Wangaratta, Victoria
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Wangaratta is a medium sized town of about 19,000 people in the north east of Victoria, Australia, about 230 km from Melbourne along the Hume Highway, with Benalla approximately 45 kilometres to the south-west, and Albury-Wodonga 72 kilometres to the northeast. It is located at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers which flow from the Victorian alps. It is within the municipality Rural City of Wangaratta. The main annual event is the "Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues". This is the largest jazz festival in the southern hemisphere and has been attended by hundreds for 15 years.
Gold was found in the surrounding area during the 1800's and this reflected in the name of a nearby ghost town "El Dorado" where the remains of an old dredge can still be seen today.
Wangaratta is the closest town of any size to Falls Creek and Mount Hotham, Victoria's best snowfields, and there is a considerable wine and gourmet food industry in the nearby Milawa region. The nearby small town of Glenrowan is well known as the site of the final shootout that led to the capture of Australia's most famous bushranger, Ned Kelly.
References
- http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/wangaratta.html
- Why Wangaratta, and Moments in Jazz (books on Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues)