thumb|Warracknabeal Hotel

Warracknabeal ( ) is a town in the Australian state of Victoria, located in the Victorian wheatbelt. Situated on the banks of the Yarriambiack Creek, 330 km northwest of Melbourne, it is the business and services centre of the northern Wimmera and southern Mallee districts, and hosts local government offices of the Shire of Yarriambiack. At the , the Warracknabeal township had a population of 2,359.

The Post Office opened on 1 September 1861 and was known as Werracknebeal until 1885.

Among the historical buildings are a 1872 prison cell built from red and yellow gum, a Tudor-style post office, several 19th-century hotels and pubs, and a four-storey water tower from 1886. There is also an agricultural machinery museum housing pieces from the history of farming in the Mallee and Wimmera districts.

The Warracknabeal Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.

Localities

Warracknabeal's bounded locality includes the rural neighbourhoods of Batchica , whose post office opened as Yellangip South in 1908, renamed Batchica in 1909, and closed in 1931; Challambra , whose post office opened as Challamba Dam (sic) around 1902, which was renamed Challamba in 1905 and closed in 1918; and Mellis , whose post office opened around 1907 and closed in 1954. These nations are represented by the Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation.

Demographics

As of the 2021 census, 2,359 people resided in Warracknabeal, a slight decline from 2,438 in the 2016 census, with several hundred more living in the surrounding district. Per the 2016 censes, the median age of persons in Warracknabeal was 50 years. Children aged 0–14 years made up 16% of the population.

Almost a third (31.8%) of people in Warracknabeal reported doing voluntary work through an organisation or group in the 12 months before the election.

Schools

The town has four schools: St Mary's Catholic Primary School is private, but public schools Warracknabeal Secondary College, Warracknabeal Primary School and Warracknabeal Special Developmental School are a collective as of 2024, known as the Warracknabeal Education Precinct.

Sport

The town has an Australian rules football team (Warrack Eagles) competing in the Wimmera Football League.

Warrack Eagles Netball Club competes in the Wimmera Netball Association.

The town has two teams that compete in the Dimboola Tennis Association competition as of 2015: Warracknabeal Gold and Warracknabeal Maroon.

The horse racing club—the Wimmera Racing Club—schedules around six race meetings a year at Warracknabeal, including the Warracknabeal Cup meeting every Easter Saturday. It also has the Sheep Hills Race Club, which schedules two race meetings a year, including the Sheep Hills Cup meeting in February.

Golfers play at the Warracknabeal Golf Club on the town's north-eastern outskirts.

Warracknabeal has a cricket club (St Mary's) in the Wimmera Mallee Cricket Association, with two senior teams. Notably, Bailey Watts had the dubious distinction of breaking the world record for most ducks in a row while playing for St Mary’s.

It has three hockey teams: a senior men's team (Hoops), a women's team, and a mixed junior team (Revengers).

Warracknabeal also has a roller derby team called the Wheat City Derby Angels. They participate in tournaments around Victoria.

Governance

thumb|right|Former Town Hall and sheep dog and wheatbag statue (left)

Warracknabeal is the seat of government for the Shire of Yarriambiack, with a total shire population of 6,556 people as of 2022. It is also the administrative centre. The council offices are located in Lyle Street.

The former town hall and theatre complex (built 1939–40), added to the Victorian Heritage Register in 2009, is now used for civic purposes.

Easter Y-Fest

Y-Fest incorporates an Easter Saturday Street Parade, a three-day Vintage machinery rally at Wheatlands Museum, a four-day golf tournament, a three-day art show, an Easter Saturday race meeting, and a water ski spectacular. The town of ~2,400 people swells with many visitors, friends and family, and it offers many family and community events every year.

The Easter Y-Fest will have its 37th year in 2025 and continues to grow stronger as the individual events that make up Y-Fest, benefit from the joint marketing efforts of the Y-Fest Promotions Committee Inc. This Committee, made up of representatives from each of the individual event committees and Council, was formed as a marketing group to promote the Y-Fest concept and has been successful in boosting attendances at all venues.

Notable people

Arts and media

  • Jack Hibberd (1940–2024), playwright
  • Nick Cave (born 1957), musician

Military

  • Linden Cameron MC (1918–1986), Australian army officer
  • John (Jack) O'Dea (1920–1993), Lt Col, AFL ACT Hall of Fame

Politics

  • Thomas d'Alton (1895–1968), politician
  • Jack Ginifer (1927–1982), Labor politician
  • Bernie Dunn (born 1944), National politician
  • Rod Fyffe (1949–2014), politician

Sport

  • Ken Smale (born 1933), Australian rules footballer
  • John Hayes (1939), Australian rules footballer
  • Graeme Clyne (born 1941), Australian rules footballer
  • Russell Crow (born 1941), Australian rules footballer
  • Andy Wilson (born 1951), Australian rules footballer
  • Graeme Schultz (born 1953), Australian rules footballer
  • Lauren Hewitt (born 1978), Olympic track and field medalist
  • Jeremy Clayton (born 1981), Australian rules footballer
  • Natalie Medhurst (born 1984), netballer
  • Matt Rosa (born 1986), Australian rules footballer
  • Kyle Cheney (born 1989), Australian rules footballer

Climate

See also

  • Warracknabeal Airport
  • Warracknabeal Cemetery

References

  • Warracknabeal Herald
  • Warracknabeal Secondary College
  • Warracknabeal's Easter Y-Fest Website
  • Warracknabeal Cemetery deceased records and online map at Chronicle Cemetery Map