The Western District is a region of Australia located in the south-west corner of the state of Victoria (Australia), extending to Ballarat in the east and as far north as Ararat where it borders the Wimmera region. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Ballarat (formerly spelt "Ballaarat" is a city in Victoria, Australia, and one of the country's largest inland cities Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, approximately 205 kilometres west of Melbourne on the Western Highway. The Wimmera is a region in the west of the Australian state of Victoria. To the south, the district extends to Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean and to the east it extends to the South Australian border. Bass Strait (bæs is a sea Strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland ( Victoria in particular The Southern Ocean, also known as the Great Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean and the South Polar Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country The district is well-known for the production of wool. Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species

The principal centres of the district are: Warrnambool, Hamilton, Colac, Portland, Casterton, Port Fairy, Camperdown, and Terang. Warrnambool is a regional city with a population of 30392 people on the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia, located in the municipality City of Warrnambool Hamilton is a city in western Victoria, Australia. It is located at the intersection of the Glenelg Highway (from Ballarat to Mount Gambier Colac is a town in the western district of Victoria Australia, situated approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne on the southern shore of Lake Colac The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria, Australia. Casterton is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Glenelg Highway, 42 kilometres east of the South Australian border in the Shire Port Fairy is a coastal town in western Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Princes Highway in the Shire of Moyne west of Warrnambool Camperdown is an historically significant rural town in western Victoria, Australia, 194 kilometres (121 mi Terang is a small Australian Town situated in Corangamite Shire in the western district of Victoria, Australia on the Princes Highway Other cities and towns in or on the edge of the district include: Coleraine, Merino, Heywood, Dunkeld, Penshurst, Macarthur, Koroit, Allansford, Ararat, Willaura, Beaufort, Learmonth, Ballarat, Snake Valley, Skipton, Moyston, Linton, Derrinallum, Lismore, Mortlake, Noorat, Cobden, Timboon, Beeac, Cororooke, Birregurra, Apollo Bay, and Lorne. Coleraine is a town in Victoria, Australia named after the town in County Londonderry Northern Ireland Merino is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. Heywood is a small service centre on the Fitzroy River in the Australian state of Victoria. Dunkeld is a town in Victoria, Australia at the southern end of the Grampians National Park, in the Shire of Southern Grampians. Penshurst is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Shire of Southern Grampians local government area and is located at the foot of Mt Rouse an extinct Koroit is a small rural town in western Victoria, Australia a few kilometres North of the Princes Highway, 18 km North-West of Warrnambool and Allansford is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, approximately 205 kilometres west of Melbourne on the Western Highway. Ballarat (formerly spelt "Ballaarat" is a city in Victoria, Australia, and one of the country's largest inland cities Skipton is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. Moyston is a town in the Western District region of Victoria, Australia, near the Grampians mountain range Linton is a town in Victoria, Australia off of Glenelg Highway. Derrinallum is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Hamilton Highway, in the Corangamite Shire. Lismore is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Hamilton Highway west of Melbourne. Mortlake is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia on the Hamilton Highway, north-east of Warrnambool. Noorat is a small town in southwestern Victoria, Australia. Noorat is located approximately 240km west of Melbourne. Cobden is a town located 210 kilometres southwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia named in honour of Richard Cobden. Timboon is a town in Victoria Australia approximately south-west of Melbourne. Beeac is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. Birregurra is a town in Victoria Australia approximately 130 km south-west of Melbourne. Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia.

Geology

Map of the geologically volcanic area of western Victoria

It consists of a nearly flat volcanic plain created by a number of quite recently active volcanoes, the best known being Mount Eccles, Mount Richmond and Mount Gambier. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the Mount Eccles is in southwestern Victoria, Australia near Macarthur. Whilst some of them (eg. Mount Richmond) have given rise to cemented pyroclastic rocks that do not produce fertile soils, others have given rise to fertile Andisols that make the region the best grazing land in Australia, as well as highly suitable for the production of vegetable crops. Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel In USA soil taxonomy, Andisols are Soils formed in Volcanic ash and defined as soils containing high proportions of glass and amorphous colloidal materials Away from the volcanoes, soils are of moderate to low fertility and many are sandy, supporting heathland flora like the Grampians. The Grampians National Park is a National park in Victoria, Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne Drainage is very poor and most rivers flow only after prolonged periods of steady rain, resulting in remarkably variable flow when the low variability of the climate is taken into account. The major mountain range is the Otway Ranges, which are an ancient sedimentary range rising to over 600 metres. Great Otway National Park is a national park in Victoria ( Australia) 162 km southwest of Melbourne.

Climate

The climate is mild to warm and generally humid to sub-humid. Summer temperatures are warm, ranging from 13 to 22 °C (55 to 72 °F) at Portland to 14 to 26 °C (57 to 79 °F) in the northern part of the plain. The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria, Australia. Rainfall in summer is not uncommon but is only rarely heavy; though in March 1946 astonishingly heavy rains of up to 300 millimetres (12 inches) in a week constitute easily the heaviest falls in the region. In winter, temperatures typically range from minima of around 5 °C (41 °F) to pleasant maxima of 14 to 15 °C (57 to 59 °F), and rainfall is very frequent and reliable, averaging from 55 millimetres (just over 2 inches) in the driest area around Lake Bolac to 110 millimetres (4. 4 inches) near Portland and Port Campbell. Port Campbell is a coastal town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Ocean Road, west of the Twelve Apostles, in the Corangamite In the Otway Ranges, summers are mild, averaging around 20 °C (68 °F), whilst winters are cold and very wet, with maxima averaging around 9 to 10 °C (48 to 50 °F) and rainfall averaging about 225 millimetres (9 inches) with extremes in June 1952 as high as 538 millimetres (21 inches) at Weeaproinah and a Victorian record 891 millimetres (35. 1 inches) at nearby Tanybryn.

History

The Twelve Apostles, a collection of natural limestone stacks standing just off shore near Port Campbell. The Twelve Apostles are a collection of natural Limestone stacks standing just off shore in the Port Campbell National Park, on the Great Ocean Road Port Campbell is a coastal town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Ocean Road, west of the Twelve Apostles, in the Corangamite Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction.

In the early 1800s, whalers operating along the coast occasionally grew crops for their own use. In 1834 the Henty brothers settled at Portland and in 1836 Captain Griffiths settled at Port Fairy, combining whaling and farming. Port Fairy is a coastal town in western Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Princes Highway in the Shire of Moyne west of Warrnambool The district was explored by Thomas Mitchell in 1836 who identified the area's potential for grazing. Major Sir Thomas Livingstons Mitchell ( June 16, 1792 -1855 surveyor and explorer of south-eastern Australia, was born at Grangemouth Charles Tyers was the first to survey the area in 1839. Captain Charles James Tyers RN FRSV ( 13 September 1806 &ndash 20 September 1870) was a 19th century surveyor and Explorer Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common By 1840 squatters occupied almost all the district. Squatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or Building that the squatter does not own rent or otherwise have permission to use Sheep were first brought to the district in 1836 by Thomas Manifold at Port Henry, near Geelong, and rapidly occupied the whole district. MCite/Citephp.--> Geelong (dʒəˈlɔŋ is the second largest city in the state Wheat was grown in the drier northern part of the region for some time until more easily managed soils in the Wimmera were developed. Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. The Wimmera is a region in the west of the Australian state of Victoria. Dairying was developed as a major industry in the wetter southern parts during this period, as was the cultivation of potatoes and onions on the best soils. The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae Organicsalsajpg||thumb|right|Onions used in salsa.]]Cooked onions in frying pan

In the Otway Ranges, forestry became the major industry, especially after the building of the Great Ocean Road which opened up these very wet regions. The Great Ocean Road is a 273 km stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Warrnambool Because of the change in focus since the late 1960s to woodchipping, many timber mills are now defunct as jobs have moved to Geelong. Woodchipping is the act and industry of chipping wood for pulp or processed wood products Tourism is the dominant industry in towns such as Lorne and Apollo Bay, which fill up during the summer as Melburnians are drawn by the stunning scenery and milder weather. Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. In towns like Heywood and Nelson, pine plantations have been the dominant industry since the 1950s but the industry, even as plantations mature, is under threat due to poor prices. Heywood is a small service centre on the Fitzroy River in the Australian state of Victoria. Nelson is a small fishing town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on at the mouth of the Glenelg River, a few kilometres from the South Australian