Stanhope

Once part of Jonathon Winters vast land holdings between Timmering and Nagambie, Stanhope, located on the Midland Highway, became the nearby home of former Prime Minister, Sir John McEwen.

Today, Stanhope, central to the surrounding Dairy region and supported locally by a cheese processing plant, is a small welcoming town, offering attractive town centre with BBQ facilities, quality recreation facilities, local food cheese and wine, and annually hosts the Stanhope Field Days.

Girgarre

With the theme of “Make it, Bake it, Grow it,” Girgarre hosts the highly successful Girgarre Farmer’s Produce Market & “Chook Auction,” every second Sunday of the month at Girgarre Park alongside the Eco-centre at Girgarre Hall where locally hand-made crafts are displayed.

Gigarre is situated in Victoria’s “food bowl”  surrounded by a highly productive dairying industry, and lies midway between Stanhope and Kyabram. Nearby a tomato processing plant handles the local harvest. Treat yourself to the fruits of the region’s labour and good country hospitality.

Waranga Basin

Once known as Waranga Lagoon or Gunn’s Swamp, the waters of Waranga Basin engulfed the former southern village of Waranga upon completion of works that converted a swamp into the major irrigation water storage as we see it today.

Former Waranga Run owner, William Gunn Snr. transported his original home from Waranga Village to Rushworth, built a new home and relocated his family onto what is now known as Finnigan’s Island.

Today, gravity-fed irrigation water from Eildon Weir, arrives in Waranga Basin via the Goulburn Weir, the Stuart Murray and Cattanach Canals, and is dispersed as far afield as Boort in western Victoria, through the Waranga Western Channel and a network of open channels.

Waranga Basin is a water sports mecca, including fishing, swimming, boating, sailing, and water-skiing, with picnic areas, boat ramps, and a caravan park & camping area available, while located around the Basin are sites of the many internment camps built during World War 2.