Australian Towns, Cities & Highways: Ouyen

Ouyen

Ouyen is a chief railway junction town at the intersection of the Calder and Mallee Highways, at the southern tip of Victoria's Sunraysia region. The town was originally a railway siding for the Melbourne-Mildura line, however in 1910 land was opened up as part of the WW1 soldier settlement scheme and thousands of hectares of mallee scrub were cleared for suitable farmland. The town today is an important centre for the surrounding wheat and sheep industries as well as a service town for motorists. The town itself, after recently undergoing a beautification scheme is quite good considering the dry, scrubby environment that surrounds it. As a memorial for the widespread stump clearing in the area to open the land up for farming, Australia's largest stump can be found in Ouyen. The town is also a good base to explore the Wyperfield, Murray-Sunset (which features the famous Pink Lakes) & Hattah-Kulkyne National Parks, all of which are in close proximity.

Population: 1,200
State: Victoria
Postcode: 3490
Local Government: Rural City of Mildura
Location: 455km north-west of Melbourne
Main Roads: Calder Highway , Mallee Highway
Main Watercourses: None
Accommodation: Travel Victoria
Radio Stations (Music): Triple J (101.1 & 105.3), no commercial FM stations, only 3SH on AM.

Photos from Ouyen:

Looking north at the intersection of the Calder and Mallee Highways in Ouyen (2001).

Looking south along Oke Street approaching Pickering Street, Ouyen (2001).

	Looking north at the intersection of the Calder and Mallee Highways in Ouyen (2001).
	Looking south along Oke Street approaching Pickering Street, Ouyen (2001).