Hopetoun, Victoria 4.31

Hopetoun is a town which serves as the major service centre for the Southern Mallee area of Victoria, Australia. Hopetoun is situated 400 kilometres north-west of Melbourne on the Henty Highway in the Shire of Yarriambiack. In the, Hopetoun had a population of 555.HistoryThe town was named after the 7th Earl of Hopetoun, the Governor of Victoria from 1889 to 1895 and later the first Governor-General of Australia. The post office opened on 12 September 1891 when the township was established.During the early 2009 Australian heatwave, the town experienced several days of intense heat, with a peak of 48.8°C. The reading was the highest temperature nationwide during the event and also broke the record for highest temperature in Victoria.PresentThe town has one hotel, a newsagent, post office, chemist/pharmacist, hairdressers, service station, one Catholic primary school and a combined primary and secondary school, Hopetoun P-12 College, which caters for surrounding townships. It also has a fast food cafe and an op shop. Hopetoun Airport serves the town. It has a hospital with urgent care, an Acute ward and a residential aged care facility.Local attractions include Wyperfeld National Park, Yarriambiack Creek and Lake Coorong.