Shepparton is located in the Goulburn Valley in North East Victoria. The region is one of Australia's most productive and intensively farmed areas.
It has a semi-arid climate with hot summers and cold winters, with October having pleasant temperatures.
The history of the area is that The Yorta Yorta people are the indigenous Australians, who traditionally lived around the junction of the Goulburn and Murray Rivers, with the local tribe the Kailtheban in Shepparton.
Major Thomas Mitchell was the first European to travel through the area in 1835. During the 1850s European settlement began. Shepparton was first surveyed in 1855, on the site just east of the river and in September 1860 was declared a town. The railway reached the town in 1880 and Shepparton rapidly developed into a major manufacturing and service centre. Shepparton was proclaimed to City in March 1949, with the city's population tripling with immigration particularly with migrants from Italy. Today the city is truly multicultural with many diverse food styles & festivals.
The area's economy is based on agricultural activities such as fruit growing, wool, wine and dairying.
Australia's largest producer of canned fruits, SPC Ardmona, has its production facilities in Shepparton. Seasonal fruits such as peaches, pears and apricots are preserved into a variety of packaging.
The lush grass in the area enables production of high quality wool, milk and meat. I am sure you will enjoy looking at the painted fibreglass cows which are displayed throughout the area as an artistic representation of the strong dairy industry.
The Goulburn Valley is a significant wine region. The Tahbilk winery was established in 1860 and is well worth a visit. It is home to one of the world's oldest and largest plantings of the Marsanne grape. Other wineries in the area that you may like to visit are Mitchelton near Nagambie and Monichino near Katunga.
Shepparton is a major regional commercial and shopping centre.
Our 10th A C C muster will be held at the Agricultural Show Grounds, which is situated in right in the centre of Shepparton and we hope that you will be able to come and join in the celebrations.
You may think that this is all a furphy, and possibly it is as Shepparton is the home of the Furphy.
Videos providing more information about the Shepparton area are available here.
