Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox Australian place Terang Template:IPAc-en<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> is a town in the Shire of Corangamite, Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the Princes Highway and is Template:Convert south west of the state's capital, Melbourne. At the Template:CensusAU, Terang had a population of 2,254.<ref name="ABS"/>

HistoryEdit

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Terang Church

The semi-nomadic Kirrae Wuurong clans originally inhabited the area between Mount Emu Creek and the Hopkins River, and much of their language was recorded by a Scottish squatter, James Dawson.<ref>Girai Wurrung</ref>

The first dwelling in the township area was built in 1840 by Donald McNicol, and consisted of a slab hut on the east bank of Lake Terang.<ref>R. A. McAlpine, p65, The Shire of Hampden 1863-1963, Morphet Press Print, 1982</ref> The township was developed in the late 1850s, the post office opening on 1 March 1859.<ref name = "a">Template:Citation</ref>

The railway though the town was opened in 1887.<ref name="newsrail-line">Template:Citation</ref> From 1890 it was extended as part of Victoria's south-western line. The Mortlake line once branched from the town, opened in 1893 and closed in 1978. The local railway station is served by V/Line passenger services on the Warrnambool line.

The Terang Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1983.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Avenues of trees were planted in the 19th century and several of these are now under the protection of the National Trust.Template:Citation needed A Heritage Trail walk points out the historic trees and many of the historic buildings and sights of the town.

Features to see are the historic post office with its clock tower (1903–4), the war memorial, the rose gardens with the band rotunda, and the town's first church (Bible Christian Church c.1863). The Thomson Memorial church is also a significant local structure.

Lake TerangEdit

Lake Terang was a lake that on its shores the town was built. To the south of the town centre is a large peat bed unique to the region. In 1933, while dry, the peat bed began burning but became a shallow lake by the 1940s. The lake was drained in the 1960s<ref>the former Lake Terang that was drained for public health reasons in the early 1960s Template:Webarchive, Terang Park, Environmental Places of Interest - Corangamite Shire Council</ref> and the dried out lake floor is now used as a recreation area, for agriculture and as part of the Terang Golf Course.<ref>Terang - Victoria - Australia - Travel, smh.com.au, ...Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet...spent much time studying the life in and around Lake Terang (now drained)...</ref><ref>Water returns to Lake Terang under revitalisation project, By Kate Zwagerman, 28 Jul 2015, The Standard</ref>

Lake KeilambeteEdit

Lake Keilambete is a maar lake 4 km north of the town. The lake is a circular body 1.8 km in diameter and an average depth of 11 m. The salinity is twice that of seawater.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

SportEdit

The town has an Australian Rules football team, Terang-Mortlake, playing in the Hampden Football League.<ref name="d">Template:Citation</ref>

Terang has a horse racing club, the Terang & District Racing Club, which schedules around eight race meetings a year including the Terang Cup meeting in October.<ref name = "RaceClub">Template:Citation</ref>

Terang Harness Racing Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack in the town.<ref name = "harness">Template:Citation</ref>

Golfers play on the 18-hole golf course at the Terang Golf Club on High Street at the western entrance to the town.<ref name = "golf">Template:Citation</ref>

EducationEdit

Terang College is a school, established in 1848 as Terang Primary School. It educates more than 400 students from Prep to Year 12. It has two campuses: one on the western (Warrnambool) side of the town; the other on Strong Street near Cobden Road. The western campus houses years Prep to Grade 4 while the Cobden Road Campus has Years 5 - 12.

ClimateEdit

Terang has a moderate oceanic climate (Cfb) with warm summers, albeit with cool nights, and chilly damp winters.

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Notable citizensEdit

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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