Loddon Mallee, Economic rural region in northwestern Victoria, Australia.
Loddon Mallee is an agricultural region in northwestern Victoria that spreads from the outskirts of Melbourne toward the borders with South Australia and New South Wales. It includes several towns like Bendigo and Mildura, with river valleys, farmland, and smaller settlements featuring historic town centers.
This region developed through agricultural expansion in the 1800s and became Victoria's main food-growing area. It now includes ten local government areas that together form the state's farming and economic backbone.
Indigenous peoples have deep roots here, and communities today support galleries, theaters, and cultural centers scattered across the towns. You can see local art displayed in public spaces and experience how different settlements maintain their own distinctive character.
Major highways like the Calder and Sturt connect the towns of Bendigo and Mildura to Melbourne and surrounding cities. Renting a car is the most convenient way to travel between the scattered settlements and farm areas spread throughout the region.
The region is home to Bendigo Bank headquarters, Australia's only major bank with its main office outside a capital city. This unusual fact shows how the local economy has grown beyond farming and trade.
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