Rainbow. One of the two grand hotels built in Rainbow in 1905. This is the Eureka Hotel. Almost next door is the Royal Hotel.
Rainbow was built on part of Albacutya Station which was established in 1846 by John Coppock. In 1893 parts of this station near Lake Hindmarsh were cut up for closer settlement with 640 acre farms and then in 1898 a township was surveyed as the railway line from Jeparit was going to be extended to the new township of Rainbow in 1899. The first town blocks were sold in 1901. First of all the town was called Croajabrim which was soon changed to Rainbow. Rainbow was named after a crescent shaped sand ridge beside a local lake which was often covered with wildflowers and looked like a colourful rainbow. Geographers call these crescent dunes beside a lake lunettes. To the north of the town was scrub which later became a National Park. Rainbow was the limit of agricultural settlement in 1899 and it still is today. The gold that settlers found at the end of the rainbow was golden wheat. In 1909, for example, Rainbow railway station handled the largest wheat crop of any district in Victoria.
In recognition of the establishment of Rainbow at the same time as Australian federation the main street was named Federal Street. The town soon had two hotels, Post Office (1900 but current one built in 1917), Institute, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, churches and a school. A flourmill operated from the early days until 1950 and it burnt down in 1967. In 1905 both the Eureka and the Royal hotels were built. All the major faiths soon built churches in Rainbow:- the Anglicans built St Pauls in 1910; the Lutherans built their first church in 1918 but their current church was erected in 1952 ; the early Methodist church was built in 1921 with an adjacent hall and it later amalgamated with the Presbyterians in 1973 before it was closed and taken over by the Baptists; the Catholic Church opened as St Marys in 1911; the Baptists built the earliest town church in 1902 but it is now closed; and the Presbyterians built their church in 1905. The Baptist Church in King Street, and the Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran churches all still operate in Rainbow. The Mechanics Institute was opened around 1912 but is now a playground. The new Memorial Hall was completed in 1921. Rainbow primary school opened in a wooden building in 1898 which was replaced by the current stone school in 1903 and Rainbow High School opened in 1960. Rainbow still has its own local newspaper. Look for the rainbow in the main street and the quaint old signage on a tin shed down by the railway station. The unusual Masonic Hall is in King Street almost next door to the fine old stone school rooms on the corner of Bow Street and it is now the Historical Society rooms. Around the town you can find many murals painted on building walls.
Rainbow. One of the two grand hotels built in Rainbow in 1905. This is the Eureka Hotel. Almost next door is the Royal Hotel.
Rainbow was built on part of Albacutya Station which was established in 1846 by John Coppock. In 1893 parts of this station near Lake Hindmarsh were cut up for closer settlement with 640 acre farms and then in 1898 a township was surveyed as the railway line from Jeparit was going to be extended to the new township of Rainbow in 1899. The first town blocks were sold in 1901. First of all the town was called Croajabrim which was soon changed to Rainbow. Rainbow was named after a crescent shaped sand ridge beside a local lake which was often covered with wildflowers and looked like a colourful rainbow. Geographers call these crescent dunes beside a lake lunettes. To the north of the town was scrub which later became a National Park. Rainbow was the limit of agricultural settlement in 1899 and it still is today. The gold that settlers found at the end of the rainbow was golden wheat. In 1909, for example, Rainbow railway station handled the largest wheat crop of any district in Victoria.
In recognition of the establishment of Rainbow at the same time as Australian federation the main street was named Federal Street. The town soon had two hotels, Post Office (1900 but current one built in 1917), Institute, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, churches and a school. A flourmill operated from the early days until 1950 and it burnt down in 1967. In 1905 both the Eureka and the Royal hotels were built. All the major faiths soon built churches in Rainbow:- the Anglicans built St Pauls in 1910; the Lutherans built their first church in 1918 but their current church was erected in 1952 ; the early Methodist church was built in 1921 with an adjacent hall and it later amalgamated with the Presbyterians in 1973 before it was closed and taken over by the Baptists; the Catholic Church opened as St Marys in 1911; the Baptists built the earliest town church in 1902 but it is now closed; and the Presbyterians built their church in 1905. The Baptist Church in King Street, and the Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran churches all still operate in Rainbow. The Mechanics Institute was opened around 1912 but is now a playground. The new Memorial Hall was completed in 1921. Rainbow primary school opened in a wooden building in 1898 which was replaced by the current stone school in 1903 and Rainbow High School opened in 1960. Rainbow still has its own local newspaper. Look for the rainbow in the main street and the quaint old signage on a tin shed down by the railway station. The unusual Masonic Hall is in King Street almost next door to the fine old stone school rooms on the corner of Bow Street and it is now the Historical Society rooms. Around the town you can find many murals painted on building walls.