Nhill is located between Bordertown in South Australia and Horsham in Victoria. As well as being the administrative centre for Hindmarsh Shire, it is an important area for grain and duck farming. Known as a centre for merino sheep grazing, it is more commonly known as an
important part of the Wimmera wheat belt, being home to the largest single-bin silo in the Southern Hemisphere
Mallee Fowl
The Shire claims a lifestyle that is complemented by the great outdoors, with breathtaking national parks and beautiful lakes in the region. Big Desert Wilderness Park is an area of sandstone ridges, sand dunes, mallee scrub and heath. Little Desert National Park was first made a reserve in 1955 to protect the malle fowl and is now Victoria’s second largest national park with tea-trees
The part of the Wimmera wheat belt, being home to the largest single-bin silo in the Southern Hemisphere. Nhill is an Aboriginal word thought to mean “mist over the water.” The area has been home to the Wotjobaluk Aboriginal people for thousands of years and was first visited by Europeans in 1845 when squatters Dugald Macpherson and George Belche arrived. They understood the place to be called ‘nhill’, though the word was possibly an identification between the swamp and the people – the sub-group Nyill of the Tyatyalla tribe. Brothers Frank and John Oliver decided to build a sawmill on Crown land beside the Dimboola-Lawloit road, the township of Nhill grew from there.
Sports
If you like to play golf, the Nhill Golf Course is said to be one of the state’s best country 18-hole courses and was the 17th course opened in Victoria. Bushwalking, fishing and water sports are seasonal activities in the area.
Nhill has made its mark on the sporting world as the birthplace of Masters Australian football (Superules) and the hometown of Australian test cricketers J.W. Trumble and Hugh Trumble. Nhill has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Wimmera Football League and the town boasts crickket, tennnis, basketball, netball and hockey competitions.
History
The Nhill area went from grazing to wheat growing and by 1874 many farms had sprung up. Nhill was one of the first towns in Victoria to have electric street lighting. Nhill had Victoria’s first inland aerodrome, built as a refuelling stop halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne. Midway through World War II, Nhill’s aerodrome was turned into an air-navigation school.
Events and Activities around Nhill, Victoria
There are walking tracks to explore along the Wimmera River, the Nhill Lake and nearby national parks. Lake Nhill was originally part of Nhill Swamp and when not in drought there is boating, a boardwalk and plenty of bird life.
There is a bird-hide and an information bay. Activities around the shire include visiting the historic limestone Pella Church west of Rainbow or Ebenezer Mission at Antwerp. In Rainbow you can view the 1930s community murals and Edwardian Yurunga Homestead in Rainbow for a glimpse of days gone by. Visitors can also enjoy stargazing, picnics and friendly country hospitality and the Nhill Memorial Community Centre offers movie nights.
Mid-October brings the shire’s Agricultural and Pastoral Shows. The Nhill Show began in 1884 and continues on the all the traditions of country shows with exciting new activities introduced each year. On Boxing Day everyone enjoys dressing up for the Nhill Cup horse races. The Nhill Aviation Heritage Museum showcases Nhill’s important aviation history. Noske’s Flour Mill has recently been purchased with the aim to restore it under the Nhill Silo Heritage Project.
There will be a lot to see and enjoy so don’t miss out!
Contact Us
Your hosts at Zero Inn Motel are Neil & Deb. We work hard to provide you with the highest quality accommodation to make your stay in Nhill a success whether you are here for business or pleasure.