Editing Benalla (section)

==History==
Prior to the [[European settlement of Australia]], the Benalla region was populated by the [[Taungurung people]], an [[Indigenous Australian]] people. A 1906 history recounts that prior to white settlement "as many as 400 blacks would meet together in the vicinity of Benalla to hold a [[Corroboree|corrobboree]]".<ref name="Mr S. Uren">{{cite news
|author=Mr S. Uren
|title=History of Benalla
|newspaper=Benalla Standard
|date=9 October 1906
|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155417125?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FB%2Ftitle%2F717%2F1906%2F10%2F09%2Fpage%2F18733639%2Farticle%2F155417125
|access-date=28 August 2019
|archive-date=1 March 2022
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301234740/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155417125?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FB%2Ftitle%2F717%2F1906%2F10%2F09%2Fpage%2F18733639%2Farticle%2F155417125
|url-status=live
}}</ref> The area was first explored in 1824 by [[Hamilton Hume]] and [[William Hovell]], who recorded an agricultural settlement called "Swampy".  The expedition was followed by that of [[Major Thomas Mitchell]] in 1834.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Victoria/Benalla/2005/02/17/1108500206241.html|title=Benalla – Victoria – Australia – Travel|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=8 February 2004|access-date=2017-01-05|archive-date=14 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914053240/http://www.smh.com.au/news/Victoria/Benalla/2005/02/17/1108500206241.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

An attack by indigenous people on the camp of shepherds working for George and William Faithful became known as the [[Battle of Broken River|Faithful Massacre]]; eight settlers were killed in the incident.  Following the massacre, in 1839 a police station was established to provide protection of over-landers, and the name of the settlement became Broken River.<ref>Michael Canon (ed.), Historical Records of Victoria, 2A, The Aborigines of Port Phillip, 1835-1839, Public Record Office, Victoria, 1982</ref>

The post office opened on 1 December 1844 originally named [[Broken River (Victoria)|Broken River]].<ref name = "a">{{Citation | last = Phoenix Auctions History | title = Post Office List | url = http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&filter=*Benalla* | access-date = 19 January 2021 | archive-date = 1 March 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220301234739/http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&filter=%2ABenalla%2A | url-status = live }}</ref> A bridge was built over the Broken River in 1847 and the following year the town was surveyed.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} In 1849, it was proclaimed a town.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} It was proclaimed a city in 1965.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/benalla-vic |title=Benalla, VIC |access-date=1 March 2022 |archive-date=30 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330135353/https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/benalla-vic |url-status=live }}</ref>

In [[1936 Benalla Centenary Race|1936, the Benalla Centenary Race]] was held.