Traditional Owners

The original inhabitants of the Albury and Wodonga area were the Wiradjuri Aboriginal people.

Settlement history

European settlement dates from 1835, with land used mainly for farming and grazing. A village was established in Albury in the 1840's and in Wodonga in the 1850's. Settlement was minimal until the 1850's, when Albury and Wodonga became vital river ports. More substantial growth took place from the late 1870's, largely the result of the opening of the railway between Sydney and Melbourne. The most significant development occurred in the post-war years, particularly during the 1970's and 1980's, when the Cities were designation as a national growth centre and the Albury Wodonga Development Corporation was established. Population growth continued during the 1990's, although at a slower rate, increasing from nearly 70,000 in 1991 to over 75,000 in 2001. The population continued to increase from 2001, rising to about 83,000 in 2011.

Land use

The Cities of Albury and Wodonga include the urban areas of Albury and Wodonga, as well as substantial industrial, commercial, recreational and parkland areas and a rural hinterland. The Cities encompass a total land area of about 765 square kilometres.

Transport

The Cities are well located logistically, connected to Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne by the Hume Freeway and linked regionally via the Kiewa Valley Highway, the Murray Valley Highway and the Riverina Highway. The Sydney to Melbourne railway line runs through both Cities and flights from Albury Airport connect the Cities to Sydney and Melbourne.

Major features

• Major features of the Cities include the Murray River,
• Lake Hume,
• Albury LibraryMuseum,
• Albury Entertainment Centre,
• Albury Art Gallery,
• Albury Botanic Gardens,
• Monument Hill Lookout,
• Wonga Wetlands,
• Albury City Centre,
• Albury Wodonga Health,
• Centro Lavington Shopping Centre,
• Centro Wodonga (shopping centre) and Bandiana Military Camp. Tertiary institutions are La Trobe University (Albury-Wodonga Campus),
• Charles Sturt University (Albury-Wodonga Campus),
• TAFE NSW Riverina Institute (Albury Campus and National Environment Centre) and Wodonga TAFE.

Included areas