About Beulah
Small Wheatbelt Town
The town of Beulah is at the heart of the Mallee-Wimmera region of northwest Victoria, in the Shire of Yarriambiack.
Beulah is the closest town to the netting fence. The Victorian Government built the fence in the forlorn hope of containing the hordes of wild dogs. The erection of the fence commenced in 1885, and it was constructed to control the wild dogs (dingoes) and foxes from the north and rabbits from the south. A portion of this fence still exists at Galaquil, which is 7.1 kilometres south of Beulah.
With the introduction of the pipeline, Yarriambiack Creek has become the showpiece of the community. Savings from the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline allows a permanent water supply to fill the creek.
Fresh groceries, fruit and vegetables and meat products are available in town. Beulah Medical Supplies can supply pharmacy products, and the Café can provide cold drinks and dine-in or takeaway meals.
Beulah is 395 kilometres northwest of Melbourne, with a population of approximately 300.
History of Beulah
Today Beulah is a tiny town of 200 people located 382 kilometres northwest of Melbourne on the Henty Highway. It is hard to imagine a time (around the turn of the century) when the Beulah district produced 125,000 bags of wheat each year. The local wool clip was worth £25,000, and when the general store, Cust & Sons, was vast and prosperous. Gillespie & Co had a flour mill, and Franklin’s Hotel was an elegant building.
The Beulah townsite stands on what was once a Brim Sheep Station. When the government opened up the area for closer settlement, many selectors came from the Wimmera district. The McKenzies took up land just north of the present townsite in 1882. Devout Presbyterians named the township after a place name in the Bible (Isaiah 62: 4).
The McKenzies subdivided their land in 1890 and conducted a survey. Then the town was officially proclaimed in 1891. That year the local school had a population of 50. The railway line was extended from Warracknabeal in 1893 to benefit the local graziers. The following year, the first edition of the Beulah Record and Mallee Advocate was published.
Beulah Silos
The concrete silos in Beulah were erected in 1939 and finished in time for the 1940 harvest. It was a hard job as the concrete was mixed on the ground by hand and winched up to the required level by horse-drawn winches. The labourers then poured it into wooden frames. This process started at ground level, and the workers would do one pour per day and then build the forms for the next level to be ready for the next day’s pour. Looking closely, you can see the markings of each day’s work.
The Million Bushels in Beulah were built in 1963, and a large grain storage shed was built in 1968.
“The Magnificent Concrete Wheat Silos Stand As Mementos To A Once Great Wheat Industry That Serviced The Needs Of The Wheat Growers And Their Families Since The Late 1930’S. They Remain Today In Reasonable Condition; However Many Are No Longer In Use.”
Above is a quote from Brian Lampard, a former Australia Wheatboard Senior Field Officer.
