Rainbow

History

In 1899 the railway line was extended from Jeparit to a projected town site, Rainbow Rise, named after a sand lunette covered with wildflowers in the shape of a rainbow. A post office opened on 2 July 1900 and town blocks in Rainbow were sold in October 1900. By 1910 the township was referred to as the Metropolis of the Mallee. Robert Riby owned and operated the first newspaper in Rainbow. He married Mary Anne Palethorp. Rainbow was well known for its wheat. Silos still stand there and are visible from kilometres away. Many of the town's original settlers were of German descent, and came across country from South Australia. In its early years, names such as Strauss, Petschel, Bretag, Rogasch, Fischer, Schumann, Schulz, Kruger and Heinrich were common, as well as the English names Dunn, Wallis, Smith, Brown, Fisher and Small. The railway line transported wheat, other grains and passengers. In later years, it was used for freight only. The Rainbow Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1983. Rainbow was part of the Dimboola Shire until 25 January 1995, when the shire was united with the Lowan Shire. The town was the subject of an episode of the ABC television program Enough Rope, with Andrew Denton, on 31 July 2006.

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  441
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  316
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  249
• Red-rumped Parrot

  Psephotus haematonotus (Gould, 1838) · Aves
  232
• Crested Pigeon

  Ocyphaps lophotes (Temminck, 1822) · Aves
  226
• Singing Honeyeater

  Gavicalis virescens (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  226
• White-plumed Honeyeater

  Ptilotula penicillata (Gould, 1837) · Aves
  223
• Tree Martin

  Petrochelidon nigricans (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  183

Most recent

• M 4.8 — 2021-10-08
  100 km NE of Keith, Australia
• M 3.4 — 2006-10-01
  83 km NE of Keith, Australia