Maryborough, Victoria
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Maryborough Victoria |
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McLandress Square, with the post office and court house
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 Maryborough
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| Coordinates | 37°03′00″S 143°44′06″E / 37.05000°S 143.73500°ECoordinates: 37°03′00″S 143°44′06″E / 37.05000°S 143.73500°E | ||||||
| Population | 7,174 (2011 census) | ||||||
| Established | 1854 | ||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3465 | ||||||
| Elevation | 249 m (817 ft) | ||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Central Goldfields | ||||||
| State electorate(s) | Ripon | ||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Wannon | ||||||
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Maryborough /ˈmɛəriːbərə/ is a small town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Pyrenees Highway, 58 kilometres (36 mi) north of Ballarat, 168 kilometres (104 mi) north-west of Melbourne, in the Shire of Central Goldfields. At the 2011 census, Maryborough had a population of 7,174.
The area was originally inhabited by the Dja Dja Wurrung people. The first Europeans to settle were the Simson brothers, who established a sheep station, known as Charlotte Plains, in 1840. Gold was discovered at White Hill, 4 kilometres north of Maryborough, in 1854, leading to prospectors rushing to the area. At its peak Maryborough is reported to have had a population of up to 50,000 although local historian Betty Osborn, of Maryborough-Midlands Historical Society inc., says it was closer to 30,000.
The town site was surveyed in 1854, with a police camp, Methodist church, and hospital amongst the first infrastructure. The Post Office opened on 19 October 1854.
The settlement was originally known as Simsons, but later changed to Maryborough by the gold commissioner James Daly, after his Irish birthplace. One of Victoria's earliest newspapers, The Maryborough Advertiser, was established in 1854. Land sales commenced in 1856, and Maryborough became the administrative and commercial centre of the area. The town became a borough in 1857.
The last gold mine in Maryborough closed in 1918. In 1924 the Maryborough Knitting Mills opened, which established the town as a centre for the wool industry. Maryborough became a city in 1961.
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