Turriff

Turriff is a rural locality on the Sunraysia Highway and the railway to Mildura in north-west Victoria. The nearest town is Ouyen, about 45 km northwards.

Turriff came about from the creation of a stopping place on the railway line (1903), initially named Gorya. The name was easily confused with another, and it was changed to Turriff in 1906; John Turriff was the manager at the Lake Coorong pastoral holding at Lascelles, to the south-west.

The settlement of Turriff was part of the clearing of the Mallee region for farm selections, mainly for wheat. A school was opened in 1908 and a town survey was made in 1911. There were also schools at Turriff East and West. Channels for water supply from Grampians storages were completed during the mid-1920s. Turriff had a public hall, weighbridge and an animal pound.

The school was moved to a church site after it was closed and was for a while part of a local museum.

Turriff has a church and a CFA station.

Turriff’s census populations have been: