KANIVA, VICTORIA

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A wool and wheat town, Kaniva lays claim to being both 'Victoria's premier smaller town,' and 'the wildflower capital of the Little Desert.'
Location: 18 km from the South Australian border, 414 km north-west of Melbourne and 80 km west of Dimboola on the Western Highway between Melbourne and Adelaide. Map
Origin of name: initially named 'Budjik', as it was situated on Budjik Hill, the opening of a post office on the site in April 1882 saw the name changed to Kaniva. The word's origins are uncertain. It may derive from Kinninvie in Durham, England or from an Aboriginal word.
Brief history: squatter Heighway Jones of South Australia entered the area around Kaniva in 1845and a year later had sheep grazxing on his Tattyara run. The homestead was only a few kilometres from the present townsite. Tattyara was named after the Tyatyalla Aborigines who inhabited the district. The first township in the area was Lawloit which developed in the 1860s. The first selector arrived in 1875 and many others followed, particularly from 1879.
Natural features: Little Desert National Park; Merwyn Swamp; Lake Lawloit; Peechember Swamp; Whites Waterhole; Tarranginnie Swamp; Choopawhip Lagoon; Minimay Swamp
Built features: The Big Windmill; Iris Farm; Fauna Park; Car Museum
Heritage features: Historical Museum