Great Western, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Great Western is a town in the east of the Wimmera
region of Victoria
, Australia
. The town is located on the Western Highway
, in the Shire of Northern Grampians Local Government Area, 225 kilometres north west of the state capital, Melbourne
. The town has a population of 644.
The first European settlers in the Great Western area were sheep graziers in the 1840s and closer settlement began with the discovery of gold
during the Victorian gold rush
, the Post Office opening on 1 June 1858.
. The first vineyards in the Great Western area were established by two Frenchmen
who met at the gold diggings at Daylesford
. Following their example, Joseph Best and his brother Henry established vineyards in 1865. Following Joseph's death in 1888, the property was purchased by Hans Irvine. Irvine imported staff from France and dedicated himself to establishing a sparkling wine
of comparable quality of French champagne. In 1918, Irvine sold the winery to his friend and Australian wine pioneer, Benno Seppelt.
Today, Great Western is still producing quality sparkling wines including Seppelt Salinger at the Seppelt winery, now owned by the Foster's Group
. The Seppelt
cellars include over 3 kilometres of labyrinthine tunnels ("drives") originally constructed by miners searching for gold and are now used to allow the sparkling wine to rest and develop. The other major vineyard in the area is the Concongella vineyard, operated by Best's Wines, producing a wide variety of wine types. Table shiraz, including some from pre-phylloxera
root stocks, is also produced by wineries in the area. The development of a water recycling program transferring waste water from nearby Ararat
to wineries at Great Western has allowed recent expansion of the wine industry in the area.
The horse racing club, the Wimmera Racing Club, holds the Great Western Cup meeting on Australia Day
(26 January), and a rodeo
is also held annually.
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Horsham & District Football League
.
Wimmera
The Wimmera is a region in the west of the Australian state of Victoria.It covers the dryland farming area south of the range of Mallee scrub, east of the South Australia border and north of the Great Dividing Range...
region of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The town is located on the Western Highway
Western Highway, Victoria
The Western Highway is part of the principal route linking the Australian cities of Melbourne and Adelaide with a length of approximately 314 kilometres. It is a part of the National Highway network and designated as National Highway A8...
, in the Shire of Northern Grampians Local Government Area, 225 kilometres north west of the state capital, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. The town has a population of 644.
The first European settlers in the Great Western area were sheep graziers in the 1840s and closer settlement began with the discovery of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
during the Victorian gold rush
Victorian gold rush
The 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...
, the Post Office opening on 1 June 1858.
. The first vineyards in the Great Western area were established by two Frenchmen
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
who met at the gold diggings at Daylesford
Daylesford, Victoria
Daylesford is a town located in the Shire of Hepburn, Victoria, Australia. It is a former goldmining town about 115 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. At the 2006 census, Daylesford had a population of 3,073...
. Following their example, Joseph Best and his brother Henry established vineyards in 1865. Following Joseph's death in 1888, the property was purchased by Hans Irvine. Irvine imported staff from France and dedicated himself to establishing a sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
of comparable quality of French champagne. In 1918, Irvine sold the winery to his friend and Australian wine pioneer, Benno Seppelt.
Today, Great Western is still producing quality sparkling wines including Seppelt Salinger at the Seppelt winery, now owned by the Foster's Group
Foster's Group
Foster's Group is a beer group with interests in brewing and soft drinks. Foster's Group is the brewer of the Foster's Lager. Foster's Group Limited is a publicly-listed company on the Australian Securities Exchange and is based in Melbourne, Victoria...
. The Seppelt
Seppelt
Seppelt:* Alfred Seppelt , German chess player* Franz Xaver Seppelt , German theologian and author* Hans-Joachim "Hajo" Seppelt , German journalist and author* Joseph Ernst Seppelt** Seppeltsfield...
cellars include over 3 kilometres of labyrinthine tunnels ("drives") originally constructed by miners searching for gold and are now used to allow the sparkling wine to rest and develop. The other major vineyard in the area is the Concongella vineyard, operated by Best's Wines, producing a wide variety of wine types. Table shiraz, including some from pre-phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
root stocks, is also produced by wineries in the area. The development of a water recycling program transferring waste water from nearby Ararat
Ararat, Victoria
Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about 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...
to wineries at Great Western has allowed recent expansion of the wine industry in the area.
The horse racing club, the Wimmera Racing Club, holds the Great Western Cup meeting on Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
(26 January), and a rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
is also held annually.
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Horsham & District Football League
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:...
.