WANGARATTA

city, northern Victoria, Australia. It lies at the confluence of the Ovens and King rivers, northeast of Melbourne. The site was first settled in 1837 by a sheepherder, George Faithfull, and was proclaimed a town in 1845. Its name is derived from an Aboriginal term meaning either "meeting of the rivers" or "home of the cormorants." The city is a junction of the Hume and Ovens highways and also a rail junction, and it serves as a gateway to the Australian Alps. It is a regional centre for the marketing and processing of wool, wheat, grapes, dairy products, tobacco, and flax. Industries include woolen and nylon factories, motor-engineering works, and bulk storage of petroleum and gas. Wangaratta is the site of an Anglican cathedral and the see of a bishop. The city celebrates an Australia Day sports competition each January. It became a borough in 1863 and a city in 1959. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 15,984.