For the web page links given in the latest Horsham District News magazine (autumn 2011), including a message from Horsham, Australia, please see below:

Page 3: magazine reader survey
Page 5: Horsham District Council’s countryside sites
Page 6: Standards at Horsham District Council
Page 7: Air quality in Cowfold
Page 8: Horsham District Council’s facebook page: 
Page 8: a message from Horsham, Australia: please see the bottom of this page
Page 9: Public meetings at Horsham District Council
Page 9: parking in Horsham
Page 13: Win a charge your car membership
Page 15: Acorn Plus refuse and recycling scheme
Page 24: Residents' survey – win £50 shopping vouchers
Pages 36-39: Leisure news
Pages 42 and 43: Horsham District Councillors
Page 44: Could your business survive a serious crisis?
Page 46: Join the Senior Persons’ Council
Pages 48 and 49: Public health matters

A message from Horsham Rural City Council, Horsham, Australia –
received by Horsham District Council in July 2011

Hello from Horsham, Victoria, Australia.

Horsham, Australia is a lively city with a population of 20,042. Centrally located in the Wimmera and nestled next to the Grampians National Park, it offers excellent opportunities for shopping, dining, entertainment and accommodation. Horsham is known as the capital of the Wimmera, serving as an important business and recreational centre for the region. Horsham rests 300 kms north-west of Melbourne and 450 kms south east of Adelaide.

Sharing a name:

Horsham, Victoria was established in 1842 by James Darlot, who named our town after a chance holiday visit to your lovely town in Sussex, England.

News from Horsham Rural City Council:

We have fully recovered from our recent one in 200-year flood event this past January and the devastating September 2009 fires. The fire spanned 3000 hectares to the west, south and east of Horsham destroying 13 houses and the Horsham Golf Club. No lives were lost in Horsham, but devastatingly 173 people died in Victoria on that same day, now known as Black Saturday.

We are proud to say the municipality has recovered well after these events.

One of the major issues affecting our community is the development of a Performing Arts Centre, which is similar to the project recently completed in your community. Council’s original proposal has been withdrawn as it involved alterations to our Heritage listed Town Hall, which contains art deco architecture. Council is now reviewing the $14 million project to establish a potential green field site.

Other exciting projects occurring in Horsham, Victoria are the investigation of options for a future motorway bypass of Horsham; traffic signals for our principal intersection of our shopping precinct; the construction of a new runway at Horsham Aerodrome, and the construction of a $16 million intermodal/container freight terminal for rail transport to Melbourne and Adelaide.

The new freight terminal is critical for our region. We are one of the world's largest grain, pulse and oilseed growing regions, exporting 60 per cent of our products.

Our General Manager of Technical Services, Mr David Eltringham and his wife Julie have returned safely from England and presented lovely gifts received to Mayor Michael Ryan and to the local Soccer Club President. David and Julie wish to thank Horsham District Council for their wonderful hospitality during their recent visit.

To find out more about Horsham, Australia please visit the Horsham Rural City Council website.