Location

The City of Greater Shepparton is located in north-central Victoria, about 180 kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD. The City of Greater Shepparton is bounded by Moira Shire in the north, Benalla Rural City in the east, Strathbogie Shire in the south, and the Shire of Campaspe in the west.

Included Areas

The City of Greater Shepparton includes the localities of Arcadia, Ardmona, Boxwood (part), Bunbartha, Byrneside, Caniambo, Congupna, Cooma, Coomboona, Cosgrove, Cosgrove South, Dhurringile, Dookie, Dookie College, Gillieston, Girgarre East, Gowangardie, Grahamvale, Harston, Karramomus, Katandra, Katandra West, Kialla, Kialla East, Kialla West, Kyabram (the rural part not the town), Kyabram South, Lancaster (part), Lemnos, Major Plains (part), Marionvale, Marungi (part), Merrigum, Moorilim (part), Mooroopna, Mooroopna North, Mooroopna North West, Mount Major, Murchison, Murchison East, Murchison North, Nalinga (part), Orrvale, Pine Lodge, Shepparton, Shepparton East, Shepparton North, St Germains, Stanhope South, Stewarton (part), Tallygaroopna, Tamleugh North, Tatura, Tatura East, Toolamba, Toolamba West, Undera, Violet Town (part), Waranga, Wyuna (part) and Zeerust.

Land Use

The City of Greater Shepparton includes the major urban centre of Shepparton, the smaller urban centres of Mooroopna and Tatura, and significant rural hinterland. Smaller urban areas and townships include Congupna, Dookie, Katandra, Merrigum, Murchison, Tallygaroopna, Toolamba and Undera. The City encompasses a total land area of 2,421 square kilometres. Rural land is used mainly for dairy farming and agriculture, including wineries and orchards, with the region being a major fruit and vegetable processing centre.

Name Origin

The City of Greater Shepparton is named after Sherbourne Sheppard, an early land holder.

Indigenous Meaning

The original inhabitants of the City of Greater Shepparton were the Yorta-Yorta Aboriginal people.

Settlement

European settlement dates from 1836, with land used mainly for pastoral purposes. Growth was minimal until the 1870s and 1880s. The townships of Shepparton and Mooroopna grew as stopovers for the Echuca paddle-steamer service. Some growth took place in the early 1900s, aided by irrigation. Growth continued in the interwar period, with many dairy farms and orchards established. The most significant development occurred during the post-war years, with consistent growth since the 1950s.

Major Features

Major features of the City of Greater Shepparton include The University of Melbourne (Dookie and Shepparton Campuses), Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE (Shepparton Campuses), La Trobe University (Shepparton Campus), the Shepparton CBD, Lower Goulburn National Park, Victoria Park Lake, Riverside Gardens, Aquamoves, SPC Ardmona KidsTown, Shepparton Art Museum, Shepparton Heritage Centre, Bangerang Cultural Centre, Emerald Bank Leisure Land, Tatura Immigration and Wartime Camps Museum, Tallygaroopna Homestead, SPC Factory Sales, Broken River Vineyards, Longleat Wines, Goulburn Valley Health and the Goulburn River.

Transport

The City of Greater Shepparton is served by the Goulburn Valley Highway, the Midland Highway, the Melbourne-Shepparton railway line and Shepparton Aerodrome.