Merino, Victoria

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = town | name = Merino | state = vic | image = Merino King George VI Coronation Avenue 003.jpg | caption = High Street, Merino, 2015 | lga = Shire of Glenelg | postcode = 3310 | est = | pop = 249 | pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}} | pop_footnotes = | elevation= | use_lga_map = yes | coordinates = {{coord|37|43|0|S|141|33|0|E|display=inline,title}} | maxtemp = | mintemp = | rainfall = | stategov = Lowan | fedgov = Wannon | dist1 = 342 | dir1 = W | location1= Melbourne | dist2 = 226 | dir2 = W | location2= Ballarat | dist3 = 48 | dir3 = W | location3= Hamilton | dist4 = 77 | dir4 = N | location4= Portland | dist5 = 23 | dir5 = south west | location5= Casterton }}

'''Merino''' {{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|r|iː|n|oʊ}}<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Butler |editor-first=S. |title=Macquarie Dictionary |edition=5th |contribution=Merino |contribution-url=http://www.macquariedictionary.com.au |year=2009 |publisher=Macquarie Dictionary Publishers Pty Ltd |location=Sydney |isbn=978-1-876429-66-9 |pages=1952 pages |no-pp=y}}</ref> is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. It is located in the Shire of Glenelg local government area, 363 kilometres west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2021 census, Merino had a population of 249.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Merino, Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SAL21658 |access-date=2022-07-08 |website=www.abs.gov.au}}</ref>

==Traditional ownership== The formally recognised traditional owners for the area in which Merino sits are the Gunditjmara People<ref name=AV>{{cite web|title=Map of formally recognised traditional owners|url=https://achris.vic.gov.au/weave/wca.html|publisher=Aboriginal Victoria|access-date=2 June 2020}}</ref> who are represented by the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.<ref name=GMTOAC >{{cite web|title= Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal |url= https://www.gunditjmirring.com/|publisher= Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation|access-date=2 June 2020}}</ref>

==European history== The first European settlement of the area was in 1837, when Francis Henty, brother of Edward Henty, established Merino Downs station. Henty established the station after a report on the high quality pasture from the explorer Major Thomas Mitchell, at the Henty property near Portland.<ref name="Francis">{{cite web | url = http://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/merino/m_downs.htm | title = Settlement at Merino Downs, 1837 | publisher = Ballarat Genealogy | access-date = 9 June 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070828230253/http://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/merino/m_downs.htm | archive-date = 28 August 2007 }}</ref> A store and post office agency was established in 1854 and the first town lots were sold the next year. An official Post Office opened on 1 June 1858.<ref name="a">{{Cite web |last=Phoenix Auctions History |title=Post Office List |url=http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&filter=*Merino* |access-date=22 January 2021}}</ref>

The town continued to grow through the 1850s and 1860s with the construction of churches, hotels and schools. In 1870, the courthouse was moved from Digby to Merino. In 1884, Merino railway station was opened, on the {{convert|51|km|adj=on}}-long branch line from Branxholme, on the Portland railway, to Casterton.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Casterton Railway |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/138094957 |access-date=12 November 2024 |work=The Australasian |date=6 September 1884 |page=28 |via=Trove}}</ref> The line was closed in 1977.<ref>{{cite web |title=Casterton Line |url=https://vicsig.net/infrastructure/line/Casterton |website=Vicsig |access-date=2024-11-12}}</ref> The station building was moved to a property in Carlsruhe, in central Victoria, where it is used as accommodation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Merino Station Accommodation |url=https://hedgefarm.com.au/hedge-farm-accommodation-options/merino-station-accommodation/ |publisher=Hedge Farm Enterprises Pty Ltd |access-date=2024-11-12}}</ref>

The Merino co-operative butter factory was established around 1885. After both World War I and World War I, parts of the surrounding area was opened up for soldier settlement.<ref>{{cite web |title="Struan" later renamed "Paschendale" Estate |url=https://www.swvic.au/merino/paschendale.htm |publisher=Casterton and District Historical Society |access-date=2024-11-12}}</ref> In 1955, Merino was connected to the electricity grid.<ref name="Timeline">{{cite web |url=http://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/merino/timeline.htm |title=Henty & Merino Historic Timeline |publisher=Ballarat Genealogy |access-date=9 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828225845/http://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/merino/timeline.htm |archive-date=28 August 2007 }}</ref>

Merino has a heritage cinema which is housed in the Merino Hotel. Golfers play at the Merino Golf Club on Digby Road.<ref name = "golf">{{Cite web |author=Golf Select |title=Merino |url=http://www.golfselect.com.au/armchair/courseView.aspx?course_id=1029 |access-date=11 May 2009}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category-inline}}

Category:Towns in Victoria (state) Category:Western District (Victoria)