- Wimmera
Infobox Australian Place | type = region
name = Wimmera
state = vic
caption =Mount Arapiles rises above the flat Wimmera plain
lga =Shire of Buloke ,Rural City of Horsham ,Shire of Northern Grampians ,Shire of West Wimmera ,Shire of Yarriambiack
pop = 48,443
pop_footnotes=
stategov = Ripon, Lowan
fedgov = MalleeThe Wimmera is a region in the west of theAustralia n 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 theGreat Dividing Range . It can also be defined as the land within the social catchment of Horsham, its main settlement.Most of the Wimmera is very flat, with only the
Grampians andMount Arapiles rising above vast plains and the lowplateau x that form the Great Divide in this part of Victoria. The Grampians are very rugged and tilted, with many sheer sandstone cliffs on their eastern sides, but gentle slopes on the west.At the 2006 census, the Wimmera statistical division had a population of 48,443.Census 2006 AUS
id=225
name=Wimmera (Statistical Division)
accessdate=2008-10-06
quick=on Note that the ABS do not include theRural City of Ararat or theShire of Buloke in their definition of the Wimmera Statistical Division.]Towns
The area contains a number of important towns, such as Horsham, Warracknabeal, Dimboola, Stawell and Nhill. Almost all of these are largely dependent on the
grain andsheep industries, and are usually dominated byflour mills and grainstorage silo s. The smaller towns in the area are dying due to over-exploitation of the fragile soils and the constantly declining value of the primary products that dominate the region'seconomy . [cite web|url=http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/955cbeae7df9460dca256c8c00152d2b/d71ea5d319c8ef14ca2571b20008ed57 |title=New natural resource management for the Wimmera catchment |publisher=Victorian Government|date=2006-06-20|accessdate=2008-02-25]Climate
The climate is semi-arid to sub-humid, with annual rainfall ranging generally from 380 millimetres (15 inches) in the north to 580 millimetres (23 inches) in the south. In the Grampians, annual precipitation can be as high as 1150 millimetres (46 inches) and snowfalls are not uncommon. Most rain falls in winter, though heavy summer falls can occur, the most famous of which was the
thunderstorm that dumped 133.2 millimetres on Nhill in mid-January 1974.Temperatures are hot in summer, ranging typically from a maximum of 30°C (86°F) to a minimum of 14°C (57°F), whilst extremes can be as high as 44°C (111°F). In the winter, maximums are 15°C (59°F), but mornings can be cold, averaging at Horsham only 4°C (40°F).
oils
Most of the soils are very infertile and many are sandy; however in a narrow belt between Nhill and
Warracknabeal there are heavy greyVertisols , that, although still deficient inphosphorus , are otherwise free of major nutrient deficiencies and are able to hold water very well. These grey soils are the principlewheat soils of Victoria. Red-brown earths are also used for wheat but do not give as high yields and require more fertilisation.Rivers
The
Wimmera River flows from the Grampians towardsLake Hindmarsh . Many streams in the region flow only after sustained heavy rainfall and are often dry for long spells. In fact, in recent yearsRocklands Reservoir , the main water storage of the district, has become almost unviable due to a succession of dry years.Natural Heritage
The Wimmera is renowned for its natural heritage.
The Grampians
One of the key preservation areas is contained within the
Grampians National Park , which possesses many unusual wildflowers and the greatest diversity of flora and fauna in Victoria west of theSnowy River . The Grampians also possess many important Aboriginal artifacts. A local aboriginal name "Gariwerd " was adopted by the National Park in 1991 in recognition of this fact, however this change was soon reversed after a change of state government in 1992.Little Desert
The (misnamed)
Little Desert National Park , south of Nhill and west of Dimboola, is a large wilderness area of sand dunes that were too infertile for productive farming even withsuperphosphate and trace elements.References
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