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Birregurra
Victoria
Birregurra; Victoria
	Main street
	Birregurra
Coordinates	38°20′0″S 143°47′0″E / 38.33333°S 143.78333°E
Population	942 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	3242
Location	136 km (85 mi) SW of Melbourne ; 64 km (40 mi) W of Geelong ; 21 km (13 mi) E of Colac ;
LGA(s)	Colac Otway Shire
State electorate(s)	Polwarth
Federal division(s)	Wannon
	Localities around Birregurra:

Birregurra, is a town in Colac Otway Shire, Victoria, Australia, approximately 130 kilometres (81 mi) south-west of Melbourne. At the 2021 census, it had a population of 942.^[1]

The name comes from an Aboriginal word thought to mean "kangaroo camp".^[2] The town is on Gulidjan Country.

History

In 1839, Wesleyan missionaries and the Victorian colonial government established the Buntingdale Aboriginal Mission in the area - Victoria's first Aboriginal mission.^[3]

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.^[4]

Railway

The railway through the town opened in 1877,^[5] 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.^[5]

The local railway station is served by V/Line passenger services on the Warrnambool line.^[6]

Sport

Birregurra has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Colac & District Football League.^[7]

Birregurra also has a golf club.^[8]

Education

The town has a primary school which had 92 students as of 2023^[update],^[9] and is located on Beal Street.

Businesses

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

Birregurra is home to the Brae restaurant, which was number 44 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2017.^[10]

Local events

Birregurra is host to the Birregurra Festival and Art Show, which starts on the second full weekend of October each year.^[11]

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.^[12] Organisers hold a barbecue for patrons of the market and all proceeds return to the community.

Birregurra was the filming location for the fictional Victorian town of Haven Bay in season 1 of the Channel 10 television series The Henderson Kids.^[13]

Notable people

Mary Glowrey (1887–1957) was an Australian-born and educated doctor, who spent 37 years in India, where she set up healthcare facilities.
Firth McCallum (1872–1910) was an Australian rules footballer with Geelong Football Club and was named among the top players of the 1899 VFL season.

References

^ ^a ^b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Birregurra". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
^ "Birregurra". Victorian Places. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
^ "Francis Tuckfield". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
^ "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions History. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b Brown, Sid (March 1990). "Tracks Across the State". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). pp. 71–76.
^ "Melbourne to Warrnambool" (PDF). V/Line. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
^ Full Points Footy. "Birregurra". Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
^ Golf Select. "Birregurra". Retrieved 11 May 2009.
^ "Birregurra Primary School". The Good Schools Guide. Good Education Media. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
^ "Brae". The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
^ Cornish, Richard (19 September 2014). "Six reasons to visit Birregurra". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
^ "Birregurra Sunday Market". Otway Harvest Trail. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
^ "The Henderson Kids". AustLit. Retrieved 29 August 2024.