Wimmera
From Free net encyclopedia
The Wimmera is a region in the west of the Australian state of Victoria, internationally renowned for its national parks, spectacular wilderness, historic wineries, and country hospitality. It broadly extends west from about Ballarat to the South Australia border, and from the northern boundary of the Western District volcanoes to the southern border of the Mallee.
Most of the Wimmera is very flat, with only the Grampians and Mount Arapiles rising above vast plains and the low plateaux 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. Most of the soils are very infertile and many are sandy; however in a narrow belt between Nhill and Warracknabeal there are heavy grey Vertisols, that, although still deficient in phosphorus, are otherwise free of major nutrient deficiencies and are able to hold water very well. These grey soils are the principle wheat soils of Victoria. Red-brown earths are also used for wheat but do not give as high yields and require more fertilisation. The Wimmera has no permanent rivers: its streams flow only after sustained heavy rainfall and are often dry for long spells. In fact, in recent years Rocklands Reservoir, the region's main water storage, has become almost unviable due to a succession of dry years almost certainly caused by the enhanced greenhouse effect.
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 minumum of 14°C (57°F), whilst extremes can be as high as 44°C (111°F). In the winter, maximums are an extremely pleasant 15°C (59°F), but mornings can be cold, averaging at Horsham only 4°C (40°F).
The area contains a number of important towns, such as Horsham, Dimboola, Stawell and Nhill. Almost all of these are largely dependent on the grain and sheep industries, and are usually dominated by flour mills and grain storage silos. 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's economy.
The Wimmera is renowned for its natural heritage. 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 the Snowy River. The Grampians also possess many important Aboriginal artefacts: in fact, for a brief time while Joan Kirner was Premier the national park had its name changed to the Aboriginal Gaeriwad, but this was reversed under Jeff Kennett. 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 with superphosphate and trace elements.
External links
- Go Wimmera - the online gateway to the Wimmera region