Bright (postcode 3741), is a small sized town, located in
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, 319 metres above
sea levelMean sea level is the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation.- Measurement :...
and in North Eastern Victoria at the southeastern end of the Ovens Valley. At the 2006
censusThe Australian census is administered by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 8 August 2006. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they have also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933, 1947, and 1954...
, Bright has a population of 2684. It is in the
Alpine ShireAlpine Shire is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the north-eastern part of the state. It includes the towns of Bright, Mt Beauty and Myrtleford. It has an area of 4,885 square kilometres. In 2001 it had a population of 17,581 and still growing. There are two...
local government area.
Hamilton Hume and William Hovell
exploredThe Hume and Hovell expedition was one of the most important journeys of explorations undertaken in eastern Australia. In 1824 the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, commissioned Hamilton Hume and former Royal Navy Captain William Hovell to lead an expedition to find new grazing land...
the area in 1824, naming the Ovens River.
The town was first known as Morse's Creek after F.H.
Bright (postcode 3741), is a small sized town, located in
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, 319 metres above
sea levelMean sea level is the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation.- Measurement :...
and in North Eastern Victoria at the southeastern end of the Ovens Valley. At the 2006
censusThe Australian census is administered by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 8 August 2006. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they have also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933, 1947, and 1954...
, Bright has a population of 2684. It is in the
Alpine ShireAlpine Shire is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the north-eastern part of the state. It includes the towns of Bright, Mt Beauty and Myrtleford. It has an area of 4,885 square kilometres. In 2001 it had a population of 17,581 and still growing. There are two...
local government area.
History
Hamilton Hume and William Hovell
exploredThe Hume and Hovell expedition was one of the most important journeys of explorations undertaken in eastern Australia. In 1824 the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, commissioned Hamilton Hume and former Royal Navy Captain William Hovell to lead an expedition to find new grazing land...
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 BrightJohn Bright PC , Quaker, was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with Richard Cobden in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League...
. The Post Office opened on 25 January 1860 as Morse's Creek and was renamed Bright in 1866.
During the
Victorian gold rushThe Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
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' in 1857, resulting in deaths of Chinese miners and the fleeing of 2,000 Chinese. The riot was eventually quelled by the
BeechworthBeechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s...
police under the command of
Robert O'Hara BurkeIn 1860-61 Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres...
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.
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 majestic Alpine scenery and has a variety of native birds and animals. Morse's Creek and the Ovens River have adjoining tracks which are ideal 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, sunny days with comfortable overnight temperatures.
The town is close to the Victorian Alps, and various Alpine national parks including the
Mount Buffalo National ParkMount Buffalo is a mountain plateau in Victoria , 200 km northeast of Melbourne. It is one of the oldest parks in the Australian Alps, being first established in 1898 when 1165 ha was reserved around Eurobin Falls...
.
Mt.FeathertopMount Feathertop is the second-highest mountain in the Australian state of Victoria. It rises to 1,922 metres AHD. Snow remaining in the summit gullies in spring give the appearance of feathers - hence the name "Feathertop".-Vegetation:...
,
Mt.BogongMount Bogong, located in the Alpine National Park, is the highest mountain in Victoria, Australia. Big River separates the massif of the mountain from the Bogong High Plains to the south. "Bogong" in the local Aboriginal language means bigfella...
and
Mt.HothamMount Hotham is a mountain in Victoria, Australia. It is home to Mount Hotham Village, and Mount Hotham Ski Resort. The mountain is located approximately 357 kilometres north east of Melbourne, 746 kilometres from Sydney, and 997 kilometres from Adelaide by road. Mount Hotham's summit rises to an...
are also near the township. At 1986 metres Bogong is the highest peak in the state of Victoria, Feathertop is the second highest at 1922 metres above
sea levelMean sea level is the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation.- Measurement :...
.
The Railway Station has been preserved as a local history museum. Although trains no longer run from the township, the 95km
Murray to the Mountains Rail TrailThe Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail is a cycling and walking rail trail in northern Victoria, Australia. It extends from Wangaratta to Bright, with a side branch to Beechworth...
allows cyclists to travel the same route that train passengers would have travelled via the townships of Myrtleford, Beechworth and Wangaratta.
Flora and Fauna
The local area has an abundance and variety of plants and animals. Many wildflowers, large and small trees, undergrowth and even
fernA fern is any one of a group of about 20,000 species of plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta. The group is also referred to as Polypodiophyta, or Polypodiopsida when treated as a subdivision of tracheophyta...
s can be seen within close proximity to each other. Within literally 350 metres of the town centre, just a few minutes walk, can be seen
platypusThe Platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
, fish, yabbies and amphibians in their natural environment. Overhead there are Dragonflies, harmless native bees and many species of birds including Willy Wagtail,
KookaburraKookaburras are large to very large terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea, the name a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, which is onomatopoeic of its call....
,
MagpieMagpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae. The names 'jay' and 'magpie' are to an extent interchangeable, although this does not accurately reflect the evolutionary relationship between these birds...
and
CockatooA cockatoo is any of the 21 bird species belonging to the family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae family and the Nestoridae family, they make up the order Psittaciformes...
to name a few. They give the area an intermittent background soundtrack and can be quite communicative and sometimes emphatic if not occasionally boisterous.
LyrebirdA Lyrebird is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds, most notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment. Lyrebirds have unique plumes of neutral coloured tailfeathers....
s can be heard outside of town and Wombats and the occasional
EchidnaEchidnas , also known as spiny anteaters, are four extant mammal species belonging to the Tachyglossidae family of the monotremes, an order of egg laying mammals. Together with the Platypus, they are the only surviving members of that order comprising the only extant mammals that lay eggs...
can be seen. Several species of mostly small Reptile such as Lizards live in the area, and whilst the local people have a most approachable
charm typical of small townsHospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, or the act or practice of being hospitable, that is, the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, with liberality and goodwill...
and are surprisingly diverse given the conservative and historic town facade, the same forthright approach to new acquaintances is however not recommended if you chance upon a
GoannaGoanna is the name used to refer to any number of Australian monitor lizards of the genus Varanus, as well as to certain species from Southeast Asia.There are around 30 species of goanna, 25 of which are found in Australia...
or
SnakeSnakes are elongate legless carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
on one of the many nearby wooded bushwalking tracks as they have a different temperament indeed.
Sport
Hang-gliding is a popular activity and there is a launch site called "Mystic Point" on a mountain 3 kilometres from town.
FishingFishing is the activity of catching fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
occurs in the rivers and dams in the area and are stocked with Trout from the local hatchery.
Mountain BikingMountain biking is an ever evolving sport that has recently seen a huge flux of popularity but has firm roots in experimentation with non "mountain" style bicycles. The sport consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, with specially equipped mountain bikes or hybrid / cross...
trails exist within close proximity 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.
CyclingCycling is an activity most commonly performed on a bicycle - when it is it is also referred to as bicycling or simply biking. It is the use of the bicycle, unicycle , tricycles , quadracycles , and other similar wheeled human-powered vehicles for the purpose of transport, as a form of...
: The
Audax Alpine ClassicThe Audax Alpine Classic is an Australian bicycle event run every Australia Day weekend in Bright, Victoria and is organised by Audax Australia volunteers. Arguably the most difficult single day cycle event in Australia with the 200km version covering four steep climbs...
cycle event is run every
Australia DayAustralia Day, also known as Anniversary Day and Foundation Day, is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, the unfurling of the British flag there, and the proclamation of British...
weekend by
Audax AustraliaAudax Australia Cycling Club runs cycling events under the auspicious of Audax Club Parisien. Rides are normally from 50 km to 1200 km in distance and operate throughout Australasia...
with over 2000 cyclists descending on Bright. The 200km route takes the rider to
Falls CreekFalls Creek may refer to:* Falls Creek, New South Wales, Australia: a small town on the South Coast, New South Wales* Falls Creek, Victoria, Australia: ski resort* Falls Creek, British Columbia, Canada: a waterfall and creek in Wells Gray Provincial Park...
and back and then a return trip to Mount Buffalo.
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the
Ovens & King Football LeagueThe Ovens & King Football League is a minor country Australian Rules football league based in Northeastern Victoria in the vicinity of Wangaratta.-History:...
.
Golfers play at the Bright Country Golf Club on Back Porepunkah Road.
Local attractions
Local attractions include farms, wineries, historic sites, fruit orchards, restaurants, the beautiful natural landscape, surrounding mountains and more.
Communication
Mail is delivered every weekday and collection from post boxes is regular.
The area is within a mobile phone coverage region for NextG (3G) and GSM. (as of Feb 2008)
A variety of internet access is available including internet cafe style access. ADSL is available in most places.
Transport
Road access to town is via the
Great Alpine RoadThe Great Alpine Road is a country tourist road in Victoria, Australia, running from Wangaratta in the north to Bairnsdale in the east, and passing through the Australian Alps...
connecting to the Melbourne to Sydney Hume Freeway about to the northwest or to the north or through the
Murray Valley HighwayThe Murray Valley Highway follows the south side of the Murray River in Victoria, Australia. It effectively follows most of the northern boundary of Victoria. The western end of route B400 is the Murray River bridge at Robinvale, although the Murray Valley Highway crosses that bridge as National...
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 AirportMount 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.-Incidents and accidents:...
by road to the southeast, and
Porepunkah AirportPorepunkah Airport is located about 2 km from Porepunkah, Victoria, Australia just off the Great Alpine Road. It was created in 1979. The airport is home to the GA air charter, ultralight and weight shift training aircraft. Visiting aircraft including gliding clubs from Melbourne....
.
The town was served by the
Bright railway line, Victoria|}The Bright Line in Victoria was constructed as a branch from the previously constructed line to Beechworth, with the Bright Line branching at Everton. The line followed the Ovens Valley initially as far as Myrtleford and later extended to Bright...
but this closed in the 1980s. During the late 1990s the line was converted into the
Murray to the Mountains Rail TrailThe Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail is a cycling and walking rail trail in northern Victoria, Australia. It extends from Wangaratta to Bright, with a side branch to Beechworth...
for cyclists.
External links