Jeparit, Victoria: Lake Hindmarsh and Robert Menzies monuments

The best things to do in Jeparit, Victoria, include seeing the Menzies Spire and wildlife-spotting at Lake Hindmarsh.

Jeparit, Victoria, is a small settlement in the Wimmera region. It is 37km north of Dimboola and the Western Highway.

That, realistically, is about as close to Jeparit as most visitors will get. But there are a few things to do in Jeparit that potentially make it worth the detour.

Sir Robert Menzies in Jeparit, Victoria

In Australia, Jeparit is primarily known as the birthplace of Sir Robert Menzies – Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister. Menzies was a key founder of the Australian Liberal Party and was Prime Minister from 1949 to 1966.

There are several monuments and memorials to Menzies in Jeparit, the largest of which is the 18 metre-tall Menzies Spire.

Things to do in Jeparit, Victoria: Wimmera-Mallee Pioneer Museum

Other Jeparit attractions include the Wimmera-Mallee Pioneer Museum, which goes for the living museum schtick of bringing old buildings from around the region together in one place. There’s also plenty of old farming machinery, should you be into that sort of thing.

However, the main reason to visit Jeparit is Lake Hindmarsh, the largest freshwater lake in Victoria.

Birdwatching and camping at Lake Hindmarsh, Victoria

Lake Hindmarsh is often dry, but wildlife congregates around it anyway. When there’s water in the lake, you’ll often see spoonbills, pelicans, swans and white-bellied sea eagles. Parrots and honeyeaters flit around the surrounding river red gums.

The main visitor area at Lake Hindmarsh is Four Mile Beach, which offer camp sites, toilets, showers and a camp kitchen. Four Mile Beach is just to the north-west of Jeparit.

A small lake near Jeparit, Victoria. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

In theory, you could also use Jeparit as a base for visiting the Little Desert National Park, although Dimboola is closer.

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