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The Western District is a region in the south-west corner of Victoria (Australia), extending to Ballarat in the east and as far north as Ararat. The district is well-known for the production of wool.
In the early 1800s, whalers operating along the coast occasionally grew crops for their own use. In 1834 the Henty brothers settled at Portland and in 1836 Captain Griffiths setled at Port Fairy, combining whaling and farming. The district was explored by Thomas Mitchell in 1836 who identified the area's potential for grazing. By 1840 squatters occupied almost all the district. Sheep were first brought to the district in 1836 by Thomas Manifold at Port Henry, neer Geelong.
The principal centres of the district are: Warrnambool, Hamilton, Colac, Portland, Casterton, Port Fairy, Camperdown, and Terang. Other cities and towns in the district include: Coleraine, Merino, Heywood, Dunkeld, Penshurst, Macarthur, Koroit, Allansford, Ararat, Willaura, Beaufort, Learmonth, Ballarat, Snake Valley, Skipton, Linton, Derrinallum, Lismore, Mortlake, Noorat, Cobden, Timboon, Beeac, Cororooke, Birregurra, Apollo Bay, and Lorne.
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