Stawell

Stawell is the gateway to Victoria's breathtaking Grampians region. First established as a gold-mining town in the 1850s, Stawell is still home to Victoria's largest operating gold mine - and is also famous for the sparkling wine made at nearby Great Western.

Stawell is in the Northern Grampians Shire area.

Location information

Climate

In summer (January), Stawell's average minimum temperature is 13.2 degrees, and the average maximum is 28.0. In winter (July) average temperatures range from a minimum of 4.2 to a maximum of 12.0. The town's average annual rainfall is 533.4mm.

Population

5877 (Source: ABS Census 2006).

Cultural diversity

Around 11 percent of people living in Stawell were born outside Australia.

Migrants have settled in Stawell from:

  • England (2.0%)
  • New Zealand (0.7%)
  • China (0.4%)
  • Netherlands (0.2%)
  • South Africa (0.2%)

Around six percent of people living in Stawell speak a language other than English at home.

Languages spoken in Stawell include:

  • Mandarin (0.2%)
  • Italian (0.2%)
  • German (0.2%)
  • Cantonese (0.1%)
  • Spanish (0.1%)

Finding a job

Key industries and employers

The top five industries by employment in Stawell are:

Industry Metal ore mining Hospitals School education Meat manufacturing Supermarkets & grocery stores
% 5.2 5.0 4.7 4.5 3.8

Local skill shortages

There is no specific information available on skills shortages in Stawell. 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 Stawell, visit:

Lifestyle information

Housing and accommodation

In the year to April 2008, the median price of houses sold in Stawell was $140,000.

In December 2007, the median rent for a two-bedroom flat in Northern Grampians Shire was $110 per week, and the median rent for a three-bedroom house was $150 per week.

For information about local hotels, motels and caravan parks, visit the Grampians accommodation directory.

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

Healthcare

Stawell Regional Health is the main health service located at Stawell. For information about healthcare providers in the Stawell 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 Stawell, visit the Schools Online website and search for ‘Stawell’. More information on Victoria's education system can be found in the Education & Childcare section.

Travel

Distance and travel time

Stawell is 223km west of Melbourne. You can travel from Stawell to Melbourne by:

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

Nearby towns are:

Public transport

Buses operate around Stawell, 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 Stawell, please visit the Northern Grampians Shire website.

Stawell attractions

  • Visit the Stawell Gift footrace's Hall of Fame
  • Learn more about the gold rush at the Pioneer's Memorial in Big Hill
  • Walk, ride or drive around the magnificent Grampians area
  • Taste some of Victoria's best wines, direct from the cellar door
  • Stawell Gift 120 yard race (Easter)
  • Grampians Model Train Exhibition (July)
  • Stawell Show (October)

Also See

Last updated: 22 January 2009

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State Government of Victoria