Hopetoun is a town which serves as the major service centre for the Southern Mallee area of Victoria, Australia. Hopetoun is situated 400. km north-west of Melbourne on the Henty Highway in the Shire of Yarriambiack. In the, Hopetoun had a population of 694.

History

The town was named after the 7th Earl of Hopetoun, the Governor of Victoria from 1889 to 1895 and later the first Governor-General of Australia. The post office opened on 12 September 1891 when the township was established. During the early 2009 Australian heatwave, the town experienced several days of intense heat, with a peak of 48.8 °C. The reading was the highest temperature nationwide during the heatwave and also broke the record for the highest temperature in Victoria.

Present

The town has one hotel, a supermarket (IGA), a newsagent, post office, chemist/pharmacist, hairdressers, service station, one Catholic primary school and a combined primary and secondary school, Hopetoun P-12 College, which caters for surrounding townships. It also has a fast food cafe and an op shop. It has a hospital with urgent care, an acute ward and a residential aged care facility. Hopetoun Airport serves the town. Local attractions include Wyperfeld National Park, Yarriambiack Creek and Lake Coorong. With neighbouring townships Rainbow, Jeparit, and Beulah, Hopetoun has a football and netball club, the Southern Mallee Thunder, competing in the Wimmera Football Netball League. The town also has a golf course, lawn bowls, cricket and tennis competitions, basketball and many other sporting and recreational activities for all ages. Golfers play at the Hopetoun Golf Club on Rainbow Road.

Climate