| Robinvale Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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 Perrin Street, the main street of the town | |||||||||||||||
  Robinvale | |||||||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 34°35′S142°46′E / 34.583°S 142.767°E /-34.583; 142.767 | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 3,740 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 53.35/km2 (138.18/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3549 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 61 m (200 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 70.1 km2 (27.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Rural City of Swan Hill | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mildura | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Mallee | ||||||||||||||
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Robinvale is a town on the south bank of theMurray River in north westernVictoria,Australia. It isconnected by a bridge toEuston on the other side of the river in New South Wales. At the2021 census, Robinvale had a population of 3,740,[1] however a population study conducted by theRural City of Swan Hill that was undertaken in 2019 identified Robinvale had an estimated population of between 7,000 in November and 8,800 in March each year.[2]
The Robinvale region is home to at least five indigenous groups[3] with traditional ownership belonging to people from theLatji Latji andDadi Dadi people. The region, particularly Bumbang Island houses a large number of culturally significant sites and heritage items.[4] The town is named in memory of Lieutenant George Robin Cuttle, who waskilled in action during air combat over France in 1918. The Post Office opened in 1924 as Bumbang, but was renamed Robinvale in August of that year.[5]
Robinvale was connected to the rest of the Victorian railway network when the line fromManangatang was opened in 1924.[6]: 284 Work began in the 1920s on a 37-mile (60 km) extension of the line across the Murray River toLette inNew South Wales. It was never completed, and work was officially abandoned in 1943.[6]: 100 The combined rail-road bridge across the river at Robinvale, which was constructed as part of the project, continued to be used until 2006, when a new road bridge was opened. Thelifting span of the former rail-road bridge has been placed in a nearby park, as a permanent historical display.[7]
Lock 15 on the Murray River is just downstream of the town providing a pool of irrigation water and ensuring that the river near Robinvale is permanently available for water activities such aswater skiing. The weir and lock were completed in 1937, the last one built on the Murray (Locks 12–14 and 16–25 were never built).
The town, fictionalised as "Sunray", was the setting of the 1996 Australian feature filmLove Serenade,[8] directed byShirley Barrett, which won theCaméra d'Or award at the1996 Cannes Film Festival.
Robinvale is known for production of grapes, olives, carrots and almonds.
There are many attractions in Robinvale, such as the original home of Robin Cuttle, an antique museum, park, and a caravan park overlooking the Murray River. The river is home to a great array of native birds and fish such as the pelican, swan, perch and themurray cod.
Robinvale is a popular camping area on the Murray.
Robinvale has arail line that is used seasonally byPacific National freight trains.V/Line runs coach services toSwan Hill and Mildura, Victoria, connecting with train services to Melbourne atSwan Hill railway station.Robinvale Airport serves the town.
Robinvale and its twin town, Euston is home to anItalian population from the southern region ofCalabria inItaly.[9] It also has immigrant populations ofTongans andVietnamese and a significantAboriginal community, with Aboriginal people making up 8.1% of the population as of 2016 .[10] Robinvale also had an irrigation project funded by Lower Murray Water, completed in late 2010.[11]
Robinvale is a sister city with the town ofVillers-Bretonneux in theSommedepartment inPicardy in northernFrance.[12]
Robinvale hosts numerous sporting events, Tennis including a Easter tournament, football, cricket, Netball, Basketball and the annual Robinvale Ski Race on the Murray River.The town has anAustralian Rules football & Netball team the Robinvale Euston Eagles competing in theSunraysia Football Netball League.[13]AFL players who've played for the club include Brownlow MedalistJohn James,Kevin Curran,Ivan Smith,Dick Vandenberg,Des McKenzie,Pat Curran andPhil Egan, along with cricketerJamie Siddons.
Rugby League is also played with local clubRobinvale Storm participating in theSunraysia Rugby League competition.
Golfers play at the course of the Robinvale Golf Club on the Murray Valley Highway.[14]
Robinvale has acold semi-arid climate (KöppenBSk), slightly cooler thanMildura due to its southern latitude. Although largely uniform, rainfall peaks somewhat in the cooler months of the year. Rainfall records are found as early as 1877, while those of temperature from 1907 with both terminating at 1970. Extreme temperature records were only kept for maxima, and in these records a reading of 48.7 °C (119.7 °F) was registered on 13 January 1939.
Climate data were sourced atEuston Post Office just over the bridge into New South Wales.
| Climate data for Euston Post Office (1907−1970, rainfall to 1877); 61 m AMSL; 34.58° S, 142.73° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.5 (90.5) | 32.1 (89.8) | 28.9 (84.0) | 23.5 (74.3) | 19.0 (66.2) | 15.4 (59.7) | 15.2 (59.4) | 17.3 (63.1) | 20.8 (69.4) | 24.3 (75.7) | 27.9 (82.2) | 31.0 (87.8) | 24.0 (75.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.8 (60.4) | 15.7 (60.3) | 13.0 (55.4) | 8.9 (48.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | 3.1 (37.6) | 4.1 (39.4) | 6.8 (44.2) | 9.5 (49.1) | 12.3 (54.1) | 14.6 (58.3) | 9.5 (49.1) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 19.7 (0.78) | 22.2 (0.87) | 21.5 (0.85) | 22.2 (0.87) | 29.9 (1.18) | 34.0 (1.34) | 25.8 (1.02) | 29.9 (1.18) | 29.3 (1.15) | 30.5 (1.20) | 24.4 (0.96) | 21.8 (0.86) | 311.2 (12.25) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 2.6 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 5.9 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 8.1 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 61.6 |
| Source:[15] | |||||||||||||
Local information on Robinvale, Victoria can be found at:https://www.visitrobinvale.com.au/
Media related toRobinvale, Victoria at Wikimedia Commons