Wodonga Victoria |
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Looking down High St in the CBD of Wodonga
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Location in Victoria | |||||||
Coordinates | 36°07′17″S 146°53′17″E / 36.12139°S 146.88806°ECoordinates: 36°07′17″S 146°53′17″E / 36.12139°S 146.88806°E | ||||||
Population | 37,500 | ||||||
• Density | 94/km2 (243/sq mi) | ||||||
Established | 1852 | ||||||
Postcode(s) | 3690 | ||||||
Elevation | 152 m (499 ft) | ||||||
Area | 400 km2 (154.4 sq mi) | ||||||
Location |
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LGA(s) | City of Wodonga | ||||||
Region | Northeast Victoria | ||||||
State electorate(s) | Benambra | ||||||
Federal Division(s) | Indi | ||||||
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Wodonga /wəˈdɒŋɡə/ is a city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, 300 kilometres (190 mi) north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga, across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA. Its population is approximately 37,500 people, and with Albury forms an urban area with approximately 90,000 people in 2013, it was Victoria's fastest growing regional city.
Founded as a customs post with its twin city Albury on the other side of the Murray River, the town grew subsequent to the opening of the first bridge across the Murray in 1860. Originally named Wodonga, its name was changed to Belvoir then later back to Wodonga.
The Post Office opened 1 June 1856 although known as Belvoir until 26 July 1869. It had previously been regarded as the smaller, less prosperous cousin of the two. Whilst still somewhat smaller than Albury, economic growth in both areas has ameliorated such distinctions.
Major secondary industries based in Wodonga include a logistics distributions hub (LOGIC), a large cattle market, a pet food factory (Mars Corporation), a can factory (Visy), a cardboard box factory (Visy Board), a hydraulic hose manufacturer, an abattoir, and a foundry (Bradken Limited) as well as a variety of other, smaller enterprises. It also serves as a central point for the delivery of government services to the surrounding region.
It houses the Australian corporate headquarters for Mars Corp. Wodonga is the site of an Australian Army logistics base and a training centre for Army technical apprentices, the Army Logistic Training Centre, which is based at Latchford Barracks and Gaza Ridge Barracks. It is also the home of a campus of La Trobe University and Wodonga Institute of TAFE.