Yarrawonga, Victoria


Yarrawonga is a town in the Shire of Moira local government area in the Australian state of Victoria. The town is situated on the south bank of the Murray River, the border between Victoria and New South Wales and is located approximately north-east of the state capital, Melbourne. Yarrawonga's twin town of Mulwala is on the other side of the Murray River. At the, Yarrawonga had a population of 7,930.
Yarrawonga is served by a standard gauge branch railway, which branches off the Melbourne-Sydney line at Benalla and terminates at Oaklands in New South Wales.
Yarrawonga's main attraction is Lake Mulwala, formed by the damming of the Murray River. The lake is a popular location for activities such as boating, kayaking and fishing. There are two crossings of the Murray between Yarrawonga and Mulwala; across the weir ; and a bridge over Lake Mulwala. This bridge contains an unusual bend and dip in the middle, a result of miscommunication between the two state governments.
The Yarrawonga Football Club participates in the Ovens and Murray Football League in the sport of Australian rules football, which has produced the likes of Barry Mitchell, Joel Smith, Ben Dixon, and Tom Lonergan.

History

Yarrawonga Post Office opened on 28 November 1874.
Historically, one of the major industries in the Yarrawonga/ Mulwala area has been the explosives factory, which was constructed in Mulwala over 1942–43. It is now operated by French company Thales but remains an Australian Department of Defence asset.
The Yarrawonga Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.

Popular culture

Yarrawonga is also home to Australia's Tallest Man and Cleo's 2012 Bachelor of the Year runner-up Kewal Shiels, measuring 7.3" or 223 cm.