Hopetoun

History

The town was named after the 7th Earl of Hopetoun, the Governor of Victoria from 1889 to 1895 and later the first Governor-General of Australia. The post office opened on 12 September 1891 when the township was established. During the early 2009 Australian heatwave, the town experienced several days of intense heat, with a peak of . The reading was the highest temperature nationwide during the heatwave and also broke the record for the highest temperature in Victoria. The previous Victorian maximum temperature record was surpassed on 27 January 2026, when temperatures of were recorded at both Hopetoun and Walpeup during a severe heatwave.

Geography

Hopetoun Airport has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk) with hot summers and cool winters. The wettest recorded day was 12 January 2011 with of rainfall. Extreme temperatures ranged from on 27 January 2026 to on 15 June 2006.

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  312
• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  203
• Red-rumped Parrot

  Psephotus haematonotus (Gould, 1838) · Aves
  194
• Crested Pigeon

  Ocyphaps lophotes (Temminck, 1822) · Aves
  183
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  178
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  161
• Welcome Swallow

  Hirundo neoxena Gould, 1842 · Aves
  148
• Pacific Black Duck

  Anas superciliosa J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  137

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2002-04-19
  45 km N of Charlton, Australia