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Maffra Victoria
Maffra from the air, 1948
Population:	5,333 (2006)[1]
Postcode:	3860
Elevation:	27 m (89 ft)
Location:	221 km (137 mi) from Melbourne 24 km (15 mi) from Sale 62 km (39 mi) from Bairnsdale
LGA:	Shire of Wellington
State District:	Gippsland East
Federal Division:	Gippsland
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Annual Rainfall 20.0 °C 68 °F 8.1 °C 47 °F 581.9 mm 22.9 in

Maffra is a town in Victoria, Australia, 225 km east of Melbourne. It is in the Shire of Wellington local government area. It relies mainly on dairy farming and other agriculture.

It is the site of one of Murray-Goulburn Cooperative's 8 processing plants in Victoria. Murray-Goulburn runs a very large milk processing plant in the town, employing many Maffra residents.[1].

Maffra is a detour off the Princes Highway and is near Stratford, Rosedale, Tinamba and Heyfield. At the 2006 census, Maffra had a population of 5333.

[edit] History

The town began as an outstation of the region’s first cattle run, Boisdale, named by pioneer grazier Lachlan Macalister after a village on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The village was originally known as Sheepfold, but Macalister renamed it Maffra after the Portuguese town of Mafra where he served during the Peninsular War.^{[citation needed]}.

The township was settled in the 1860s, the Post Office opening on 20 July 1864. ^[2]

It was long the beef cattle capital of West Gippsland and, for many years, the only beet sugar processing centre in the country. The Beet Museum, set in the Port of Maffra Park, has relics from the defunct sugar beet industry. The building is a relocated historic weighbridge building, and is lined with pine boards from the home of Charles and Grace Quirk, one of Maffra's first cottages.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The town today

Maffra hosts a Mardi Gras in March, the Maffra and District Agricultural, Pastoral and Horticultural Show in October and a tennis tournament at Easter.

Maffra is considered to have one of the prettiest main streets (Johnson St) in Victoria.^{[citation needed]} The Wellington Shire Council removed the 100+ year old trees that line it because of disease, but has since replaced them with young oaks.^{[citation needed]}

Maffra has two primary schools, the Maffra Primary School and St Mary's Primary School (Catholic). Maffra also has a public secondary school, Maffra Secondary College, which has a student enrolment of around 700. Maffra Secondary has a strong academic program and is involved in a number of community service progams.

The Maffra Meat Pie is famous and has won many awards.^{[citation needed]}

The Maffra Shed is now completed. This is for lovers of old cars. It is a huge old sugar beet building which the Car Club has cleaned and given new life. They hold car shows and draw crowds from miles around.

The Maffra Historical Society is working at Bellbird Corner, restoring the area to the popular picnic area it was in the 1900s.

The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League.

[edit] See also

• Mafra, town in Portugal

[edit] References

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(Coordinates: 37°57′S 146°59′E / -37.95, 146.983