Edenhope is a town in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia. It is located on the

Wimmera Highway Wimmera Highway is a 345 kilometre highway that connects the towns of Marong, Victoria and Naracoorte, South Australia, through the major junctions of Sunraysia Highway, Henty Highway and Western Highway. History The passing of the ''High ...

, 30 kilometres from the

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

n border, in the

Shire of West Wimmera The Shire of West Wimmera is a local government area in the western part of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of and in June 2018 had a population of 3,862. It includes the ...

local government area. At the Edenhope had a population of 946. The township of Edenhope was established some years later than nearby Apsley, the Post Office opening on 16 July 1864.

Naming of town

The first European settlers in the district were the Hope family, in 1845. They came from Scotland and had lived next to the Eden River. The Hope family established the Lake Wallace pastoral station.

Lake Wallace

Edenhope sits on the southern shore of Lake Wallace, which covers an area of around 200 hectares. The lake is a five minute walk from Edenhope's main street. There is a jetty and several boat ramps. Lake Wallace is also a waterbird haven where

black swans Black swan is the common name for ''Cygnus atratus'', an Australasian waterfowl. (The) Black Swan(s) may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Black Swan'' (film), a 1942 swashbuckler film * ''Black Swans'' (film), a 2005 Dutch drama film * ...

nest in spring. There are bird hides and a 5 km scenic walking track around the lake. Lake Wallace dries up at times of extreme drought but is now filling again after the return of better seasons. The waterbird population is slowly increasing. On Lake Street in the grounds of the Secondary College, there is a cairn commemorating the first all-Aboriginal cricket team to go to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

Historical buildings

The Edenhope Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1983. Opposite the Court House is the Back Swamp, home to local bird life which can be viewed from the bird hide and bird walk.

Accommodation

Accommodation at Edenhope includes the Edenhope Motor Inn & Restaurant and the Lake Wallace Hotel.

Recreation

Edenhope has a horse racing club, the Edenhope Racing Club, which holds the Edenhope Cup meeting on the

Labour Day Labour Day (''Labor Day'' in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours fo ...

weekend in March. The Apsley Racing Club also hold their Cup meeting there in April. Golfers play at the Edenhope Golf Club on Laidlaw Avenue. The Edenhope-Apsley Football Netball Club was created from a merger with the team from nearby Apsley in 1999. The team competes in the

Horsham & District Football League The Horsham & District Football League is an amateur Australian rules football league based in the Wimmera area of Western Victoria. History The league in its present form was created in 1946. Prior to World War 2 a number of local leagues e ...

, after competing in the

Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League The Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, Australia. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League. One unus ...

until 2006. Previously Edenhope and Aspley had a healthy rivalry that developed in the Kowree-Naracoorte Football League. Edenhope hosts Henley on Lake Wallace on the second Saturday in February. The regatta and related events date back to 1921, when funds were raised to erect a memorial to soldiers of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

Notable people

Phil Carman Phillip Carman (born 4 September 1950 in Edenhope, Victoria) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented Norwood in the SANFL and , , and in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1970s and 1980s. A flamboyant player who ...

a former , , & footballer * Don Dixon a former footballer *

Graeme MacKenzie Graeme MacKenzie (8 March 1935 – 16 September 2016) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Austra ...

a former footballer *

Max Galpin Max Galpin (27 July 1935 – 18 August 2015) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving ...

a former footballer *

Bruce Greenhill Bruce Greenhill (26 July 1946 – 6 February 2014) was a former Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Greenhill became an established footballer in the Tasmanian Football League wit ...

a former footballer *

Richard Charles Guthridge Richard Charles Guthridge (11 June 1837 – 13 October 1934) was a British Merchant shipping, merchant seaman and was recognised in 1998 by the Premier of Victoria in Australia as one of the earliest and most significant pioneers of the St ...

, early settler * Tom McDonald a current footballer *

Oscar McDonald Oscar McDonald (born 18 March 1996) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club and in the Australian Football League (AFL). McDonald has played the majority of his career as defender. Junio ...

a current footballer *

Alex Forster Alex Forster (born 24 July 1993) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for Norwood in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He previously played for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). ...

a former player at the Fremantle Football Club

References

{{authority control Towns in Victoria (Australia) Wimmera Fishing communities in Australia