Situated on the Wimmera River, Dimboola was previously known as 'Nine Creeks'. Following a survey conducted in late 1862 by contractor Frederick Smith of Ararat, a plan for a township in the County of Dimboola was proposed. It was first recognised as being a township when mentioned in the April 1863 edition of the Government Gazette. At the 2011 census Dimboola had a population of 1,662. Before the arrival of white people into the district, the Aborigines called the area Watchegatcheca which had the meaning 'Wattle Tree and White Cockatoos'. The name 'Dimboola' has generally been accepted to have come from the Sinhalese word "dimbula" meaning 'Land of Figs'. The name came from the District Surveyor of the time John George Winchester Wilmot, who had previously lived in Ceylon. The relationship of the name to this area is suggested to have come from 'Upper Regions Station' where an abundance of fruit trees grew in the garden, many of which were figs. The Post Office opened on 3 April 1863, but was known as Nine Creeks until 1869. The Dimboola Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1983. Dimboola's economy is predominantly rural, with wheat, sheep and timber being traditionally important. There have been recent forays into emu and alpaca rearing and olive plantations. Paintings of Dimboola landscapes by noted Australian painter Sidney Nolan, who was stationed in the area while on army duty in World War II, can be found in the National Gallery of Victoria. Dimboola is also the setting of the play Dimboola by Jack Hibberd. Distinguished Australian-British physicist Richard Dalitz was born in Dimboola, as was World War II nursing matron Olive Dorothy Paschke. The Dimboola Show is held on the third Thursday in October and coincides with Caulfield Cup Day.
As of the 2016 census, 1,730 people resided in Dimboola. The median age of persons in Dimboola was 52 years. Children aged 0–14 years made up 14.1% of the population. People over the age of 65 years made up 27.1% of the population There were slightly more females than males with 51.9% of the population female and 49.1% male. The average household size is 2.1 persons per household. The average number of children per family for families with children is 1.9. 82.5% of people were born in Australia. Of all persons living in Dimboola, 2.7% were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. This is higher than for the state of Victoria but lower than the national average. The most common ancestries in Dimboola were Australian 31.5%, English 28.8%, German 10.0%, Scottish 7.9%, and Irish 6.4%.
Education
There is a range of education options available in Dimboola. There is one kindergarten, two primary schools and one secondary college. St Peter's Primary School and Dimboola Primary School are the two primary education providers. The town's secondary college is the only purpose-built memorial secondary college in Victoria, hence its name, Dimboola Memorial Secondary College. It offers VCE and VCAL courses for senior year levels and currently has an enrolment of around 160 students. As of the 2016 census, of the people aged 15 and over in Dimboola, 8.3% completed year 12, and 15.5% completed year 10 as their highest level of educational attainment.
Transport
coach services depart from the rear of the Old Shire Hall in Lloyd Street. These travel to both Melbourne and Adelaide. Dimboola railway station is served by The Overlandpassenger rail services between Melbourne and Adelaide, twice weekly in each direction.
Sport
Dimboola has an Australian rules football team competing in the Wimmera Football League. Other sports clubs include hockey, tennis, netball, rowing and badminton. Golfers play at the Dimboola Golf Club on Riverside. Dimboola is home to a state-of-the-art synthetic hockey pitch lined for both hockey and tennis.
Tourist attractions
Pink Lake, a picturesque salt lake north of Dimboola, also known as the Pink lake of Victoria.
