Hopetoun, Victoria
Hopetoun | |
|---|---|
Memorial Hall in Hopetoun, built in 1922 | |
Hopetoun | |
| Coordinates: 35°43′S 142°21′E / 35.717°S 142.350°E | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Victoria |
| LGA | |
| Location |
|
| Government | |
| • State electorate | |
| • Federal division | |
| Elevation | 77 m (253 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 694 (2021 census)[2] |
| Postcode | 3396 |
| Mean max temp | 24.0 °C (75.2 °F)[3] |
| Mean min temp | 8.7 °C (47.7 °F)[3] |
| Annual rainfall | 296.6 mm (11.68 in)[3] |
Hopetoun is a town which serves as the major service centre for the Southern Mallee area of Victoria, Australia.[4] Hopetoun is situated 400 km (249 mi) north-west of Melbourne on the Henty Highway in the Shire of Yarriambiack. In the 2021 census, Hopetoun had a population of 694.[2]
History
The town was named after the 7th Earl of Hopetoun, the Governor of Victoria from 1889 to 1895 and later the first Governor-General of Australia.[5] The post office opened on 12 September 1891 when the township was established.[6]
During the early 2009 Australian heatwave, the town experienced several days of intense heat, with a peak of 48.8 °C (119.8 °F). The reading was the highest temperature nationwide during the heatwave and also broke the record for the highest temperature in Victoria.[7]
The previous Victorian maximum temperature record was surpassed on 27 January 2026, when temperatures of 48.9 °C (120.0 °F) were recorded at both Hopetoun and Walpeup during a severe heatwave.[8]
Present
The town has one hotel, a supermarket (IGA), a newsagent, post office, chemist/pharmacist, hairdressers, service station, one Catholic primary school and a combined primary and secondary school, Hopetoun P-12 College, which caters for surrounding townships. It also has a fast food cafe and an op shop. It has a hospital with urgent care, an acute ward and a residential aged care facility. Hopetoun Airport serves the town.
Local attractions include Wyperfeld National Park, Yarriambiack Creek and Lake Coorong.
With neighbouring townships Rainbow, Jeparit, and Beulah, Hopetoun has a football and netball club, the Southern Mallee Thunder, competing in the Wimmera Football Netball League. The town also has a golf course, lawn bowls, cricket and tennis competitions, basketball and many other sporting and recreational activities for all ages.
Golfers play at the Hopetoun Golf Club on Rainbow Road.[9]
Geography
Climate
Hopetoun Airport has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk) with hot summers and cool winters.[10] The wettest recorded day was 12 January 2011 with 75.0 mm (2.95 in) of rainfall. Extreme temperatures ranged from 48.9 °C (120.0 °F) on 27 January 2026 to −6.4 °C (20.5 °F) on 15 June 2006.[3]
| Climate data for Hopetoun Airport 35°43′S 142°22′E / 35.72°S 142.36°E, 77 m (253 ft) AMSL (2004–2026) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 48.9 (120.0) |
48.8 (119.8) |
42.1 (107.8) |
39.3 (102.7) |
29.4 (84.9) |
25.7 (78.3) |
25.5 (77.9) |
26.0 (78.8) |
34.6 (94.3) |
39.9 (103.8) |
45.0 (113.0) |
47.9 (118.2) |
48.9 (120.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.2 (91.8) |
32.0 (89.6) |
28.9 (84.0) |
23.8 (74.8) |
18.9 (66.0) |
15.3 (59.5) |
15.0 (59.0) |
16.9 (62.4) |
20.3 (68.5) |
24.5 (76.1) |
27.9 (82.2) |
30.7 (87.3) |
24.0 (75.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.5 (59.9) |
14.6 (58.3) |
12.7 (54.9) |
9.0 (48.2) |
5.9 (42.6) |
4.1 (39.4) |
3.2 (37.8) |
3.6 (38.5) |
4.9 (40.8) |
7.6 (45.7) |
10.8 (51.4) |
13.0 (55.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.6 (42.1) |
5.6 (42.1) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
3.6 (38.5) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 27.9 (1.10) |
15.6 (0.61) |
15.3 (0.60) |
23.3 (0.92) |
23.8 (0.94) |
25.5 (1.00) |
26.5 (1.04) |
26.4 (1.04) |
26.7 (1.05) |
25.8 (1.02) |
32.6 (1.28) |
26.2 (1.03) |
296.6 (11.68) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 5.1 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 9.1 | 13.0 | 15.7 | 13.4 | 9.7 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 5.7 | 100.7 |
| Source 1: Bureau of Meteorology (2004–2025)[3] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Australian Broadcasting Corporation[8] | |||||||||||||
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Hopetoun (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Hopetoun (Vic.)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "Hopetoun Airport Climate Statistics (2004-2025)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ Brocklebank, Deirdre Heather (2010), Tell tales : memoirs of Hopetoun Victoria 1950s-70 ([Revised edition] ed.), Deirdre Brocklebank, ISBN 978-0-646-54885-2
- ^ "HOPETOUN". Adelaide Observer. Vol. L, no. 2, 702. South Australia. 15 July 1893. p. 32. Retrieved 26 August 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 28 January 2021
- ^ "The exceptional January–February 2009 heatwave in south-eastern Australia" (PDF), Bureau of Meteorology, National Climate Centre, p. 2, 12 February 2009
- ^ a b Miles, Daniel (27 January 2026). "Victorian maximum temperature record broken as heatwave engulfs Australia". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ^ Golf Select, Hopetoun, retrieved 11 May 2009
- ^ "Climate classification maps: Köppen - all classes". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 21 January 2026.