Mildura, city in southeastern Australia, in the northwestern region of the state of Victoria, on the Murray River. Situated just below the Murray's confluence with the Darling River, Mildura is a tourist destination, among the hottest and sunniest in Victoria. Mildura is the departure point for rides up the Murray on paddle steamers. The city is also the commercial and processing center for a fertile and productive fruit-and-vegetable growing area. The region supplies much of Victoria's fresh and dried fruit, especially grapes, oranges, and avocados. Mildura sits at the junction of the Sturt Highway, running east to west, the Silver City Highway, which runs north from Mildura, and the Calder Highway, which runs south of the city. Mildura is also linked by railway and airport.
The area was settled in the 1840s by sheep farmers and given its name from the Kulkyne Aboriginal phrase for “dry red earth” on account of the color and dryness of the soil. In 1886 and 1887 Alfred Deakin, then commissioner of public works and minister of water supply in Victoria (later prime minister of Australia), brought the Canadian brothers George and William Chaffey to Victoria to design irrigation networks from the Murray River. The Chaffeys had designed similar works in California. Mildura prospered with the irrigation, and many of the Chaffeys' designs are still used today, though some areas have suffered from waterlogging or too much salt. The completion of the railway in 1903 furthered Mildura's growth, and the settlement was designated a town in 1922. In 1934 Mildura was designated a city. Population (1998 estimate) 42,700.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Mildura Information info
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