Eildon, Victoria

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Eildon
Victoria
Australia Victoria Murrindindi Shire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Eildon
Coordinates 37°14′0″S145°55′0″E / 37.23333°S 145.91667°E / -37.23333; 145.91667
Population974 (2016 census) [1]
Postcode(s) 3713
Elevation232 m (761 ft)
Location
LGA(s) Shire of Murrindindi
State electorate(s) Eildon
Federal division(s) Indi
Mean max tempMean min tempAnnual rainfall
20.5 °C
69 °F
8.0 °C
46 °F
850.7 mm
33.5 in

Eildon is a town in North East Victoria, Australia. It is located near Lake Eildon, on the Goulburn Valley Highway, in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2016 census, Eildon had a population of 974. [1]

Contents

Taungurung people are the traditional owners of the land around Eildon (which stretches north-east beyond Mansfield, Victoria and to the west nearly to Bendigo). Taungurung country is part of the Kulin nation. [2]

The name Eildon was given to the township by some of the first white settlers in the area, Mr and Mrs Archibald Thom in 1846, and was so named for its similarities to Mrs Thom's birthplace in the Eildon Hills near Abottsford in Scotland. [3]

History

Lake Eildon National Park from above. March 2021. Lake Eildon National Park from above. March 2021.jpg
Lake Eildon National Park from above. March 2021.

Eildon as a township came about due to the construction of the Sugarloaf Reservoir. The township of Darlingford (which was located near the junction of Big River and the Goulburn River) was established in the 1860s, when gold was discovered nearby, however when the construction of the reservoir commenced in 1915, which would ultimately flood the land behind the dam wall, including the township of Darlingford and Eildon Station (a run of 25,000 hectares owned by the Thoms). The town of Darlingford was moved closer to where the current township is now located. The Sugarloaf Dam was completed in 1929, and the original town of Darlingford is now completely underwater. [4]

Workers were brought into the town by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission to work on the building of the reservoir, and the shanty town called Eildon began to develop. Many lived in tents.

The original Sugarloaf Dam could only hold around 10% of the capacity of the current dam, and so construction of the Eildon Dam commenced in 1951 and was completed by 1956 to increase the size and capacity of the lake. The Sugarloaf Reservoir Dam Wall sits about 100 metres behind the current dam wall, and is visible when the water level drops very low.

Around 4,000 workers were required to complete the 1950s construction, and these workers were brought in, but required housing. The new township of Eildon relocated to the present position, and comprises a series of 300 semi-permanent houses in 14 different styles. Materials for the houses were pre-cut and fabricated in England and assembled onsite. Temporary houses and hostels were built to accommodate more workers. If you drive around Eildon today, you will see many houses are still the original pre-fabricated houses erected for workers in the 1950s. [4]

A Post Office named Eildon opened on 14 November 1890 and closed in 1893. Later a Post Office named Eildon Weir opened on 23 August 1915 and was renamed Eildon in about 1950. [5]

Climate

Lake Eildon is most notable for its extraordinary cloud cover in winter (measuring only 69.0 sunshine hours in June); this is especially cloudy for a location at only 37 degrees of latitude.

Climate data for Lake Eildon (1970–2022, rainfall to 1887); 230 m AMSL; 37.23° S, 145.91° E
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)43.3
(109.9)
45.4
(113.7)
39.1
(102.4)
34.1
(93.4)
26.9
(80.4)
20.5
(68.9)
21.0
(69.8)
24.5
(76.1)
28.5
(83.3)
34.2
(93.6)
38.9
(102.0)
40.4
(104.7)
45.4
(113.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)29.2
(84.6)
29.0
(84.2)
25.8
(78.4)
20.9
(69.6)
16.1
(61.0)
12.6
(54.7)
12.1
(53.8)
13.7
(56.7)
16.6
(61.9)
20.1
(68.2)
23.6
(74.5)
26.6
(79.9)
20.5
(69.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)12.9
(55.2)
12.8
(55.0)
10.7
(51.3)
7.9
(46.2)
6.0
(42.8)
4.1
(39.4)
3.7
(38.7)
4.2
(39.6)
5.6
(42.1)
7.3
(45.1)
9.4
(48.9)
11.1
(52.0)
8.0
(46.4)
Record low °C (°F)2.8
(37.0)
3.2
(37.8)
2.1
(35.8)
0.0
(32.0)
−1.8
(28.8)
−3.6
(25.5)
−4.3
(24.3)
−4.1
(24.6)
−1.8
(28.8)
−1.1
(30.0)
0.7
(33.3)
2.1
(35.8)
−4.3
(24.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)48.1
(1.89)
42.0
(1.65)
52.0
(2.05)
60.2
(2.37)
78.1
(3.07)
92.1
(3.63)
93.0
(3.66)
99.1
(3.90)
81.7
(3.22)
78.6
(3.09)
67.2
(2.65)
57.5
(2.26)
850.7
(33.49)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2mm)5.85.16.58.312.114.316.016.213.311.79.27.6126.1
Average afternoon relative humidity (%)41404553667573655953484355
Mean monthly sunshine hours 269.7245.8226.3177.0108.569.077.5114.7156.0220.1234.0244.92,143.5
Source: [6]

Eildon Fire Tower to the west-northwest is higher in altitude and located on an exposed hilltop. Snowfalls are common here and cloud cover is extremely heavy in the winter months.

Climate data for Eildon Fire Tower (1996–2022); 637 m AMSL; 37.21° S, 145.84° E
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)41.0
(105.8)
41.7
(107.1)
36.1
(97.0)
29.4
(84.9)
22.5
(72.5)
17.5
(63.5)
17.2
(63.0)
19.3
(66.7)
26.1
(79.0)
30.6
(87.1)
36.2
(97.2)
38.5
(101.3)
41.7
(107.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)27.4
(81.3)
26.6
(79.9)
23.2
(73.8)
18.3
(64.9)
13.2
(55.8)
10.2
(50.4)
9.3
(48.7)
10.5
(50.9)
13.6
(56.5)
17.0
(62.6)
20.9
(69.6)
24.0
(75.2)
17.9
(64.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)13.7
(56.7)
13.6
(56.5)
11.7
(53.1)
9.3
(48.7)
6.6
(43.9)
4.7
(40.5)
3.9
(39.0)
4.2
(39.6)
5.7
(42.3)
7.5
(45.5)
9.7
(49.5)
11.4
(52.5)
8.5
(47.3)
Record low °C (°F)4.0
(39.2)
5.0
(41.0)
4.0
(39.2)
1.4
(34.5)
−0.4
(31.3)
−0.5
(31.1)
−1.3
(29.7)
−1.4
(29.5)
−0.6
(30.9)
−0.9
(30.4)
1.3
(34.3)
2.4
(36.3)
−1.4
(29.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches)43.2
(1.70)
38.2
(1.50)
39.9
(1.57)
50.9
(2.00)
55.0
(2.17)
66.6
(2.62)
66.3
(2.61)
75.9
(2.99)
64.8
(2.55)
54.6
(2.15)
58.5
(2.30)
50.6
(1.99)
672.8
(26.49)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2mm)7.16.38.09.115.718.120.119.416.013.210.78.6152.3
Average afternoon relative humidity (%)38404454707980756960524359
Source: [7]

Recreation

Together with its neighbouring township Thornton, Eildon used to have an Australian Rules football team (Thornton-Eildon) competing in the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League. [8]

Golfers play at the course of the Eildon Golf Club on Jamieson Road. [9]

There are hiking and mountain bike trails. [10]

Fishing

Lake Eildon is a scenic destination for avid fisherpeople, and some of the more common species of fish found in the lake includes Redfin, Murray Cod, Carp and Golden Perch. [11] The lake benefits from the Snobs Creek Fish Hatchery Native Fish Stocking program, which in 2020 restocked the lake with more than 500,000 Murray Cod and more than 200,000 Golden Perch. [12]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Eildon (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 August 2017. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. "Taungurung Registered Aboriginal Party – Map – Taungurung Land & Waters Council" . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  3. "The History of Lake Eildon and Surrounds | Tourist Information". Lake Eildon. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  4. 1 2 "The History of Lake Eildon and Surrounds | Tourist Information". Lake Eildon. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  5. Phoenix Ausctions History, Post Office List , retrieved 20 February 2021
  6. "Climate statistics for Lake Eildon, 1970-2022". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  7. "Climate statistics for Eildon Fire Tower, 1996-2022". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  8. Full Points Footy, Yarra Valley Mountain District, archived from the original on 24 July 2008, retrieved 25 July 2008
  9. Golf Select, Eildon , retrieved 11 May 2009
  10. "Eildon Mountain Bike Park". Lake Eildon. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  11. "Lake Eildon Fishing Guide | Fishing Melbourne & Victoria". Fishing Mad. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  12. Authority, Victorian Fisheries (2 June 2020). "Native Fish Releases 2020". VFA. Retrieved 12 November 2021.