Happy TravellerWelcome to Shepparton, a vibrant city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in northern Victoria, Australia. With a population of over 68,000 people, Shepparton is a major regional service city and the seat of local government and civic administration for the City of Greater Shepparton. The city began as a sheep station and river crossing in the mid-19th century, before undergoing a major transformation as a railway town. Today, it is an agricultural and manufacturing centre, and the centre of the Goulburn Valley irrigation system, one of the largest centres of irrigation in Australia.
One of the most interesting things about Shepparton is its rich history. Prior to the European settlement of Australia, the area was inhabited by the Yorta Yorta, the indigenous Australian people whose country covers the junction of the Goulburn and Murray Rivers in present-day northern Victoria and southern New South Wales. The town of Shepparton and surrounds are on the country of the Kailtheban clan of the Yorta Yorta nation. Surveyor General Thomas Mitchell was the first European to be recorded traveling through the area, crossing the Goulburn River in 1836 on his return to Sydney from an expedition to survey the Darling River and its tributaries.
Shepparton has a cold semi-arid climate, with hot summers and cool winters. The hottest summer month is January, when the average maximum temperature is 32.1 °C (89.8 °F). In winter, the weather becomes coldest in July when the minimum averages 3.4 °C (38.1 °F) and the maximum gets to 13.3 °C (55.9 °F). Although the rainfall in Shepparton is fairly sparse, winter sees the most rain days. Rainfall is quite low throughout the year. Even with the wettest month being in November, the rainfall still averages at 45.7 millimetres (1.80 in).
Shepparton is a major regional commercial and shopping centre and service economy for the Greater Shepparton area. Major retailers in Shepparton include Target, Kmart, Harris Scarfe (formerly Fairleys Department Store), Bunnings Warehouse, Rebel, The Reject Shop, Repco, Supercheap Auto, Autobarn and Dimmeys. Shepparton is also home to a large swimming centre called Aquamoves, two performing arts centres, one in Mooroopna named WestSide, due to its geographical location and the other the Eastbank Centre located in Shepparton (which houses the centres box office). Collectively the centres are called Riverlinks Venues.
If you’re a sports enthusiast, Shepparton has plenty to offer. Australian Rules Football is popular in Shepparton, which fields five clubs. The main league, called the Goulburn Valley Football League (GVFL), includes 3 teams from the city; the Shepparton Bears, Shepparton Swans and Shepparton United, with Mooroopna also fielding a team. There are also other smaller leagues, such as the Murray Football League, Kyabram & District Football League and the which have teams from in and around Greater Shepparton (Rumbalara and Shepparton East respectively). There is also a junior league in the schools (SDJFA). The city plays a major role in a team where the Australian Football League (AFL) frequently scouts for new talents to AFL clubs, which is the Murray Bushrangers. Association Football is also popular in Shepparton with four senior clubs entering teams into competitions run by the North Eastern Soccer League; Shepparton (formerly Lemnos), Shepparton South and Shepparton United Teams are entered in mens, womens, boys and girls divisions.
In addition to sports, Shepparton is also home to a thriving arts and culture scene. The city hosts the Moooving Art project, which involves local artists painting fibreglass cows, which are then displayed in tourist locations throughout the city and surrounding townships. The project is an artistic representation of the strong dairy industry prevalent in the Shepparton area. Shepparton is also home of the Shepparton Art Museum, more commonly known as SAM. SAM houses the worlds most significant collection of Australian ceramics, and is home to the biennial Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award and the Indigenous Ceramic Art Award. The museum features the surrealist sculpture Woman and Child by artist Sam Jinks. Shepparton is
