Benalla, Victoria
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Benalla is an agricultural town of about 12000 people on the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria (Australia), about 40 km south of Wangaratta. Its Local Government Area is the Rural City of Benalla.
The site was originally taken up by the Reverend Joseph Docker in 1838 and called Benalta Run, from the Aboriginal word for Musk Duck. A town was laid out on the site in 1846. It is famous for its roses.
The Broken River can cause extensive flooding. There is a park and walking track along the river at Benalla, featuring an unusual and striking ceramic community sculpture that was created as part of an employment project for local artists some years ago.
Industries include agricultural support services, tourism, a medium density fibreboard factory, and aviation (Benalla is a major gliding centre and also the scene of some hot air ballooning). Benalla has a regional airport YBLA (BLN).