Ararat

The only Australian town to have been founded by Chinese immigrants, Ararat serves a region renowned for its production of wool, wine and crops. The area is noted for its spectacular scenery, with the Grampians, Mt Langi Ghiran, Mt Cole and Mt Buangor all within easy reach of Ararat.

Ararat is in the Ararat Rural City Council area.

Location information

Climate

In summer (January), Ararat's average minimum temperature is 12.2 degrees, and the average maximum is 26.6. In winter (July) average temperatures range from a minimum of 4.1 to a maximum of 10.8. The town's average annual rainfall is 615mm.

Population

7169 (Source: ABS Census 2006).

Cultural diversity

Around 10 percent of people living in Ararat speak a language other than English at home.

Languages spoken in Ararat include:

  • German (0.3%)
  • Italian (0.2%)
  • Mandarin (0.1%)
  • Croatian (0.1%)
  • Polish (0.1%)

Around 12 percent of people living in Ararat were born outside Australia. Migrants have settled in Ararat from:

  • England (1.8%)
  • New Zealand (0.6%)
  • Germany (0.5%)
  • Netherlands (0.5%)
  • Italy (0.4%)

Finding a job

Key industries and employers

The top five industries by employment in Ararat are:

Industry Hospitals School education Public order & safety services Supermarket & grocery stores Meat & meat producing
% 5.8 4.7 4.7 4.3 4.1

Local skill shortages

There is no specific information available on skills shortages in Ararat. Information on skills shortages in the Grampians region is available on the West Victoria map page.

Job search links

To see jobs currently available in Ararat, visit:

Lifestyle information

Housing and accommodation

In the year to April 2008, the median price of houses sold in Ararat was $155,000. In December 2007, the median rent for a three-bedroom house in Ararat was $160 per week.

For information about local hotels, motels and caravan parks, visit Ararat Rural City Council's accommodation directory.

To find a local real estate agent, visit the REIV agent directory, type 'Ararat' into the search box, select 'suburb' and then press 'search'.

Healthcare

East Grampians Health Service is the main health service located in Ararat. For information about healthcare providers in the Ararat area, please visit the Victorian Better Health Channel's health services directory.

More information on Victoria's healthcare system can be found in the Health & Medical section.

Schools

For information on schools in Ararat, visit the Schools Online website and search for ‘Ararat’. More information on Victoria's education system can be found in the Education & Childcare section.

Travel

Distance and travel time

Ararat is 202km west of Melbourne. You can travel from Ararat to Melbourne by:

  • car (2 hours 30 minutes)
  • coach (3 hours 30 minutes)
  • train (2 hours 30 minutes)

Nearby towns are:

Public transport

Buses operate around Ararat, and between the town and surrounding areas. For specific routes and timetables, please visit the regional bus information on VicLink and select from the drop down list.

Places of worship

For information about where you can practice your faith, please visit your religion's Australian website. To find it, visit Google, type in the name of your religion, and select 'pages from Australia'.

Sport and recreation

For more information about sport and recreation in Ararat, please visit the Ararat Rural City Council website.

Ararat attractions

  • Impressive gold-rush heritage and architecture
  • Ararat Regional Art Gallery
  • Gum San Chinese heritage Centre and Langi Morgala Museum
  • Wineries
  • Ararat Gift foot race (February)
  • Jailhouse Rock Festival (March)
  • Golden Gateway Festival (October)

Also See

Last updated: 22 January 2009

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State Government of Victoria