St Arnaud (Victoria)

St Arnaud is a farming town of 2,200 people (2016) in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia.

Understand

Sunraysia Highway

It was named after French marshal Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud, commander-in-chief of the army of the East during the Crimean War. It is one of quite a number of towns named after people and places of that war.

It was founded as a gold mining town in the mid-19th century. The traditional owners of the area in which St Arnaud sits are the Dja Dja Wurrung people.

Climate

St Arnaud has a warm temperate climate with Mediterranean characteristics. Summers are usually very warm and dry but thunderstorms can occur. Maximums around 32 °C are expected with minimums around 15 °C. Winters are quite frosty most nights but daytime temperatures seem to climb to 9-14 °C with varied weather.

Get in

By car

St Arnaud is on the main route between Ballarat and Mildura

St Arnaud is at the junction of the Sunraysia (B220) and Wimmera Highways (B240). The B220 heads north to Donald and south to Avoca, while the Wimmera connects St Arnaud to Horsham in the west and Bendigo in the east.

By bus

Coach services connect St Arnaud to major centres including the V/Line service from Mildura and Melbourne via Ballarat.

See

St Arnaud Town Hall

• The town had many well-preserved historic buildings which line the main thoroughfare, Napier Street.
• There are several attractive gardens in town:
  • Pioneer Park (believed to be Australia's only remaining public park designed by Edna Walling),
  • the Queen Mary Botanic Gardens,
  • the Market Square gardens adjacent to the council offices, and
  • Lord Nelson Park which offers sporting facilities
• The old Lord Nelson Mine
• 1 St Arnaud Railway Station, Queens Avenue. This heritage-listed building from 1878 provides a permanent public gallery and a hub for arts, a marketspace for local artists and producers, artists' library and lounge and a community space for lectures and workshops. (updated Nov 2021)
• The Bible Museum, 125-129 Napier Street, ☏ +61 3 5495 1169, info@thebiblemuseum.com.au. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM. Free. (updated Nov 2016)
• St Arnaud Historical Society Museum, 12 Napier St, ☏ +61 3 5495 1106, starnaudhistoricalresearch@gmail.com. W F 1-4PM. Free. (updated Nov 2016)

Do

• 1 Kara Kara National Park. A short drive south of St Arnaud towards Avoca, this park protects one of the most intact remnants of Victoria's box-ironbark forests. It features steep and forested terrain, campsites and the Teddington Reservoir. (updated Nov 2021)
• Walk up Wilsons Hill to enjoy the view.
• 2 St Arnaud Country Golf Club, 372 St Arnaud-Wycheproof Rd, ☏ +61 3 5495 1727. April - September. 18 holes. (updated Nov 2021)

Spectator sports

• St Arnaud has an Australian rules football team competing in the North Central Football League.
• The St Arnaud Hockey Club, with five teams, competes in the North Central Hockey Association, playing its home games on the grass of Lord Nelson Park.
• The St Arnaud Netball Club competes in the North Central League against other surrounding towns.

Eat

• 1 Country Delights, 8 Napier St, ☏ +61 412 262 390. M-F 6AM–3:30PM, Sa 8AM–3PM, Su 9AM–3PM. (updated Nov 2021)
• 2 Parkview Bakery, 55 Napier St, ☏ +61 3 5495 1395. (updated Nov 2021)

Drink

There is a generous collection of pubs on Napier Street.

Sleep

• La Cochon Rose Motel, 123 Napier St, ☏ +61 3 54953244. Double from $118. (updated Nov 2021)
• 1 Motel St Arnaud, 3-7 Melbourne Rd, ☏ +61 3 5495 1755. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. From $115. (updated Nov 2021)