Mildura

Mildura ( mill-DEW-rə) is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 35,652 at the 2021 census. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point, Merbein and Red Cliffs are included, the combined urban area had a population of 58,914 in 2021, having grown marginally at an average annual rate of 1.3% year-on-year over the preceding five years. Mildura is the largest settlement in the Sunraysia region, where around 90% of Australia's table grape exports are grown. Likewise, it is a major horticultural centre notable for its overall (table, sultana and wine) grape production, supplying about 80% of Victoria's grapes. Many wineries also source grapes from Mildura. It is very close to the New South Wales border, the Murray River, from which it draws an abundant supply of irrigation water. It is known as Australia's first 'irrigation colony' and is also referred to as an 'oasis in the desert'. The city's central business district is located just a short distance from the banks of the Murray. Langtree Avenue is the main shopping and dining precinct in Mildura, with the middle section of the street a pedestrian mall. The other major retail precinct is along Fifteenth Street in the Mildura South area, where a mid-sized undercover shopping mall and several big box stores are located. The city's name was taken from the Mildura homestead, an early sheep station which covered most of the area. The urban area of Mildura is surrounded by irrigated horticulture, where the original grape and citrus blocks were located with water irrigated from the Murray River.