Sale, Victoria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SaleVictoria |
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View of the Sale city centre toward the mall
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 Sale
Location in Shire of Wellington
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| Population | 14,296 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 313.5/km2 (812/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1844 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 5.0 m (16 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 45.6 km2 (17.6 sq mi)(2011 urban) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Wellington | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Gippsland South | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Gippsland | ||||||||||||||
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Sale is a city in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. It is the main town of the Wellington Shire. In 2022, about 15,305 people lived there. If you count the nearby areas, the population is around 19,000.
Contents
Discovering Sale's Past
The Aboriginal name for the Sale area is Wayput. Two famous explorers, Paul Strzelecki and Angus McMillan, visited the area around 1840. The first European settler, Archibald McIntosh, arrived in 1844. He started his 'Flooding Creek' property. This name came from the area's flood-prone land.
In 2021, some locals wanted to change the town's name. They thought 'Sale' sounded too much like the English word for 'sale'. They suggested 'Wayput' or 'Flooding Creek', but the idea was not successful.
How Sale Got Its Name
In the 1840s, people moving south to Port Albert had to cross Flooding Creek. They faced difficult marshy land near the Thomson and Latrobe rivers. A Post Office called Flooding Creek opened in 1848. It was renamed Sale in 1854.
The first town plots were sold in 1850. When the new settlement was officially named in 1851, it became "Sale". This name honored General Sir Robert Sale. He was a British army officer famous for his role in the First Anglo-Afghan War. He died in battle in India in 1845. Some believe the town was named after his wife, Lady Florentia Sale. She wrote a popular journal about her experiences during the war.
Sale's Gold Rush Boom
The town grew a lot because of the gold rush at Omeo in 1851. Sale was on the route from Port Albert to Omeo. It was an important base for the goldfields. This lasted until the Gippsland railway line arrived. Sale was also a key service center for East Gippsland and the Monaro Plains in New South Wales. Many new buildings were built between 1855 and 1865.
By 1863, Sale's population reached 1,800. It became a borough, which is a type of town. The courthouse opened the next year. Shops, hotels, and offices spread into Raymond Street. The first Anglican Church was built. The Gippsland Times newspaper started in 1861. The Star Hotel and the Criterion Hotel were built in 1865.
In 1874, a visitor described Sale as a "flourishing township." He noted the wide streets and many shops.
St Paul's Cathedral is an important church in Sale. It was built in 1884. The building has two stories and is made of red brick with a slate roof.
The first good road from Melbourne reached Sale in 1865. Cobb & Co started a 24-hour coach service connecting Melbourne and Sale. The Latrobe Wharf was built in the 1870s. Two hotels opened nearby.
The famous author Anthony Trollope visited Sale in 1872. The children's author Mary Grant Bruce was born in Sale in 1878.
A two-story post office with a clock tower was built in 1884. It was taken down in 1963. HM Prison Sale was finished in 1887. It was used for 110 years. The prison building was later demolished. A new Sale Police Station opened on the site in 2015.
Other important buildings include Our Lady of Sion Convent and the Criterion Hotel. The convent was built between 1892 and 1901. The Criterion Hotel was built in 1865. It was restored in 2010-2011 and reopened in 2013.
The Port of Sale Canal
With more shipping on local waterways and the Gippsland Lakes, people wanted to make Sale a port. The Sale Canal was started in the 1880s. It connected the town to the Thomson River and Gippsland Lakes, leading to the sea. It was finished in 1890. The Sale Swing Bridge was completed in 1883. However, these projects did not bring the expected trade. Sale became a town in 1924 and a city in 1950.
During World War II, the West Sale RAAF base was used. After the war, it became a migrant center from 1949 to 1953. Sale has seen a lot of new building and changes in recent years. One big project was the redevelopment of the city's Port of Sale.
Sale's Climate and Environment
What's the Weather Like in Sale?
Sale has an oceanic climate. This means it has warm summers and cool winters. The average high temperature is 25.6°C in January. The average low is 3.3°C in July. Sale gets about 592.4 mm of rain each year. This is not a lot because of special "foehn winds." It rains about 141 days a year, mostly in winter. Sale has 54.8 clear days and 167.5 cloudy days each year. The hottest day ever was 44.6°C in January 2019. The coldest was -6.6°C in July 2017.
| Climate data for Sale (38°07′S 147°08′E / 38.12°S 147.13°E, 5 m AMSL) (1943-2024 normals & extremes) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 44.6 (112.3) |
44.4 (111.9) |
40.4 (104.7) |
35.9 (96.6) |
28.3 (82.9) |
23.2 (73.8) |
24.0 (75.2) |
28.3 (82.9) |
33.0 (91.4) |
34.7 (94.5) |
40.8 (105.4) |
42.1 (107.8) |
44.6 (112.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.6 (78.1) |
25.4 (77.7) |
23.6 (74.5) |
20.4 (68.7) |
16.9 (62.4) |
14.3 (57.7) |
13.9 (57.0) |
15.1 (59.2) |
17.2 (63.0) |
19.4 (66.9) |
21.4 (70.5) |
23.5 (74.3) |
19.7 (67.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) |
13.2 (55.8) |
11.6 (52.9) |
8.7 (47.7) |
6.3 (43.3) |
4.2 (39.6) |
3.3 (37.9) |
4.2 (39.6) |
5.6 (42.1) |
7.6 (45.7) |
9.7 (49.5) |
11.5 (52.7) |
8.2 (46.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 3.9 (39.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
2.8 (37.0) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
1.1 (34.0) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 45.1 (1.78) |
40.6 (1.60) |
48.7 (1.92) |
48.8 (1.92) |
49.1 (1.93) |
47.2 (1.86) |
40.5 (1.59) |
45.7 (1.80) |
49.3 (1.94) |
58.6 (2.31) |
63.3 (2.49) |
55.7 (2.19) |
592.4 (23.32) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 8.6 | 7.7 | 9.1 | 10.6 | 12.5 | 13.6 | 14.1 | 14.8 | 14.0 | 13.7 | 12.0 | 10.4 | 141.1 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 51 | 53 | 54 | 56 | 63 | 66 | 64 | 59 | 59 | 58 | 56 | 54 | 58 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 12.2 (54.0) |
12.9 (55.2) |
11.7 (53.1) |
9.7 (49.5) |
8.5 (47.3) |
7.0 (44.6) |
5.9 (42.6) |
5.7 (42.3) |
7.0 (44.6) |
8.5 (47.3) |
9.8 (49.6) |
11.1 (52.0) |
9.2 (48.5) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 260.4 | 217.5 | 210.8 | 183.0 | 151.9 | 132.0 | 155.0 | 179.8 | 192.0 | 217.0 | 225.0 | 244.9 | 2,369.3 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 58 | 57 | 55 | 55 | 49 | 46 | 51 | 54 | 54 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology (1943-2024 normals & extremes) | |||||||||||||
Sale's Economy and Services
Oil and Gas Industry
In 1965, oil was found offshore. Sale became a busy hub for the Esso-BHP oil and gas projects. Oil and gas are pumped through 700 km of underwater pipes to Longford. This town is 19 km south of Sale. At Longford, the oil and gas are processed. They are turned into LPG, natural gas, and oil. The gas goes to Melbourne and New South Wales. The oil is shipped to other places.
In 1998, there was a major fire at Esso's Longford gas plant. Two workers died. The state's gas supply was affected for two weeks. Esso's offices used to be in Sale. They moved around 1990. Only the processing plant remains in Longford.
Shopping and Facilities
Sale has many places to shop. The main areas are Gippsland Centre and Raymond St Mall. You can find clothing, music, and food stores along Raymond St. Supermarkets include Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, FoodWorks, and IGA. Other big stores are Target, Bunnings, and Harvey Norman.
Sale has many useful facilities. The Wellington Library Service is available. The Gippsland Regional Sports Complex (GRSC) is a large sports center. It has areas for basketball, netball, volleyball, and hockey. Aqua Energy has three indoor pools and two outdoor pools. It also has a gym, cafe, and swim school.
The Wedge performing arts center is a modern place for shows. It has a theater and meeting rooms. The Fulham Correctional Centre, a prison, is located near Sale. A new TAFE campus opened in 2022. It offers training for trades and other jobs.
Getting Around Sale
Sale is on the Gippsland railway line. You can take V/Line trains from Southern Cross to Bairnsdale. The train stops at the local railway station.
Sale also has its own bus network. There are seven bus routes that go around Sale and nearby small towns. They connect people to the Gippsland Shopping Centre or the Sale railway station.
- Route 1: Sale – Sale Hospital via Port of Sale
- Route 2: Sale – Gippsland Regional Sport Complex
- Route 3: Sale – Wurruk via Princes Highway
- Route 4: Sale – Sale Station via Reeve St
- Route 5: Sale – Glebe Estate via Port of Sale
- Route 6: Sale – Glenhaven Park via Port of Sale
- Route 7: Sale – Loch Sport via Longford
- Route: Sale – Stratford
The city is located where the Princes Highway and the South Gippsland Highway meet.
The Unique Sale Swing Bridge
The Sale Swing Bridge is special. It is the only one left in the world that can swing all the way around (360°). It was even featured in an Australian movie called "The Tender Hook".
Media in Sale
Local News and TV
Sale's local newspaper is the Gippsland Times. It started in 1861. It publishes two times a week. The paper covers the Wellington Shire area.
Sale was the first place in Australia to have its own regional TV station. It was called GLV-10 Gippsland and started in 1961. Today, it is known as Southern Cross 10. You can watch shows from the three main TV networks (Seven, Nine, and Ten) in Sale. They are re-broadcast by regional channels. All these channels broadcast from Mount Tassie. They also show local commercials.
Local news is available on these channels:
- WIN has a half-hour WIN News bulletin every weekday at 5:30 pm.
- Southern Cross Austereo and Seven show short local news and weather updates throughout the day.
You can also watch national public broadcasters, ABC (ABC TV) and SBS (SBS TV). They also broadcast from Mount Tassie.
Many other digital channels are available for free. These include HD versions of the main channels. They also include channels like ABC TV Plus, ABC Me, ABC News, SBS Viceland, SBS World Movies, SBS WorldWatch, SBS Food, 10 Bold, 10 Peach, 10 Shake, 7two, 7mate, 7flix, 7bravo, 9Gem, 9Go!, 9Life, and Sky News Regional.
You can also get subscription TV from Foxtel (which used to be Austar).
Radio Stations in Sale
Traralgon-based commercial radio stations, TRFM (99.5 MHz) and Gold 1242, cover Sale. Most ABC stations are also available. The local ABC Gippsland station (100.7 MHz / 828 kHz) is based in Sale. The community radio station Life FM (103.9 MHz) is also in Sale.
In 2009, the ABC's national network Triple J held its annual One Night Stand concert in Sale. About 12,000 people attended the event at the Sale Football Ground.
Culture and Fun in Sale
Events and Attractions
Every March, the Labour Day weekend features the Marley Point Overnight Yacht Race. This is the longest overnight inland yacht race in the world. It starts near Sale and ends at Paynesville, about 60 km away.
A popular spot in Sale is Lake Guthridge. It has a park for children, barbecues, and a walking trail. The lake was cleaned up in the mid-1990s.
The Port of Sale (also called the Sale Canal) is a historically important waterway. It connects to other local rivers and lakes, leading to Lakes Entrance. This is a tourist town near a channel that connects the Gippsland Lakes to Bass Strait. In the past, steamboats could travel from Lakes Entrance to Sale. They brought passengers and goods to the docks in Sale.
In recent years, people have worked to restore the canal's banks. The Sale Regatta is held yearly on a long, straight part of the canal. The Gippsland Art Gallery is a major art gallery in Sale. It shows many different types of art.
A fishing contest is held at Lake Guthridge every Easter. The Sale Music Festival is in June. The Sale Art Exhibition is in August and September. The Sale show is in October.
King George V Avenue is a section of the Princes Highway lined with elm trees. It is a tribute to the late King George V.
On May 30, 2009, Sale hosted Triple J's One Night Stand at the Sale Football Ground. Sale also has a strong local music scene. Events are held often and attract many young people.
The John Leslie Theatre (The Wedge) is the main place for live theater, ballet, and music. It also hosts conferences. Large events like Carols by Candlelight are often held outdoors at Fauna Park.
The Gippsland Armed Forces Museum is open on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. It shows local military history and artifacts. It recently moved to a bigger building at West Sale Airfield. The museum honors groups like the 13th Australian Light Horse Regiment.
Sports and Activities
Australian rules football, basketball, and cricket are very popular sports in Sale. The Gippsland Regional Sports Complex hosts many sports. These include basketball, soccer, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, and indoor soccer.
Sale has two Australian rules football teams. The Sale team plays in the Gippsland Football League. Sale City plays in the North Gippsland Football League.
Sale is home to the Sale Sonics. This basketball team plays in the Country Basketball League. Many great players have come from this team. These include Billy Hughes, Jason Gram, Scott Pendlebury, Dylan McLaren, and Rhys Carter.
The Sale United Football Club has teams in the Gippsland Soccer League (GSL). It was formed in 1974. Sale United is the only official soccer club in the Shire.
The city has two field hockey clubs in the East Gippsland Hockey Association. The Sale Hockey Club has junior and women's teams. The Wurruk Greyhounds are the second hockey team, located in Wurruk.
Sale has a horse racing club, the Sale Turf Club. They have about 21 race meetings a year. This includes the Sale Cup meeting in October.
The Sale Greyhound Racing Club holds regular greyhound racing meetings at the Sale Showgrounds. Golfers can play at the Sale Golf Club in nearby Longford.
Sale also has a baseball club. Their baseball fields are at Stephenson Park. They have both junior and senior teams.
Religious Life in Sale
Several churches serve the Sale community. These include Catholic, Anglican, FIEC, Presbyterian, and Uniting churches. In 2021, the most common responses for religion in Sale were no religion (38.8%), Catholic (20.5%), and Anglican (13.7%).
Famous People from Sale
Arts and Entertainment
- Mary Grant Bruce, Children's Author
- Henrietta Maria Gulliver, Artist and designer
- Laura Jean McKay, author
- Annemieke Mein, Textile artist
- Danny Spencer, Musician
- Wil Anderson, comedian
- Mark Howard, commentator
Sports Stars
- Shane Birss, former Australian rules footballer
- Travis Birt, cricketer
- Rhys Carter, basketballer
- Ashley Delaney, Olympic swimmer
- Rob Foster, former Australian rules footballer
- Pauline Frasca, Olympic rower
- Jason Gram, former Australian rules footballer
- Dylan McLaren, former Australian rules footballer
- Alan Morrow, former Australian rules footballer
- Scott Pendlebury, Australian rules footballer
- Norman Ware, former Australian rules footballer and Brownlow medalist
