Moriac

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = town | name = Moriac | state = vic | image = Moriac-main-street.jpg | caption = General store and railway crossing on the main street | coordinates = {{coord|38|14|S|144|10|E|display=inline,title}} | use_lga_map = yes | pushpin_label_position = right | lga = Surf Coast Shire | postcode = 3240 | est = | pop = 852 | pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}} | pop_footnotes = <ref name="ABS"/> | elevation= | maxtemp = | mintemp = | rainfall = | stategov = [[Electoral district of South Barwon|South Barwon]] | fedgov = [[Division of Wannon|Wannon]] | dist1 = 97 | dir1 = SW | location1= Melbourne | dist2 = 22 | dir2 = W | location2= [[Geelong, Victoria|Geelong]] | dist3 = 25 | dir3 = E | location3= [[Winchelsea, Victoria|Winchelsea]] | near-nw = [[Mount Moriac, Victoria|Mount Moriac]] | near-n = [[Mount Moriac, Victoria|Mount Moriac]] | near-ne = [[Mount Moriac, Victoria|Mount Moriac]] | near-w = [[Modewarre, Victoria|Modewarre]] | near-e = [[Freshwater Creek, Victoria|Freshwater Creek]] | near-sw = [[Modewarre, Victoria|Modewarre]] | near-s = [[Paraparap, Victoria|Paraparap]] | near-se = [[Paraparap, Victoria|Paraparap]] }} '''Moriac''' is a town in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[Australia]], located approximately {{convert|22|km|mi|0}} west of [[Geelong, Victoria|Geelong]]. It forms part of the [[Surf Coast Shire]]. At the [[2016 Australian census|2016 census]], Moriac had a population of 782.<ref name="ABS">{{Census 2016 AUS |id=SSC21750 |name=Moriac (SSC) |access-date=16 November 2017 |quick=on}}</ref> A Post Office opened on 1 August 1854 as Duneed, was renamed Mount Moriac in 1864, and Moriac in about 1909.<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=*Moriac* | access-date = 29 March 2021}}</ref>

The railway through Moriac opened in 1876, followed by the [[Wensleydale railway line (Australia)|Wensleydale branch line]] which junctioned with the main line just past Moriac. The branch line opened in 1890 and closed in 1948.<ref name="newsrail-line">{{cite magazine |date=March 1990 | title = Tracks Across the State | author = Sid Brown |magazine= Newsrail | publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) | pages =71–76 }}</ref> Moriac railway station was closed in October 1981.

The town was surveyed in the 1920s,{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}} around the [[Moriac railway station, Victoria|Moriac railway station]], which had been provided to serve the adjacent community of [[Mount Moriac, Victoria|Mount Moriac]]. The town was initially slow to develop, but has grown to house a population of several hundred. Though still heavily rural in nature, the town now serves as a satellite village of Geelong, with many residents travelling into the city to work.

The town is home to Moriac Primary School, which has approximately 200 students and 10 teachers, a hotel, and a small shop. It also has a kindergarten. Recently, a pharmacy and a medical centre started . The town is expanding rapidly as a new estate will boost the population in the town, Hinterland Estate. There is also a new permit applied (2021) for release of 29 lots. The town is the birthplace of AFL [[Brownlow Medal]]ist [[Gary Ablett Jr.|Gary Ablett Jr]] and his younger brother [[Nathan Ablett|Nathan]].

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Towns in Victoria (state)]]