Kaniva
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox Australian place Kaniva is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway, north of Little Desert National Park, in the Shire of West Wimmera local government area. It is located roughly Template:Convert east of the South Australian border and Template:Convert east of Bordertown. At the 2016 census, Kaniva had a population of 803. The town is commonly used as a rest point for those travelling between Melbourne and Adelaide. The Kaniva region has some rare flora and fauna. The rare south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo is found in the region. The Shire of West Wimmera prohibits the felling of dead trees to ensure that they have adequate nesting sites.
EconomyEdit
Kaniva's economy is heavily based on agriculture. According to the 2006 Census 31 percent of employed people are engaged in the sheep, cattle and grain farming industry.<ref name = "2006 Census Quickstats: Kaniva">Template:Citation</ref> The wool industry is celebrated with Kaniva's 'sheep art'; statues along the main street painted by local community groups.
When the local fuel station was threatened with closure the local community decided that they couldn't afford to lose it. The nearest fuel station, located in Nhill, is an Template:Convert round trip. In 2004 the Kaniva Community Co-operative was formed and a decision was made to raise the money, over A$400 000 to buy the business.<ref name = "Kaniva College">Template:Citation</ref> The Kaniva Community Roadhouse, colloquially known as "Wimpy", is today a valued community asset.
HistoryEdit
Squatter Heighway Jones of South Australia colonised the country around Kaniva in 1845. He claims to have had sheep grazing here by 1846 and the Tattyara run was gazetted in 1851. The homestead was only a few kilometres from the present townsite. Tattyara was named after the Tyatyalla Aborigines who inhabited the district.<ref name = "history">Template:Citation</ref> The post office opened on 1 December 1881 as Budjik and was renamed Kaniva in 1882.<ref name = "a">Template:Citation</ref> The origin of the name are uncertain. It may derive from Kinninvie in Durham, England, or from Cniva, a 3rd-century Gothic chieftain who began the invasion of the Roman Empire, or from an Aboriginal word. Kaniva Railway Station was constructed by Cashin & Turner, to the design of the Victorian Railways Department Architecture Branch, on the Dimboola-Serviceton line in 1887.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Traditional ownershipEdit
The formally recognised traditional owners for the Kaniva area are the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagik Nations.<ref name=AV>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These Nations are represented by the Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation.<ref name=BGLC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DemographicsEdit
As of the 2016 census, 803 people resided in Kaniva. The median age was 49 years.<ref name="2016 Census QuickStat">Template:Census 2016 AUS</ref> Children aged 0–14 years made up 16.0% of the population.<ref name="2016 Census QuickStat " /> People over the age of 65 years made up 26.5% of the population<ref name="2016 Census QuickStat " /> There were slightly more females than males with 52.9% of the population female and 47.1% male.<ref name="2016 Census QuickStat " /> The average household size is 2.1 persons per household.<ref name="2016 Census QuickStat " /> The average number of children per family for families with children is 1.8.<ref name="2016 Census QuickStat " />
81.4% of people in Kaniva were born in Australia.<ref name="2016 Census QuickStat " /> Of all persons living in Kaniva, 0.6% (5 persons) were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.<ref name="2016 Census QuickStat " /> This is lower than for the state of Victoria (0.8%) and lower than the national average (2.8%).<ref name="2016 Census QuickStat " /> The most common ancestries in Kaniva were Australian 36.9%, English 35.8%, Scottish 9.2%, Irish 6.1% and German 4.0%.<ref name="2016 Census QuickStat " />
EventsEdit
The Kaniva Agricultural and Pastoral Society runs a show every October. The event is currently in its 128th year. The Kaniva Show is extremely well supported by the local community.<ref name = "Kaniva Show">Template:Citation</ref> The town holds an annual street Christmas party. The Western Highway is closed for two hours while the local people shop and socialise, celebrating the season, and children have a giant water fight.
Notable peopleEdit
Current coach of the North Melbourne Football Club, Alastair Clarkson, is from Kaniva. Roger Merrett and Glenn Hawker also hail from Kaniva.
Illustrator Percy Leason was born and raised in Kaniva. His 'Wiregrass' cartoons are based on a Kaniva-like hamlet.<ref name = "Australian Dictionary of Biography">Template:Citation</ref> The Kaniva College yearbook is called 'Wiregrass' in his honour.
Artist Marcus Wills, winner of the 2006 Archibald Prize, was born & raised in Kaniva.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
SportEdit
The town has an Australian Rules football team Kaniva-Leeor who have competed in the Horsham District Football League since 2021.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They formerly competed in the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League.<ref name = "d">Template:Citation</ref> Kaniva-Leeor United formed following the 1997 merger between Kaniva and Leeor and includes players from the Kaniva-Serviceton area. The team, called the Cougars, wear royal blue, green and white.
Kaniva's hockey teams are part of the Wimmera Hockey Association. They wear blue and white uniforms. The men's team is known as the Cobras and juniors as the Raiders.
Golfers play at the course of the Kaniva Golf Club on Miram Dryweather Road.<ref name = "golf">Template:Citation</ref>
Kaniva has four cricket teams: juniors, C, B and A Grade. The Kaniva C Grade won 2010 and 2011 cricket premiership.<ref name = "Cricket">Template:Citation</ref>
EducationEdit
Kaniva has one school, Kaniva College, which teaches prep to Year 12 and had an enrolment of around 230 students as of 2012.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Students come from the Kaniva township and as far away as Telopea Downs and Yanac. The first school opened in Kaniva in 1883, with a high school opening in 1963. The primary and secondary schools amalgamated in 2002 forming Kaniva College. 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of Kaniva High School (currently known as Kaniva College) and a celebration was held in mid-September.<ref name = "50 Year Anniversary Reunion">Template:Citation</ref>
Toxic waste facilityEdit
In 2018, an illegal toxic waste dump was revealed, 15km south of Kaniva. A trial of one individual about the matter started in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:QuoteEPA Victoria removed the waste from the 32 sites at Lemon Springs and filled 25 of them with clean soil making it the largest project of this kind in Australia. More than 1,650 tonnes of liquid waste and 13,500 tonnes of contaminated soil were removed. <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The owner of the site, Graham L. White,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> got indicted with 24 charges including 13 counts of aggravated pollution as EPA alleges that he intentionally caused environmental hazards in Lemon Springs and various sites.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:Commons category-inline