Whorouly

Whorouly
Town
Whorouly
Coordinates: 36°30′0″S146°35′0″E / 36.50000°S 146.58333°E / -36.50000; 146.58333
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
LGA	Rural City of Wangaratta
Location	274 km (170 mi) NE of Melbourne 32.3 km (20.1 mi) SE of Wangaratta 19.1 km (11.9 mi) NW of Myrtleford
Government
•  State electorate	Ovens Valley
•  Federal division	Indi
Population
• Total	383 (2021 census) [1]
Postcode	3735

Whorouly is a town in northeast Victoria, Australia. Its name is possibly derived from an Aboriginal word meaning a black (or red) cockatoo, although another suggestion is that it means "underwater". ^[2]

The town is in the valley of the Ovens River and in the Rural City of Wangaratta local government area, 274 kilometres (170 mi) north-east of the state capital, Melbourne and 32.3 kilometres (20.1 mi) south-east of the regional centre of Wangaratta. At the 2021 census, Whorouly and the surrounding area had a population of 383. ^[1] Prior to the 1994 council amalgamations by the Kennett Government (and the creation of the Rural City of Wangaratta), the township was in the disbanded Shire of Oxley.

The town can easily be missed, being sited off the two main valley highways, between the Snow Road (the C522 which runs from an interchange on the M31 Hume Freeway) and The Great Alpine Road (B500), which runs between Wangaratta and Omeo. It is, however, only five minutes from either road.

Town facilities currently include churches, a children's playground, a sporting ground and a public hall, a combined primary school and pre-school, ^[3] a combined hotel/pub/general store, a cafe and several self-catering holiday rentals and B&B's.

History

The town was surveyed and proclaimed in 1868, adopting the name of a nearby station. Whorouly Primary School opened in 1874. ^[4]

The first European settlers established large grazing properties but after the Victorian gold rush, closer settlement took place.

Land was released in 320-acre (130 ha) lots, on the condition that part of the land was cleared for agriculture. ^[5]

Until the 1980s, much of the area along the Ovens River was planted with tobacco. Other primary products in the area included beef and dairy cattle, orchards and market gardens. In recent years, wine grape growing has been introduced ^[5] meaning that the area, being at the apex of the Ovens Valley and King Valley, is the centre of a significant food region, with many farm gate and cellar door sales.

Sports and Recreation

Whorouly Football Netball Club Colours

The local Australian rules football team, Whorouly Football Netball Club was established in 1892 and joined the Ovens and King Football Netball League in 1904 and our netball and football teams still play at the Whorouly Recreation Reserve, which also has eight grass tennis courts and a large community social rooms, capable of seating 200 people.

The Whorouly East Football Club joined the Bright District Football Association in 1932 ^[6] and played there in 1933 too.

East Whorouly FC commenced the 1934 season in the Bright District Football Association, ^[7] but then joined the Mudgegonga Football Association in late April, 1934 ^{[8] [9]} and then defeated Mudgegonga in the grand final ^[10] and were undefeated premiers. ^[11] It appears that there was no Mudegonga Football Association in 1935 and East Whorouly FC folded as a result.

The Whorouly Rovers Football Club was formed in 1936 ^[12] and the team played in the Myrtleford & Bright District Football League between 1936 and 1939.

Whorouly Sports Day

The Whorouly Sports Day appears to of commenced in 1935 which involved athletics, cycling on the banked dirt bike track, equestrian and wood chopping and was held on the Whorouly Recreation Reserve. The main event was the 130 yard Sheffield Handicap Whorouly Gift and conducted under the rules of the Victorian Athletic League. During World War Two, this annual event was known as the Whorouly Patriotic Sports Day.

Whorouly Gift Winners
Year	Winner	City (from)	Handicap	Time (secs)	Comments
1935	Max Trezise	Myrtleford	12 yards		[13]
1936	Ron Walley		12.00	13.3/5	[14]
1937	F Stewart		7.50	11.4/5	[15]
1938	N "Ron" Wilson	St. Kilda	10.50	12.3/10	[16]
1939	W J Bamblett	Devenish	11.50	11.9/10	[17]
1940	J R Stewart	Murrumbeena	14.00	12.1/2	[18]
1941	M Fisher		10.00		[19]
1942	D Mackay				120 yards [20]
1943	Frank Seymour	Wangaratta	8.00		120 yards [21]
1944	?				[22] [23]
1945	?				[24]
1946	H P Arnall	Wangaratta	12.00	9.3/5	(100 yards) [25]
1947	1st: M T Lewis* [26]	Wangaratta	10.75	12.8/10	[27]
	2nd: G N Grose	Ovens	8.75
1948	Eric Cumming	Acheron Valley	3.25	12.4/10	[28]
1949	John A Dunn	Gooramada	10.50	12.2/10
1950	Stuart A Ross	Flemington	7.25	12.2/10	[29]
1951	Eric Cumming	Acheron Valley	4.75	11.9/10
1952	Doug Smith	Richmond	9.25	12.00	[30]
1953	Alf E Bolt	Creswick	6.50	12.3/10
1954	Tom P Hishon	Wagga Wagga	8.00	12.4	[31]
1955	Gerald R Hutchinson	Cheltenham	2.25	11.9
1956	Stuart Strong	Albury	6.00	11.9	[32]
1957
1958	Ken W Purvis

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Whorouly". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
2. "Whorouly". Victorian Places. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
3. "Home". whorouly.vic.edu.au.
4. "Whorouly". Towns-Wangaratta descriptions. RootsWeb. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
5. "The Whorouly Landcare Group". Landcare North East. Department of Sustainability and Environment. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
6. "1932 - BRIGHT DISTRICT FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 27 April 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
7. "1934 - Myrtleford". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957). 30 April 1934. p. 14. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
8. "1934 - Mudgegonga". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 9 May 1934. p. 2. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
9. "1934 - New Association". Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855; 1857 - 1890; 1892 - 1955). 12 May 1934. p. 3. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
10. "1934 - WHOROULY EAST PREMIERS". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 15 July 1934. p. 3. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
11. "1934 - MUDGEGONGA ASSOCIATION". Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855; 1857 - 1890; 1892 - 1955). 15 September 1934. p. 3. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
12. "1936 - Myrtleford and Bright District League". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 29 April 1936. p. 2. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
13. "1935 - Local runner's success". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 10 April 1935. p. 2. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
14. "1936 - Whorouly". The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954). 6 April 1936. p. 5. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
15. "1937 - Sports meetings in the Country: Wangaratta - Whorouly". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957). 12 April 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
16. "1938 - Whorouly Sports". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 13 April 1938. p. 6. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
17. "1939 - Whorouly Sports". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 5 April 1939. p. 4. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
18. "1940 - STEWART WINS GIFT". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957). 1 April 1940. p. 12. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
19. "1941 - Country Sports Meetings: Whorouly". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957). 31 March 1941. p. 9. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
20. "1942 - WHOROULY PATRIOTIC SPORTS". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 13 May 1942. p. 3. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
21. "1943 - WHOROULY PATRIOTIC SPORTS". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 14 April 1943. p. 3. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
22. "1944 - Wangaratta". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW : 1934 - 1935; 1938 - 1954). 26 April 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
23. "1944 - Whorouly Sports". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 3 May 1944. p. 1. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
24. "1945 - WHOROULY PATRIOTIC SPORTS". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 9 May 1945. p. 7. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
25. "1946 - Whorouly Sports". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW : 1934 - 1935; 1938 - 1954). 7 May 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
26. "1947 - Stawell Gift Disqualifications Confirmed By League". The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956). 1 May 1947. p. 28. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
27. "1947 - Whorouly Sports SPLENDID PROGRAMME COMPLETED DESPITE RAIN". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 2 April 1947. p. 5. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
28. "1948 - Whorouly Sports". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 17 March 1948. p. 3. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
29. "1950 - WHOROULY SPORTS". Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855; 1857 - 1890; 1892 - 1955). 18 February 1950. p. 3. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
30. "1952 - Double to D. Smith at Whorouly". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW : 1934 - 1935; 1938 - 1954). 11 February 1952. p. 16. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
31. "1954 - Hishon's Whomuly Gift". Myrtleford Times and Ovens Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1930 - 1955). 17 February 1954. p. 5. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
32. "1956 - Strong wins at Whorouly". Google. The Age. 13 February 1956. p. 17. Retrieved 27 January 2026.