Harrow is a town in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of West Wimmera Local Government Area, 391 kilometres north west of the state capital Melbourne, overlooking the Glenelg River valley. At the 2011 census, Harrow and the surrounding area had a population of 315.
The first European explorer of the area was Thomas Mitchell and a monument marks the spot where he crossed the Glenelg River. A town originally known as Upper Glenelg was established in the 1840s and is claimed to be the oldest inland town in Victoria. The Post Office opened on 1 March 1849 as Upper Glenelg (Harrow from 1854). At its peak, the town included a range of shops and services including two hotels. Harrow is the burial place of Unaarrimin - Johnny Mullagh, member of the Australian Aboriginal cricket team, the first Australian cricket team to tour England. He also represented the Victorian cricket team in first-class cricket. To tell the story of Unaarrimin, and the times in which he lived, Harrow has built The Johnny Mullagh / Harrow Discovery Centre. To enhance the cricket connection, the Centre now houses Australia's largest Sir Donald Bradman exhibition.
The Marsh clan is one of the oldest existing families from this region. Les and James Marsh were the first settlers in the 1830s and their homestead is still viewable to this day.
In recent years, there has been a drift away from Harrow to larger towns in the region. In an effort to counteract this, Harrow has pioneered several popular events such as the regular "Beaut Blokes" events. The event was established to offset a perceived gender imbalance by introducing women from cities such as Melbourne and Geelong to single men from the district. The concept has now been picked up by other rural communities throughout Australia. A sound and light show is held regularly, retelling the history of Harrow in a humorous and interactive manner.
The town in conjunction with neighbouring township Balmoral has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Horsham & District Football League.
Golfers play at the course of the Harrow Golf Club on Nhill-Harrow Road.
Famous quotes containing the word victoria:
“The men who are grandfathers should be the fathers. Grandpas get to do it right with their grandchildren.”
—Anonymous Grandparent. As quoted in Women and Their Fathers, by Victoria Secunda, ch. 2 (1992)