also wrote 5 episodes in the first series and 2 episodes in the se ...
''.
Notable people
*
Mary Glowrey
Mary Glowrey JMJ, religious name ''Mary of the Sacred Heart'', (1887–1957) was an Australian born religious sister and educated doctor who spent 37 years in India, where she set up healthcare facilities, services and systems. She is believed t ...
(1887–1957) was an Australian-born and educated doctor, who spent 37 years in
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, where she set up healthcare facilities.
*
Firth McCallum
Firth William McCallum (27 December 1872 – 11 July 1910) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, loc ...
(1872–1910) was an Australian rules footballer with
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club based at Kardinia Park in South Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The club competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier comp ...
and was named among the top players of the
1899 VFL season.
References
External links
Community website*
Birregurra Festival & Art ShowColac Otway ShireBirregurra Primary School
Towns in Victoria (state)
Western District (Victoria)
{{BarwonSouthWest-geo-stub