Kerang

Kerang, town, northern Victoria, Australia, on the Loddon River. Its name derives from an Aboriginal term with several possible meanings, including “cockatoo,” “parasite,” “moon,” “edible root vegetable,” or “leaves of a tree.” Settled in 1857 and declared a shire in 1871, Kerang was made (1888) the terminus of a railroad from Koondrook on the New South Wales border.

The town is now on the rail line to Melbourne, 150 miles (240 km) southeast, and is the centre of an area of intensive irrigation (supplied by the Turrumbarry Weir) that produces grains, wool, citrus fruits, and dairy products. Kerang lies at the junction of the Murray Valley and Loddon highways and is also an important railhead for shipping livestock. It has iron and brass foundries, sawmills and flour mills, and agricultural, tool, and clothing plants. Pop. (2001) urban centre, 3,717; (2011) urban centre, 3,568.