Hopetoun Vic 3396 (Pop 800)

Hopetoun is a Mallee country service town 389 km n-w of Melbourne. Original inhabitants were the Yarrikaluk Aborigines and early pastoralists arrived in 1840s  An early settler, Edward Lascelles known as the ‘Mallee King’ worked tirelessly destroying vermin and developing water strategies to encourage settlement.

Tourist Attractions & Info:
Hopetoun House, Evelyn St beautiful limestone house built by Edward Lascelles in 1891 with formal gardens. Now privately owned. Lake Lascelles, Austin St excellent recreational facitilies ideal for watersports and fishing. Hopetoun Historical Museum, Yaapeet Rd open by appointment Tel (03) 5083 3001. Hopetoun Mural, Lascelles St (20 x 4 m) depicts local history.

Nearby:
Lake Coorong (s-e) great canoeing, windsurfing and recreational area. Wyperfeld NP (50 km n-w) contains a series of lakes which fill one another after rains and Wirrengren Plain was once an indigenous corroboree ground. There is a wealth of fauna (kangaroos, emus, birds) and flora (mallee scrub, blackbox, river red gums) and a number of walking trails starting at the two campgrounds (Wonga and Casuarina).

Accommodation:
Hopetoun has two hotels and a caravan park. Visitor Information Centre: Gateway Beet, 75 Lascelles St. Tel (03) 5083 3001.