View source for Warrnambool

{{About|the city|the local government area|City of Warrnambool}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type         =city
| name         = Warrnambool
| state        = vic
| image        = View from Pickering Point, Warrnambool.JPG
| caption      = Warrnambool foreshore from Pickering Point
| pop          = 32,894 <!-- Do not use the LGA area figure here as it is misleading -->
| pop_year     = {{CensusAU|2021}}
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=ABS>{{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL212009|name=Warrnambool|accessdate=25 January 2025|quick=on}}</ref>
| poprank      =
| density      =
| lga          = City of Warrnambool
| use_lga_map = yes
| postcode     = 3280
| county       =
| est          = 1855
| area         =
| coordinates  = {{coord|38|23|0|S|142|29|0|E|display=inline,title}}
| timezone     = [[UTC10|AEST]]
| utc          = +10
| maxtemp      = 17.9
| mintemp      = 9.6
| rainfall     = 741.9
| timezone-dst = [[UTC11|AEST]]
| utc-dst      = +11
| stategov     = [[Electoral district of South-West Coast|South-West Coast]]
| fedgov       = [[Division of Wannon|Wannon]]
| dist1    = 265
| dir1     = SW
| location1= [[Melbourne, Victoria|Melbourne]]
| dist2    = 114
| dir2     = W
| location2= [[Colac, Victoria|Colac]]
| dist3    = 115
| dir3     = SE
| location3= [[Hamilton, Victoria|Hamilton]]
| dist4    = 106
| dir4     = E
| location4= [[Portland, Victoria|Portland]]
| dist5    = 138
| dir5     = S
| location5= [[Ararat, Victoria|Ararat]]

}}
'''Warrnambool''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-au-warrnambool.oga|ˈ|w|ɔːr|n|ə|m|b|uː|l}}; [[Eastern Maar|Maar]]: ''Peetoop'' or ''Wheringkernitch'' or ''Warrnambool'')<ref name="Clark, Ian D. 2002">{{Cite book|last=Clark, Ian D.|title=Dictionary of Aboriginal placenames of Victoria|date=2002|publisher=Victorian Aboriginal Corp. for Languages|others=Heydon, Toby, 1972-, Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages.|isbn=0-9579360-2-8|location=Melbourne|oclc=54913331}}</ref> is a city on the south-western coast of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia. At the [[Census in Australia#2021|2021 census]], Warrnambool had a population of 32,894.<ref name=ABS/> Situated on the [[Princes Highway]], Warrnambool (Allansford) marks the western end of the [[Great Ocean Road]] and the southern end of the [[Hopkins Highway]].

== History ==
===Origin of name===
The name "Warrnambool" originated from [[Mount Warrnambool]], a scoria cone volcano 25 kilometres northeast of the town. Warrnambool (or Warrnoobul) was the title of both the volcano and the clan of [[Aboriginal Australian]] people who lived there. In the local language, the prefix Warnn- designated home or hut, while the meaning of the suffix -ambool is now unknown.<ref name="Robinson">{{Citation | author1=Robinson, George Augustus | author2=Clark, Ian D.| title=The journals of George Augustus Robinson, chief protector, Port Phillip Aboriginal Protectorate | year=1998| publication-date=1998 | publisher=Heritage Matters | isbn=978-1-876404-03-1}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| title=The Advance Australia| volume=15 |issue= 2 |date= 14 February 1911| location=Melbourne| publisher=F. Davison| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-873123891| access-date=16 September 2020 | via=Trove
}}</ref> William Fowler Pickering, the colonial government surveyor who in 1845 was tasked with the initial planning of the township, chose to name the town Warrnambool.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226348125 |title=Portland Bay News. |newspaper=Port Phillip Patriot and Melbourne Advertiser |volume=VIII |issue=785 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=23 August 1845 |access-date=16 September 2020 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The [[Aboriginal traditional owner|traditional Indigenous owners]] of the land today are the [[Gunditjmara|Dhauwurd Wurrung]] people, also known as the Gunditjmara.

===Aboriginal Australians===
[[Aboriginal Australians]] have been occupying the site of Warrnambool for at least the last 35,000 years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Moyjil, how old? |url=http://www.moyjil.com.au/how-old |website=Moyjil Point Ritchie |publisher=Warrnambool City Council |access-date=18 September 2020 |archive-date=7 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107035826/http://www.moyjil.com.au/how-old |url-status=dead }}</ref> The vicinity around the [[Merri River]] was inhabited by people known as the Merrigundidj, part of the larger [[Gunditjmara]] nation. They spoke a language called Bi:gwurrung, which was a dialect of the [[Dhauwurd Wurrung language]]. These people constructed large stone and timber weirs called yereroc across various waterways in the region in order to facilitate the trapping of eels. The area at the mouth of the [[Hopkins River]] was known as Moyjil. At the beginning of British colonisation of the region in 1841, there were approximately 400 Aboriginal people living around the coastal parts of the Merri River including a number of Koroitgundidj people residing in a village at what is now known as [[Tower Hill (volcano)|Tower Hill]].<ref name="Robinson" /> There are several Maar placenames for locations in the area including: 'Kunang' referring to a waterhole on present-day Koroit Street which was a celebrated place for kangaroos to drink, 'Wirkneung' referring to the site of Warrnambool cemetery, 'Puurkar' referring to the Western Hill area of Warrnambool, and 'Peetoop' which is one of the names for the area meaning 'small [[sandpiper]]'.<ref name="Clark, Ian D. 2002"/>

===European maritime exploration===
A popular legend is that the first Europeans to visit the region were [[Cristóvão de Mendonça]] and his crew who surveyed the coastline nearby and were marooned near the site of the present town as early as the 16th century, based on the unverified reports of local whalers' discovery of the wreck of a [[mahogany ship]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10451981 |title=The "Mahogany Ship.". |newspaper=[[The Argus (Australia)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne, Vic. |date=12 August 1910 |access-date=5 January 2011 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The ship's provenance has been variously attributed to [[France]], [[China]], [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]]. There is no physical evidence to suggest that it ever existed.

The first documented European exploration of the area occurred under Lieutenant [[James Grant (navigator)|James Grant]], a Scottish explorer who sailed the {{HMS|Lady Nelson|1798|2}} along the coast in December 1800 and named several features.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}} This was followed by that of the English navigator [[Matthew Flinders]] in the {{HMS|Investigator|1798|2}}, and the French explorer [[Nicholas Baudin]], who recorded coastal landmarks, in 1802. The area was frequented by [[whaler]]s early in the 19th century.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

===British settlement===
British settlement of the land in the region began in 1838 when Captain [[Alexander Campbell (sea captain)|Alexander Campbell]], a whaler based at nearby [[Port Fairy]], took possession of 4,000 acres around the mouth of the [[Merri River]]. He set up a farm there and built his main hut where Warrnambool now stands.<ref name="Robinson" /> The township was planned and surveyed in 1845, with the first allotments being sold in 1847. A Post Office opened on 1 January 1849.<ref name = "a">{{Citation  | last = Premier Postal History  | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | access-date =11 April 2008 }}</ref>

During the [[Victorian Gold Rush]], Warrnambool became an important port and grew quickly in the 1850s, benefiting from the private ownership of nearby [[Port Fairy, Victoria|Port Fairy]]. It was gazetted as a municipality in 1855, and became a borough in 1863. Warrnambool was declared a town in 1883, and a city in 1918. Post Offices opened at Warrnambool South in 1937 (closed 1973), Warrnambool East in 1946, and Warrnambool North in 1947 (closed 1975).<ref name="a"/>

==Climate==

Warrnambool has a temperate [[Mediterranean climate]] (''Csb'') that closely borders the [[Oceanic climate]] (''Cfb''), and is characterised by mild, dry summers with frequent [[cold fronts]] and cool, rainy winters with moderate cloud cover. Annual and especially winter rainfall is much higher than in Melbourne due to being west of the [[Great Otway National Park|Otway Ranges]].

During the [[2009 southeastern Australia heat wave|2009 heatwave]] in southeastern Australia, Warrnambool recorded a maximum temperature of {{convert|44.8|C|F}} on 7 February 2009 at the airport site,<ref name="Bureau">{{BoM Aust stats|site_ref=cw_090186|site_name=Warrnambool Airport NDB |access-date=10 October 2022}}</ref> while the highest minimum temperature was {{convert|28.3|C}} on 21 January 1900 at the post office. Summers can also get cold on occasion, having dropped to {{convert|4.2|C}} on 4 February 1963 near the beach.
{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y 
|collapsed = 
|location = Warrnambool (Post Office, 1897–1983); 38.38° S, 142.48° E
|Jan record high C = 	44.4
|Feb record high C = 	43.9
|Mar record high C = 	40.0
|Apr record high C = 	34.4
|May record high C = 	30.7
|Jun record high C = 	23.1
|Jul record high C = 	22.5
|Aug record high C = 	24.0
|Sep record high C = 	34.4
|Oct record high C = 	33.8
|Nov record high C = 	38.9
|Dec record high C = 	42.5
| year record high C = 	44.4
|Jan record low C = 	5.6
|Feb record low C = 	4.2
|Mar record low C = 	3.7
|Apr record low C = 	1.7
|May record low C = 	-0.9
|Jun record low C = 	-0.6
|Jul record low C = 	-1.9
|Aug record low C = 	-1.6
|Sep record low C = 	1.1
|Oct record low C = 	1.0
|Nov record low C = 	1.7
|Dec record low C = 	4.2
| year record low C = 	-1.9
|Jan high C = 	22.2
|Feb high C = 	22.3
|Mar high C = 	21.1
|Apr high C = 	18.6
|May high C = 	16.1
|Jun high C = 	13.9
|Jul high C = 	13.3
|Aug high C = 	14.1
|Sep high C = 	15.7
|Oct high C = 	17.4
|Nov high C = 	19.0
|Dec high C = 	20.7
| year high C = 
|Jan low C = 	12.8
|Feb low C = 	13.3
|Mar low C = 	12.3
|Apr low C = 	10.4
|May low C = 	8.7
|Jun low C = 	6.9
|Jul low C = 	6.2
|Aug low C = 	6.7
|Sep low C = 	7.7
|Oct low C = 	9.0
|Nov low C = 	10.1
|Dec low C = 	11.6
| year low C = 
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 	32.9
|Feb rain mm = 	34.3
|Mar rain mm = 	47.6
|Apr rain mm = 	60.3
|May rain mm = 	77.5
|Jun rain mm = 	76.9
|Jul rain mm = 	88.3
|Aug rain mm = 	85.6
|Sep rain mm = 	73.7
|Oct rain mm = 	66.7
|Nov rain mm = 	54.8
|Dec rain mm = 	44.4
|year rain mm = 	741.9
|unit rain days = 1.0 mm
| Jan rain days = 	4.5
| Feb rain days = 	4.3
| Mar rain days = 	5.5
| Apr rain days = 	8.4
| May rain days = 	10.8
| Jun rain days = 	11.4
| Jul rain days = 	13.4
| Aug rain days = 	13.2
| Sep rain days = 	10.9
| Oct rain days = 	9.4
| Nov rain days = 	7.5
| Dec rain days = 	6.4
| year rain days =	105.7
|source 1 = Australian Bureau of Meteorology<ref name="BoM" >{{cite web
| url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_090082_All.shtml
| title = Climate statistics for Australian locations – Warrnambool (Post Office)
| date = 8 July 2024}}</ref>
}}

The airport is slightly north and inland of Warrnambool, featuring warmer days and cooler nights.

{{Weather box
|location = Warrnambool Airport NDB (1998–2024); 38.29° S, 142.45° E
|metric first = Yes 
|single line = Yes
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan record high C = 44.3
|Feb record high C = 44.8
|Mar record high C = 40.9
|Apr record high C = 35.6
|May record high C = 27.9
|Jun record high C = 22.4
|Jul record high C = 18.5
|Aug record high C = 22.9
|Sep record high C = 27.8
|Oct record high C = 32.7
|Nov record high C = 38.3
|Dec record high C = 44.2
|year record high C = 
|Jan high C = 24.7
|Feb high C = 24.7
|Mar high C = 23.1
|Apr high C = 19.9
|May high C = 16.5
|Jun high C = 14.1
|Jul high C = 13.5
|Aug high C = 14.4
|Sep high C = 16.1
|Oct high C = 18.1
|Nov high C = 20.5
|Dec high C = 22.6
|year high C = 
|Jan low C = 12.0
|Feb low C = 12.4
|Mar low C = 11.0
|Apr low C = 9.1
|May low C = 7.4
|Jun low C = 5.9
|Jul low C = 5.5
|Aug low C = 5.9
|Sep low C = 6.8
|Oct low C = 7.5
|Nov low C = 9.2
|Dec low C = 10.3
|year low C = 
|Jan record low C = 2.3
|Feb record low C = 1.8
|Mar record low C = 2.0
|Apr record low C = 0.0
|May record low C = −1.7
|Jun record low C = −3.4
|Jul record low C = −2.4
|Aug record low C = −1.4
|Sep record low C = -1.7
|Oct record low C = -1.4
|Nov record low C = 0.8
|Dec record low C = 1.3
|year record low C = 
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 37.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 30.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 45.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 52.8
|May precipitation mm = 74.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 79.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 83.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 89.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 73.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 69.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 51.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 45.4
|year precipitation mm = 729.7
|Jan precipitation days = 4.8
|Feb precipitation days = 4.3
|Mar precipitation days = 6.7
|Apr precipitation days = 8.5
|May precipitation days = 12.5
|Jun precipitation days = 12.4
|Jul precipitation days = 15.1
|Aug precipitation days = 14.5
|Sep precipitation days = 12.2
|Oct precipitation days = 10.7
|Nov precipitation days = 7.6
|Dec precipitation days = 6.7
|year precipitation days = 116.0
|source 1 = [[Bureau of Meteorology (Australia)|Bureau of Meteorology]].<ref>http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_090186_All.shtml Climate statistics for Australian locations. Retrieved on 11 March 2022.</ref>
}}

==Cityscape==
The original City of Warrnambool was a 4x8 grid, with boundaries of Lava Street (north), Japan Street (east), Merri Street (south) and Henna Street (west). In the nineteenth century, it was intended that Fairy Street – with its proximity to the [[Port Fairy railway line|Warrnambool Railway Station]] – would be the main street of Warrnambool. However, Liebig Street has since become the main street of the [[central business district]] (CBD). The Warrnambool CBD is particularly notable for its number of [[roundabouts]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

[[Image:Warrnambool.jpg|thumb|right|War Memorial, Warrnambool]]
Outside the CBD, the Warrnambool Botanic Gardens feature wide curving paths, rare trees, a [[lily]] pond with [[duck]]s, a fernery, a band [[Rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]], and was designed by notable [[landscape architecture|landscape architect]], [[William Guilfoyle]].<ref name="wbgardenshistory">{{cite web |title=History - Warrnambool Botanic Gardens |url=https://wbgardens.com.au/the-gardens/history |website=wbgardens.com.au |access-date=7 July 2024}}</ref>

Eleven suburbs surround the CBD of Warrnambool: North, South, East and West Warrnambool, Brierly, [[Sherwood Park railway station|Sherwood Park]], Merrivale, [[Dennington, Victoria|Dennington]], [[Woodford, Victoria|Woodford]], [[Bushfield, Victoria|Bushfield]] and [[Allansford, Victoria|Allansford]], though only the four latter are recognised as localities of the city.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==Culture==
[[Image:Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum.jpg|thumb|right|Overview of the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum]]
[[Image:Warrnambool lighthouse.jpg|thumb|right|Lighthouse at the Maritime Museum]]
[[Image:Flagstaff Hill Museum.jpg|thumb|right|Looking up from the water at the Maritime Museum]]
Wunta Fiesta, a festival held in Warrnambool over the first weekend of February annually, is one of south-west Victoria's major community festivals. It incorporates a wide range of entertainment (mostly music) for all ages.

The [[Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum]] is in Warrnambool built on Flagstaff Hill that also holds the original lighthouses and Warrnambool Garrison. Its most prized item in its collection is the [[Mintons Ltd|Minton]] peacock salvaged from the [[Loch Ard (ship)|''Loch Ard'']].
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village is built around the original lighthouses and now operates as a heritage attraction and museum of shipwreck and maritime trade artefacts.<ref>[http://www.flagstaffhill.com]</ref>

The Lady Bay Lighthouse complex is on the Victorian heritage register due to its significance as an example of early colonial development. There has been a flagstaff on top of Flagstaff Hill since 1848, and the current lighthouses were moved to the site in 1878. They still operate as navigation aids for the channel into Warrnambool harbour.

The Warrnambool foreshore is a popular swimming area, and is adjacent to the Lake Pertobe parklands. A number of [[caravan park]]s are also located in the area.

Baritone Robert Nicholson recorded the song ''Back to Warrnambool'' in 1924.<ref>National Film and Sound Archive: [http://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/sound/sounds-australia/songs-about-towns-and-places/#Warrnambool Does your town have its own song?]</ref>

Warrnambool is the setting and filming location of the 2015 film ''[[Oddball (film)|Oddball]]'', starring [[Shane Jacobson]].<ref name = "Oddball">{{Citation | title = Film review:The dogs that protect little penguins|url =https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/oddball-review-even-with-shane-jacobson-the-animalmovie-magic-is-elusive-20150907-gjgpf0.html
|author=Sandra Hall|author-link=Sandra Hall (writer)| date=8 September 2015|access-date =13 November 2019 }}</ref>

'''Warrnambool's Bathing History'''

Warrnambool has a rich history when it comes to outdoor bathing. The city has been a popular destination for beachgoers for 150 years, with the first [[public bathing]] area built in 1876 on the south end of Gilles Street, and was later moved to the current location with the advent of the railway. The sea baths were filled with water drawn from Lady Bay, initially by [[windmill]] and later by gas pump.

Over the years, Warrnambool' s outdoor bathing facilities evolved, with the introduction of new amenities and features. In 1881, the sought after Hot [[Sea bathing|Sea Baths]] opened, and people travelled to Warrnambool to receive the benefits of bathing - noting their 'wonderful creative powers', and their being a 'tonic for the feeble'.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/521606e919403a17c4ba114d | title=Poster - Recreation, Warrnambool Hot Sea Water Baths, c. November 1908 }}</ref>

Today, Warrnambool continues to be a popular destination for bathing, with world class facilities available for locals and tourists alike. The Deep Blue Hot Springs offer two bathing experiences and, although no longer using salt water drawn from the sea, their Indoor Bath House and Outdoor Bathing Sanctuary offers naturally warm geothermal water, drawn from the Dilwyn Aquifer, {{convert|850|m|yd}} below the earth's surface.<ref>[https://www.wannonwater.com.au/media/751/sourcesdilwynaquifer.pdf]</ref>

===Media===
Warrnambool is served by one daily newspaper, ''The Standard'', which is owned by [[Australian Community Media]]. The local commercial radio stations are 94.5 3YB and 95.3 Coast FM, both owned by [[Ace Radio]]. There is also a community radio channel, [[3WAY FM]]. The ABC also owns a radio station, [[ABC South West Victoria]], which is based in Warrnambool.

Warrnambool is also served by local transmission of free-to-air television networks (on relay from Ballarat) [[ABC (Australian TV channel)|ABC]], [[SBS (Australian TV channel)|SBS]], [[Seven Network|Seven]], [[Network 10]] and [[WIN Television|WIN]].

Out of those networks, WIN Television produces the only local television news bulletin, WIN News, which uses resources from their Ballarat and Warrnambool newsrooms.

===Sport===
Warrnambool is home to the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic, a race which attracts Australian and international drivers on the [[Australia Day]] long weekend, especially because of its position in the motorsport calendar.

The city is also the finishing point of the [[Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic]] [[Road bicycle racing|cycle race]]. It is the longest one-day bicycle endurance race in the world, held every October since 1895 to be the world's second oldest bike race.<ref>[http://www.melbournetowarrnambool.com/cyclingclassic/index.php?cat=2 Race History: The First Race] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714070903/http://www.melbournetowarrnambool.com/cyclingclassic/index.php?cat=2 |date=14 July 2011 }}. Melbournetowarrnambool.com. Retrieved on 18 August 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/35504bc71d3adebcca256cfc0082c2b8/813a3e4fc72c72adca2572060002ce3b!OpenDocument Boost for Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic]. Legislation.vic.gov.au (12 October 2006). Retrieved on 18 August 2011.</ref>

Warrnambool has a [[Thoroughbred racing in Australia|horse racing club]], the Warrnambool Racing Club, which schedules around twenty race meetings a year including the Warrnambool Cup and [[Grand Annual|Grand Annual Steeple]] three-day meeting in the first week of May.<ref name = "RaceClub">{{Citation | title = Warrnambool Racing Club | url = http://www.warrnamboolracing.com.au/ | access-date = 2 September 2010 | archive-date = 23 February 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110223172207/http://warrnamboolracing.com.au/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> The Woodford Racing Club also holds one meeting at Warrnambool racecourse. The Grand Annual [[steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechase]] has 33 jumps, more than any other horse race and is one of the longest steeplechases in the world.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

The Warrnambool Greyhound Racing Club holds regular [[Greyhound racing in Australia|greyhound racing]] meetings on most Mondays and Thursdays. The Greyhound version of the Warrnambool Cup is held on the first Wednesday of May.  The club also holds the Seaside Festival over the Christmas and New Year period providing great entertainment and value for money for both kids and kids at heart.<ref name="dogs">{{Citation|last=Greyhound Racing Victoria |title=Warrnambool |url=http://warrnambool.grv.org.au/index.html |access-date=15 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416194124/http://warrnambool.grv.org.au/index.html |archive-date=16 April 2009 }}</ref> The club is located centrally in the Warrnambool Showgrounds Precinct on Koroit Street and opened on 27 July 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://historyofgreyhoundracing.com/history-of-the-warrnambool-grc/|title=History of the Warrnambool GRC|publisher=History of Greyhound Racing|access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref>

Warrnambool is home to the Premier Speedway, a {{convert|410|m|yd|adj=on}} [[Dirt track racing|dirt track]] oval speedway located approximately 5&nbsp;km east of the town. As well as hosting various Victorian state championships, Premier Speedway has hosted Australian championships for [[Australian Sprintcar Championship|Sprintcars]], [[Australian Super Sedan Championship|Super Sedans]] and [[Australian Street Stock Championship|Street Stocks]]. Premier Speedway has also regularly hosted rounds of the [[World Series Sprintcars]], being one of only five tracks to host a round of every series run since its inception in 1987. Since 1973 the speedway has been home to the [[Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic]], the biggest single [[sprint car racing]] meeting in Australia, and on occasion has outdrawn the famed [[Knoxville Nationals]] in the United States for number of competitors entered, as better known drivers enter both races. The Classic is traditionally run the weekend before the national title meeting. The speedway has hosted the Classic / Australian Championship double on six occasions - 1979, 1986, 1994, 1999, 2003 and 2011, with [[Sydney]]'s 10 time Australian Champion [[Garry Rush]] the only driver to win the double at Warrnambool in 1986 when he won his 6th Classic and a week later his 7th national title.

Gunditjmara Bulls and North Warrnambool Warriors play rugby league in NRL Victoria.

From 1 to 3 September 2008, the city hosted, along with Melbourne, the [[2008 Australian Football International Cup]], featuring 14 nations from around the world playing [[Australian rules football]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071224200014/http://www.afl.com.au/Development/International/InternationalCup/tabid/10241/Default.aspx AFL International Cup]. Afl.com.au. Retrieved on 18 August 2011.</ref> The sport is highly popular in Warrnambool which has a competitive local league and is the origin of many high-profile AFL players. The city has three [[Australian Rules]] football teams playing in the [[Hampden Football League]] (North Warrnambool, [[South Warrnambool Football Club|South Warrnambool]] and [[Warrnambool Football Club|Warrnambool]]),<ref name="d">{{Citation|last=Full Points Footy |title=Warrnambool |url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Warrnambool.htm |access-date=25 July 2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007095243/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/warrnambool.htm |archive-date=7 October 2008 }}</ref> and many more in the [[Warrnambool District Football League]]

Golfers play either on the 18 hole course at the Warrnambool Golf Club a public access course ranked in Australia's top 100 courses,<ref name = "golf">{{Citation  | author=Golf Select | title = Warrnambool | url = http://www.golfselect.com.au/armchair/courseView.aspx?course_id=333 | access-date =11 May 2009 }}</ref> or at the 9 hole course at the [[Deakin University]] Warrnambool campus.

== Economy ==

[[Image:Warrnambool-harbour.jpg|thumb|Warrnambool Harbour looking north from the breakwater]]
Warrnambool attracts many visitors each year, and is a comprehensive regional service centre. The town's tourism benefits from the views from the [[Great Ocean Road]], and its nearby beaches, some of which are used for [[surfing]]. In the winter months, [[Right whale|Southern Right whales]] can be seen in the waters near the city at the Logan's Beach nursery, and boats make [[Whale watching|whale-watching]] tours.

The mainstay of the economy is agriculture and its support industry – particularly dairy farming and associated milk processing. Other major industries and services include retail, education, health, meat processing, clothing manufacture and construction. The [[Fletcher Jones (Australian entrepreneur)|Fletcher Jones and Staff Pty Ltd]] clothing factory opened in 1948 and was closed in 2005.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120803132953/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/26/1988919.htm ABC News: Future of Fletcher Jones factory may be known today – 26 July 2007]. ABC &ndash; Australia (26 July 2007). Retrieved on 18 August 2011.</ref>

==Demographics==

15.1% of Warrnambool residents were born outside Australia, which is significantly less than the Australian average of 33.1%.<ref name="ABSCensusSUA">{{Census 2021 AUS|id=2021 |name=Warrnambool|access-date=12 October 2022|quick=on}}</ref> 89.1% speak only English at home and 2.0% are [[Indigenous Australians|Indigenous]].<ref name=ABS/>

==Governance==

The Local Government is the [[City of Warrnambool|Warrnambool City Council]].

At the state level, Warrnambool was within the [[electoral district of Warrnambool]] until it was abolished in 2002. Since then, Warrnambool has been in the [[Electoral district of South-West Coast|South-West Coast]] electorate. This was held by former Premier [[Denis Napthine]] of the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] until his retirement in 2015, the resulting by-election electing [[Roma Britnell]], also of the Liberal Party.

At the federal level, Warrnambool is the largest town in the [[division of Wannon]], which has been a safe [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] seat since 1955. However, Warrnambool booths typically receive a much stronger [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] vote than the rural areas that surround it. The seat was held by former Prime Minister [[Malcolm Fraser]] for 28 years, before being held by former [[Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives|Speaker]] of the lower house [[David Hawker]] for 27 years.

==Education==

===Primary===
There are many primary schools in Warrnambool, including:
*Warrnambool Primary School<ref>[http://www.warrnamboolps.vic.edu.au/ Warrnambool Primary School]</ref>
*Warrnambool East Primary School<ref>[http://www.weps.vic.edu.au/ Warrnambool East Primary School]</ref>
*Warrnambool West Primary School<ref>[http://www.warrnamboolwestps.vic.edu.au/ Warrnambool West Primary School]</ref>
* Merrivale Primary School
* [[Allansford]] and District Primary School
* Grassmere Primary School
* [[Woodford, Victoria|Woodford]] Primary School
* Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School (Catholic)
* St Joseph's Primary School (Catholic)
* St Pius X Primary School<ref>[http://www3.spwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au/ St Pius X Primary School]</ref> (Catholic)
* St John's Primary School, Dennington (Catholic)
* [[King's College, Warrnambool|Kings College]] (primary and secondary)
* Merri River School (formally Warrnambool Special Development School) (primary and secondary)

===Secondary===
Warrnambool has two public high schools:

* [[Brauer College]]
*[[Warrnambool College]]

In addition, there is:

* [[Emmanuel College, Warrnambool|Emmanuel College]], a Catholic school
* [[King's College, Warrnambool|King's College]], a private [[Presbyterian]] school

===Tertiary===
The city's only university facilities are at the [[Deakin University]] Warrnambool campus. The [[South West Institute of TAFE]] and SEAL both provide vocational education.

== Environment ==
[[Image:Whale Watching at Logan Beach.jpg|thumb|right|[[Whale watching]] stations situated on Logan Beach]]
Logan's Beach on the eastern side of the city is recognised as a nursery site for the [[southern right whale]] ''Eubalaena australis'', and many tourists have been attracted to opportunities for land-based observations. Most years one, two or three adult female whales arrive between late May and August, giving birth within days of their arrival. The young whale calf is then reared at the site, usually departing with its parent by mid to late September. Besides the southern right whale, the coastline is also visited by [[Australian fur seal]]s,{{dn|date=October 2025}} [[little penguin]]s and [[common dolphin]]s. During the winter and early spring [[albatross]] cruise along the coastline and can be sighted from Thunder Point, a popular coastal lookout in the town.

[[Middle Island (Warrnambool)|Middle Island]] has a colony of  [[Australian little penguin]]s (''Eudyptula novaehollandiae''). Fox predation reduced numbers significantly. In 2005 only four penguins were remaining in the colony. Warrnambool City Council introduced a world first program using [[Maremma Sheepdog|Maremma dog]]s to guard the penguins. This program has supported the re-establishment of a colony of over one hundred penguins in 2009.<ref>Liptai, Tina (13 November 2008) [http://www.theage.com.au/national/puppy-power-is-penguins-saviour-20081113-6682.html "Puppy power is penguins' saviour"]. ''The Age''. Retrieved on 15 December 2015.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/3aw-breakfast-blog/maremma-dogs-to-penguins-rescue/20090106-7as8.html|title=3AW.com.au|website=3aw.com.au|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref><ref>[http://www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au/Files/CA_5.5_13_Jul_09.pdf Vic.gov.au] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021102905/http://www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au/Files/CA_5.5_13_Jul_09.pdf |date=21 October 2009 }}</ref> By 2015 the population had reached almost two-hundred.<ref name=donnison>{{cite web|last1=Donnison|first1=Jon|title=The dog that protect little penguins|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35039105|website=BBC News|access-date=14 December 2015|date=14 December 2015}}</ref> The film ''[[Oddball (film)|Oddball]]'' is a dramatisation of the dogs saving the penguins.

==Transport==

Warrnambool is situated on the [[Princes Highway]] between [[Port Fairy]] to the west and [[Terang]] to the east as well as at the south-western terminus of the [[Hopkins Highway]]. The [[Great Ocean Road]] terminates 13&nbsp;km east of Warrnambool, near Allansford.

Rail services operate to Melbourne and [[Geelong]]. [[V/Line]] passenger train services call at Warrnambool's two stations, [[Warrnambool railway station|Warrnambool]] in the city and [[Sherwood Park railway station|Sherwood Park]] in the city's outer east, seven days a week. A daily container freight service is being run by [[Pacific National]] for local container handler Westvic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warrnambool.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/rail-freight-deal-new-operator-avoids-closure/187162.aspx|title=Rail freight deal New operator avoids closure|work=The Warrnambool Standard|date=7 March 2008|publisher=warrnambool.yourguide.com.au|access-date=26 June 2008}}</ref>

Local buses under the Transit South West brand cover Warrnambool's city and suburbs and extend to the nearby towns of [[Port Fairy]] and [[Koroit]]. [[V/Line]] coaches connect Warrnambool with [[Mount Gambier]], [[Ballarat]], [[Ararat, Victoria|Ararat]], [[Casterton, Victoria|Casterton]] and the Great Ocean Road to [[Geelong]].

==Health==
There are two main hospitals in Warrnambool:

*Warrnambool Base Hospital, run by South West Healthcare, founded in 1854 as Warrnambool Hospital & Benevolent Asylum, with further name changes and mergers over the years, including a name change to Warrnambool and District Base Hospital in 1925 and Stage 1 of a {{AUD|115 million}} redevelopment opened in 2011 as Warrnambool Base Hospital.<ref>{{cite web | title=Hospital History | website=South West Healthcare | date=7 March 2022 | url=https://southwesthealthcare.com.au/about-us/hospital-history/ | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref>
*St John of God Warrnambool Hospital, a private hospital established in  1939 by the Sisters of St John of God and run by [[St John of God Health Care]]<ref>{{cite web | title=History | website=St John of God Warrnambool Hospital | url=http://www.sjog.org.au/our-locations/st-john-of-god-warrnambool-hospital/about/history | access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Airbourne (band)|Airbourne]], hard rock band
* [[Tom Ballard (comedian)|Tom Ballard]] (b. 1989), comedian
* [[Ben Barber]] (b. 1984), actor 
* [[Smoky Dawson]] (1913–2008), country music performer (born in [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]], raised in Warrnambool)
* [[Alex Dyson]] (b. 1988), radio presenter
* [[John Eccles (neurophysiologist)|Sir John Eccles]] (1903–1997), Nobel Prize winner in physiology or medicine, 1963
* [[Brian Fitzpatrick (Australian author)|Brian Fitzpatrick]] (1905–1965), Australian economic historian
* [[Danielle Green]], Member of Victorian Parliament was raised and educated in Warrnambool
* [[Dave Hughes]] (b. 1970), comedian
* [[Paul Jennings (Australian author)|Paul Jennings]] (b. 1943), children's author – (resides in Warrnambool)
* [[Sally Walker (academic)|Sally Walker]], Law Professor, Vice-Chancellor and President of Deakin University
* [[Axle Whitehead]] (b. 1980), musician and TV personality

===Sportspeople===
* [[Jonathan Brown (Australian footballer)|Jonathan Brown]] (b. 1981), [[Leon Cameron]] (b. 1972), [[Paul Couch]] (1964–2016), [[Simon Hogan]] (b. 1988), [[Jordan Lewis]] (b. 1986), [[Brent Moloney]] (b. 1984), [[Noel Mugavin]] (b. 1956), [[Kevin Neale]] (1945–2023), [[Matt Maguire]] (b. 1984), [[Billie Smedts]] (b. 1992), [[Wayne Schwass]] (b. 1968), [[Michael Turner (Australian rules footballer)|Michael Turner]] (1954–2024), [[Sam Dwyer]] (b. 1986), [[Martin Gleeson (Australian footballer)|Martin Gleeson]] (b. 1994), [[John Burns (Australian rules footballer)|John Burns]] (b. 1949), Australian rules football players
* [[Marc Leishman]] (b. 1983), golfer
* [[Christian Ryan]] (b. 1977), Olympic Silver Medallist, rowing 2000
* [[Nathan Sobey]] (b. 1990), basketball player
* [[Tim Ludeman]], cricket player

==Sister cities==
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2020}}
* [[Miura, Kanagawa]], Japan
* [[Changchun]], Jilin Province, P.R.China
* [[Knoxville, Iowa]], United States of America

==See also==
* [[ABC South West Victoria]]
* [[Mahogany Ship]]
* [[Warrnambool Airport]]
* [[Warrnambool V/Line rail service]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [http://www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au/ Warrnambool City Council official website]
* [http://www.warrnamboolinfo.com.au/VisitWarrnambool.asp Warrnambool Tourism Association official website]
* {{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_090172.shtml|title=Climate for Warrnambool|access-date=24 February 2009|work=Bureau of Meteorology|publisher=Australian Government}}
* [http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Great-Ocean-Road/Destinations/Warrnambool.aspx Warrnambool] – Official state tourism website.
*[https://map.chronicle.rip/warrnambool_cemetery Warrnambool Cemetery deceased records and online map] at Chronicle Cemetery Map

{{Towns in the City of Warrnambool}}
{{Cities of Australia}}
{{Great Ocean Road}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:City of Warrnambool]]
[[Category:Cities in Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Coastal cities in Australia]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Victoria (state)]]