Maryborough, Victoria

Maryborough is a small city in Victoria, Australia, located on the Pyrenees Highway, 80 km north of Ballarat, 168 km north-west of Melbourne, in the Shire of Central Goldfields. At the 2011 census, Maryborough had a population of 7,630.

History
The area was originally inhabited by the Dja Dja Wurrung people. The first Europeans to settle were the Simson brothers, who established a sheep station, known as Charlotte Plains, in 1840. Gold was discovered at White Hill, 4 kilometres north of Maryborough, in 1854, leading to prospectors rushing to the area. At its peak, Maryborough had a population of up to 50,000. Although local historian Betty Osborn of Maryborough-Midlands Historical Society inc. says it was closer to 30,000.

The town site was surveyed in 1854, with a police camp, Methodist church, and hospital amongst the first infrastructure. The Post Office opened on 19 October 1854.

The settlement was originally known as Simsons, but later changed to Maryborough by the gold commissioner James Daly, after his Irish birthplace. One of Victoria's earliest newspapers, The Maryborough Advertiser, was established in 1854. Land sales commenced in 1856, and Maryborough became the administrative and commercial centre of the area. The town became a borough in 1857.

The last gold mine in Maryborough closed in 1918. In 1924 the Maryborough Knitting Mills opened, which established the town as a centre for the wool industry. Maryborough became a city in 1961.

Transport
Maryborough is connected to both Ararat and Elphinstone via the Pyrenees Highway, with connections to the capital Melbourne and Northern Victoria and beyond.

Maryborough railway station is located on the Mildura Railway line. In 2007 the station underwent a $1.2 million upgrade to conduct vital repairs to the historic bell tower, clock and roof which was built in 1890.

In 1895 American writer Mark Twain visited the town and remarked about the station upon his visit.

"Don't you overlook that Maryborough station, if you take an interest in governmental curiosities. Why, you can put the whole population of Maryborough into it, and give them a sofa apiece, and have room for more. You haven't fifteen stations in America that are as big, and you probably haven't five that are half as fine. Why, it's perfectly elegant. And the clock! Everybody will show you the clock. There isn't a station in Europe that's got such a clock. It doesn't strike--and that's one mercy. It hasn't any bell; and as you'll have cause to remember, if you keep your reason, all Australia is simply bedamned with bells.''"

Daily train services to and from Ballarat, with onward connections to Melbourne's Southern Cross Station commenced in 2010.

The city also has coach and bus services that connect to various parts of the city with connections to Melbourne and other parts of Victoria.

The local library was fitted with a 30 KWH solar system in late 2012.

Culture
The town hosts a market on the first and third Sunday of each month, a Highland Gathering on New Year's Day (which has been held since 1857), the Golden Wattle Festival in August or September, the Gourmet Grapes & Gardens Weekend in October, and the Australasian Goldpanning Championships in October or November.

Maryborough also plays host to the RACV Energy Breakthrough in which thousands of students, teachers, parents and spectators from around Australia come to the town to witness a Human Powered Vehicle race where teams can complete up to 888 km in 24 hours.

Demographics
According to the 2006 census, there are 7,692 people that reside in Maryborough. Like many regional centres, a high percentage of the population (86.1%) were born in Australia, with England (3.3%), New Zealand (0.5%) and Scotland (0.4%) notable countries of birth outside Australia.

Technicians, trade workers and labourers (36.7%) make up the bulk of the workforce with Professionals, Sales Workers and Managers contributing to large portions of the city's employment base.

Just over 25% of the population describe themselves as Anglican, with over 20% of the population claiming no religious affiliation. Catholics, Presbyterians, Salvation Army and Baptists also contribute to the Christian majority of the population.

Climate
Maryborough enjoys a temperate climate with four distinct seasons and is typically dry and mild. The mean minimum January temperature 12.8 °C with the maximum a balmy 28.6 °C, however temperatures above 35 °C are commonly recorded during the summer months. The highest temperature ever recorded was 43.7 °C on 31 December 2005. The mean minimum temperature in July is 3.4 °C, with and average maximum of 12.2 °C. The lowest ever recorded minimum in the city was -4.6 °C on 21 July 1982. Although the city experiences no snow due to its low elevation, frosts are common during the colder winter months.

The city averages 525.7 mm rainfall annually, with a slightly more rainfall falling in the second half of the year, generally only experienced in short bursts of showers, rather than extended periods of rainfall. The dryness of the area, due to poor topographical features places significant pressure on water reserves. Maryborough ended of one of the longest droughts on record during the 2010/2011 summer when it experience some of the highest rainfall on recorded which caused flooding throughout the local area. The city is currently on permanent water restrictions.

Education
Maryborough has three schools:
 * Highview Christian Community College
 * Maryborough Education Centre Years Prep–12
 * St Augustine's Primary School Grades Prep–6

Music
Maryborough has a number of community bands including The Maryborough City Brass Band, the Central Goldfields Concert Band, the Maryborough and District Pipe Band and the well-known Maryborough Traditional Jazz Ensemble.

Recent years has seen an outbreak of local alternative bands and performers gain a dedicated following. Some examples of this rock trend include Storm Front and recent Battle Of The Bands winners Hidden Vision.

Media
The Maryborough Advertiser is the local newspaper in the Central Goldfields region.

Maryborough News is a relatively new service, publishing the latest news, events and information to the Central Goldfields region free of charge. Circulation is now rivalling that of the town's newspaper.

In early February 2007 transmission of Goldfields FM 99.1 commenced.

Maryborough receives all the major free-to-air television stations (ABC, Prime7, WIN, SC10 and SBS), as well as all new digital channels (ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, SBS2, One HD, GO!, 7Two, eleven, 7Mate and gem). Prime7 and WIN are simply the regional affiliates of Channels Seven and Nine, and re-broadcast their network signals. There are slight differences however, as both Prime7 and WIN broadcast their own local news bulletins from the Bendigo or Ballarat stations. Both stations also make sure to watermark everything that airs with their own logos — at a larger scale than the Seven and Nine logos. The pay television service Austar is also available to the residents of Maryborough.

Sport
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the major Bendigo Football League. and another two other teams, Maryborough Rovers and Royal Park, competing in the minor Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League.

Maryborough also has a soccer team competing in the Ballarat & District Soccer Association

Maryborough Harness Racing Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack located at nearby Carisbrook.

Golfers play at the course of the Maryborough Golf Club on Park Road.

There are three cricket clubs in Maryborough. The Colts Phelans Cricket Club, the M.K.M. Cricket Club, and the Maryborough Cricket all compete in the Maryborough District Cricket Association.

In basketball, the Maryborough Blazers compete in the Country Basketball League North East league, with a team in both the Men & Women's competitions.

Notable people

 * Jed Adcock - AFL footballer for Brisbane Lions
 * Troy Chaplin - AFL footballer for Richmond Tigers
 * Stewart Crameri - AFL footballer for Essendon Bombers
 * Matthew Dellavedova - Olympic Basketballer
 * Edmund Herring - Lieutanet General in Second AIF, Chief Justice of Victoria and Lieutenant Governor of Victoria
 * John Nicholls - former Carlton premiership player and captain
 * Alfred Richard Outtrim - Local MP from 1895 to 1920
 * Karl Chandler - Stand up comedian and co-host of The Little Dum Dum Club podcast