Victoria's Hume Region
The Hume region covers twelve local government areas: Alpine Shire, Benalla Rural City, City of Wodonga, Greater Shepparton City, Indigo Shire, Mansfield Shire, Mitchell Shire, Moira Shire, Murrindindi Shire, Strathbogie Shire, Towong Shire, and Wangaratta Rural City.
Hume region at a glance
Key towns: Shepparton, Wodonga, Wangaratta, Benalla, Bright, Seymour, Cobram, Yarrawonga, Wallan
Distance to Melbourne: Wallan approx. 45 min by road, Seymour approx. 1 hr by V/Line train, Shepparton approx. 2 hrs, Wangaratta approx. 2 hrs 30 min, Wodonga approx. 3 hrs
Population: 322,000+
Universities: La Trobe University (Shepparton and Wodonga), Charles Sturt University (Wangaratta).
Hospitals: Goulburn Valley Health (Shepparton), Albury Wodonga Health
Average temperatures: 12-27°c (Summer), 2-11°c (Winter)
The food bowl of Australia. Communities from more than 40 nationalities. And a High Country that most Victorians only visit on holiday, this is where you could live and enjoy every day.
Employment and career opportunities
The Hume region employs more than 160,000 workers; and its workforce has grown more than 12% since 2019. Population is projected to grow by almost 30% by 2036, making it one of the highest growth areas in regional Victoria. This growth will drive long-term demand for workers in health, construction, education and services.
Agribusiness and food processing
The Goulburn Valley, Australia's stone fruit and pear heartland, and a major producer of dairy, tomatoes, and wine, is underpinned by one of the country's largest irrigation networks. It generates roles across food science, farm management, processing, logistics, and trades at every level of the supply chain.
Healthcare
Healthcare is the largest employment sector in the region. Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton and Albury Wodonga Health are the major public health services, between them employing thousands of nurses, allied health workers, medical administrators and support staff.
Transport, logistics, and advanced manufacturing
Wodonga sits on the main road and rail route between Melbourne and Sydney. Its Logic Industrial Precinct supports businesses in warehousing, transport, and manufacturing, creating roles in supply chain, operations, engineering and trades. Wangaratta also has a growing advanced manufacturing base.
Education
La Trobe University and GOTAFE operate campuses across Shepparton, Wodonga, and Wangaratta, employing people across teaching, research, student services, and administration. Charles Sturt University also operates alongside GOTAFE in Wangaratta.
Tourism and hospitality
The Ovens Murray area attracts more than 5 million visitors a year. Alpine resorts, wineries, and food destinations create consistent demand for hospitality workers, events staff and tourism operators across the east of the region.
Major employers
Major employers include: Nestlé, Mars Petcare, Woolworths Distribution Centre, SPC, Kagome, Saputo, La Trobe University, Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE (GOTAFE), Goulburn Valley Health and Albury Wodonga Health.
Housing
Housing in the Hume region, both to rent and to buy, offers many options to consider, depending on the type of lifestyle you want. Shepparton and Wodonga offer affordable housing in well-serviced regional cities. Wangaratta is a smaller city with a similar affordability advantage.
At the southern end of the region, Wallan and Seymour combine affordable housing, more space, and easy road and rail connections to Melbourne, popular with families who want room to grow.
High Country towns like Bright, Mansfield, and Beechworth offer a different lifestyle altogether, heritage buildings, mountain views, and active communities built around food, wine, and the outdoors.
“Before moving to Shepparton, I lived in Makati city where there's always traffic and life is fast. Being in regional Victoria gives me time to enjoy my relationships with the people closest to me and the little things I don’t get to do in the city because of how fast paced it is.” Jenica Mendoza from the Philippines, settled in Shepparton
Education
Schools
Government and independent schools operate across the region's towns and cities. Shepparton has invested in its school infrastructure in recent years. The city's diverse population gives its schools an international outlook that many families find appealing.
TAFE
GOTAFE (Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE) offers vocational training in Shepparton, Wangaratta, Seymour, and nearby towns. Courses cover trades, health, business, and agriculture.
University
La Trobe University has campuses in both Shepparton and Wodonga. Charles Sturt University operates alongside GOTAFE in Wangaratta. Melbourne University also has a rural health training presence in the region.
Health
Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton is the main public hospital for north-central Victoria. It provides emergency, surgical, maternity, mental health, cancer care, and specialist services for a large area. Albury Wodonga Health serves the Victoria-New South Wales border area, and Northeast Health Wangaratta is the main hospital for the Ovens Murray area.
In addition to hospitals, the Hume region has many other health services:
- Urgent Care Clinics (Shepparton and Wodonga) - are open seven days a week, free, with no appointment or referral needed
- Benalla Health - nurse-led urgent care centre
- Community health providers - these operate across the region, offering allied health, mental health, chronic disease management, aged care and youth health services.
For the most complex or specialised treatment, Melbourne is about two hours away by train from Shepparton. And the Virtual Emergency Department is available throughout Victoria too. This free service is available 24 hours and allows you to have a video consultation with Emergency doctors and nurses, providing peace of mind when you need it most.
Transport
By car
If you live and work in towns like Shepparton, Wodonga, and Wangaratta, your daily commute could be just 15 to 20 minutes. If you need to get to Melbourne the Hume freeway provides a direct route, it’s 45 minutes drive from Wallan; 1 hour from Seymour and 2 hours from Shepparton.
By train
V/Line trains run from the Hume region to Melbourne's Southern Cross Station. Approximate travel times to Melbourne range from about 1hr from Seymour to 3hrs from Wodonga. For interstate trips, the train to Sydney also stops at Wodonga.
By air
Albury Airport, just across the NSW border from Wodonga, has regular direct flights to Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Shepparton Airport offers charter and private aviation services.
“Shepparton has everything you need. Camping spots are just 30 minutes to an hour away. If I want to go to Melbourne, I can take the V/Line train. When we stay local, I enjoy being home and cooking. So there's a good balance of home life, outdoor activities, and social connections.” Jenica Mendoza from the Philippines, settled in Shepparton
Community and culture
Shepparton is one of the most culturally diverse cities in regional Victoria. People from more than 40 nationalities live here. The city has active multicultural organisations, community festivals, and support services. For new arrivals, Shepparton is one of the most welcoming regional cities in Victoria, you are very likely to find people who share your background, language and culture here.
The Goulburn Valley also has the largest First Nations population in regional Victoria. Their cultural connections to Country are a significant part of community life across the region.
In the High Country, towns like Bright, Beechworth, and Mansfield are built around food, wine, and the outdoors, with a quality of daily life that residents are genuinely proud of.
The region's annual events include:
- Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues
- Rutherglen Winery Walkabout
- Bright Autumn Festival
- Australian Superbike Championship (Winton)
- SheppARTon Festival
- APS Head of the River (Nagambie)
Nature on your doorstep
The Hume region has some of Victoria's most spectacular and varied natural environments, and for residents, they're part of everyday life.
The Victorian High Country offers alpine resorts at Falls Creek, Mount Hotham, and Mount Buller, snowfields in winter, mountain biking and hiking trails in summer.
The King Valley and Rutherglen are among Victoria's most celebrated wine regions, both within easy reach of the region's major towns.
The Murray River forms the region's northern boundary, popular for fishing, boating, and riverside living in towns like Yarrawonga and Cobram.
And the Goulburn River system, wetlands, and national parks across the west of the region add to an outdoor lifestyle that is genuinely hard to find elsewhere.
Aboriginal First Nations Communities
Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs) are the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage. They are the primary source of advice and knowledge on matters relating to Aboriginal places or Aboriginal objects in their region.
In the Hume region, the main RAPs are:
Settlement support
A range of settlement services operate across the region to help you and your family get set up. Local councils and community groups offer practical support, including language help, connections to employment, and help understanding local services. Shepparton has some of the most established multicultural support services in regional Victoria, with experience helping people from many different backgrounds.
Local councils in the region are:
- Alpine Shire
- Benalla Rural City
- City of Wodonga
- Greater Shepparton City
- Indigo Shire
- Mansfield Shire
- Mitchell Shire
- Moira Shire
- Murrindindi Shire
- Strathbogie Shire
- Towong Shire
- Wangaratta Rural City
Community organisations include:
- Intereach, Seymour
- Uniting, Wodonga
- Uniting, Shepparton
- Albury-Wodonga Volunteer Resource Bureau, Wodonga
Major towns | Population | Key facts | Major industries and employers |
|---|---|---|---|
Shepparton | 68,409 | Centre of the Goulburn Valley. V/Line train to Melbourne approx. 2 hrs. Communities from 40+ nationalities. La Trobe University campus. | Agriculture, dairy, food processing, healthcare, retail, education. Major employers: Nestlé, SPC, Kagome, Saputo, Goulburn Valley Health, La Trobe University, GOTAFE. |
Wodonga | 43,253 | Victoria–NSW border city. On the Melbourne–Sydney road and rail route. La Trobe University campus. Logic Industrial Precinct. | Advanced manufacturing, logistics, transport, healthcare, education. Major employers: Albury Wodonga Health, La Trobe University. |
Wangaratta | 20,000+ | Service centre for the Ovens Murray area. V/Line train to Melbourne approx. 2 hrs 30 min. Home of the Festival of Jazz and Blues. | Healthcare, food manufacturing, retail, education, agriculture. Major employer: Northeast Health Wangaratta. |
Wallan | 14,741 | Southern gateway to the region. Approx. 45 min from Melbourne by road. Fast-growing community. | Retail, construction, community services, light industry. |
Seymour | 8,000+ | On the Hume Freeway and V/Line rail line. Approx. 1 hr from Melbourne by train. | Agriculture, defence (Puckapunyal Army Base), retail, community services. |
Bright | 2,500+ | Alpine town in the Ovens Valley. Approx. 3.5 hrs from Melbourne. High Country wine and food region. | Tourism, hospitality, wine, agriculture, small business. |