Birregurra Explained

Type:town
Birregurra
State:vic
Use Lga Map:yes
Coordinates:-38.3333°N 143.7833°W
Pushpin Label Position:top
Lga:Colac Otway Shire
Postcode:3242
Pop:942
Stategov:Polwarth
Fedgov:Wannon
Dist1:136
Dir1:SW
Location1:Melbourne
Dist2:64
Dir2:W
Location2:Geelong
Dist3:21
Dir3:E
Near-Nw:Ombersley
Near-N:Ombersley
Near-Ne:Winchelsea
Near-W:Warncoort
Near-E:Winchelsea South
Near-Sw:Yeodene
Near-S:Murroon
Whoorel
Near-Se:Deans Marsh
Bambra

Birregurra, is a town in Colac Otway Shire, Victoria, Australia, approximately 130km (80miles) south-west of Melbourne. At the 2021 census, it had a population of 942.

In 1839, Wesleyan missionaries and the Victorian colonial government established the Buntingdale Aboriginal Mission in the area - Victoria's first Aboriginal mission.[1]

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.

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, which opened in 1891 and closed in 1957, junctioned with the main line at Birregurra. The local railway station is served by V/Line passenger services on the Warrnambool line.

Birregurra has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Colac & District Football League.

Golfers play at the Birregurra Golf Club on Hopkins Street.

Birregurra is home to the Brae restaurant, which was number 44 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2017.[2]

The town has a primary school which had 92 students,[3] and is located on Beal Street.

The name comes from an Aboriginal word thought to mean "kangaroo camp".[4] The town is on Gulidjan Country.

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. The town has cafes, serving food and coffee, a local providore showcasing local produce, the Royal Mail Hotel, a general store, some gift shops and a hairdresser.

Birregurra was the setting for the fictional Victorian town of Haven Bay in the Channel 10 television series The Henderson Kids.

Notable people

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Francis Tuckfield, National Portrait Gallery. www.portrait.gov.au. 2018-12-14.
  2. Web site: Brae. The World's 50 Best Restaurants. 9 April 2017.
  3. Web site: Birregurra Primary School . The Good Schools Guide . Good Education Media . 2023-05-03.
  4. Web site: Birregurra Victorian Places. www.victorianplaces.com.au. 2018-12-14.