Kaniva

07/09/2026

💛💚 Kaniva looking pretty spectacular from above — golden canola and lush green crops creating a beautiful patchwork across the landscape.
Thanks to Mat Bale | Bale Farming for this great clip. 📸

03/09/2026

🔴🔵 BULLDOGS FANS — THIS ONE'S FOR YOU! 🔵🔴

Our farmer has picked his team for Saturday night… 🐶🐑

Heading to Adelaide for the Western Bulldogs v Adelaide Elimination Final?
Stop in Kaniva on the way!

⛽ Fuel + famous Whimpy Chips at Kaniva Community Roadhouse - KCR
🥧 Large range of pies and pastries at the new Kaniva Bakery
☕ Coffee & Focaccias at The Windmill Cafe, Kaniva
⚡ EV charging at Windmill Corner
🐑 Famous sheep to meet along the way!

Break up the drive. Grab a feed. Charge up. Stretch your legs. Then get back on the road to Adelaide.

And remember…
Beware of the Dog! 🐶

01/09/2026

🥚🥄 🎲 Remember the fun of an egg and spoon race? Well, the students from Kaniva College are bringing that same sense of fun to the Kaniva Community HUB for an awesome night out for the whole family!

Bring your family, grab your friends and put together a team of 4–6 people. The BBQ fires up at 5:30pm, with the games kicking off at 6:15pm.

There’ll be plenty to enjoy, including trivia, egg and spoon races, magic squares, chocolates and lollies, plus a movie for the kids.

And there are a few extra twists along the way! You can buy double points for $5 or even send someone to jail for $10!

🎟️ Entry: $5 per person
💵 Cash only — no bar and no BYO.
Most importantly, all money raised will go towards supporting youth at the .

📅 Bookings are essential by Thursday 3 September at 3:00pm.
There will be no late bookings, so get your team together and book now!

📞 Book through the Front Office: 03 5392 2494

This and more events, visit our website calendar👇
https://www.kaniva.org/calendar.html

31/08/2026

🌸 It's the first day of spring and this beautiful photo of Kaniva Shire Hall, framed by the spring blossoms, is a lovely reminder of what a special building we have in the heart of our town.

The design of Kaniva Shire Hall was the work of Gordon J. Sutherland, a Melbourne architect who went on to become a Fellow of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects.

In 1926, Sutherland won the competition to design the new Lawloit Shire Municipal Chambers and Public Hall. His design brought a distinctive architectural style to Kaniva, combining practical civic architecture with decorative details that reflected the architectural trends of the period. One feature particularly associated with Sutherland's work was a distinctive cross-braced “X” motif. It appeared in several of his buildings across Victoria during the late 1920s. The entrance also incorporates influences of Egyptian Revival architecture, an architectural style used by Gordon J. Sutherland in several of his designs. Inside, the combination of the hall's cameo ceiling, and the multi purpose function of the building as municipal chambers, hall and picture theatre, sets this hall apart from the many other halls built around the same time.

As we look towards the Hall’s 100th anniversary in 2028, Harvey Champness is continuing to research its history and is still looking for photographs, programs, newspaper articles, memorabilia and other paraphernalia, as well as anyone who has memories or stories to share.

📸 Have something tucked away in a drawer or family album? Now is the time to get in contact with Harvey who would love to hear from you. Contact details for Harvey and more on the story behind the hall are available on our webpage.

👉 https://www.kaniva.org/kaniva-shire-hall.html

27/08/2026

⭐ There’s been some great feedback from locals and visitors who have joined our Wiregrass Guided Walking Tour over the past four weeks — and with the weather looking lovely for tomorrow, it’s a great opportunity to come along and experience it for yourself!

⭐ Our last scheduled Friday walking tour is tomorrow, Friday 28 August at 11am.

This is a relaxed, face-to-face tour of around 45 minutes, giving you an introduction to the Kaniva that Percy Leason was born into, and exploring how the town and everyday life changed through the 1920s and into the 1930s.

Along the way, you’ll discover some of the people, places and stories behind Percy’s famous Wiregrass cartoons, and the remarkable period of change they captured.

📍 Meet at Windmill Corner, Kaniva Visitor Centre
⏰ 11am
⏱ Approximately 45 minutes

Can’t make tomorrow? Guided tours are still available by booking at least 24 hours in advance, so you can arrange a tour for your group, family or visiting friends.

👉 Find out more and book at kaniva.org/wiregrass-tour.html

We’d love to see you tomorrow!

25/08/2026

🏑 Kaniva Hockey Set for Huge Home Semi-Finals! 🏑

Kaniva is set for a huge day of hockey this Saturday, with the Kaniva Hockey Club hosting the 2026 Semi Finals on home turf! 🙌

In a fantastic result for the club, all three Kaniva teams have secured a place in the finals, giving local supporters plenty to cheer about throughout the day! 💪

With the best teams in the Wimmera going head-to-head, expect plenty of exciting action on the field and a fantastic finals atmosphere. 🔥

☕ Barista coffee
🍔 Delicious food
🏑 Plenty of finals hockey
❤️ Lots of local support

Come along to the Kaniva Recreation Reserve this Saturday, get behind our local teams and help create a fantastic home-ground atmosphere as they battle for their place in the finals!

📅 Saturday 29 August
📍 Kaniva Recreation Reserve, Budjik St, Kaniva.

9:00am
🏑 Kaniva Raiders v Warracknabeal Revengers
Nhill Leopards v Yanac Warriors

11:00am
🏑 Nhill Rangers v Kaniva Cobras

1:00pm
🏑 Kaniva Women v Nhill Thunderbirds
Dimboola Roos v Yanac Women

3:00pm
🏑 Yanac Tigers v Warracknabeal Hoop

👉 Check out this event and all the upcoming events happening in Kaniva on our Events Calendar:
https://www.kaniva.org/calendar.html

18/08/2026

🏛️👀 Have you ever seen another cameo ceiling? If so tell us where!

👉 Did you know that when the new Hall was being planned in the 1920s, the Kaniva community got behind the project in a big way. The Kaniva Mechanics’ Institute ladies' committee raised nearly £2,000 towards the building — a remarkable contribution at the time. Along with a £6,000 Shire loan, this helped make the ambitious project possible.

The foundation stone was laid in 1928 and later that year the magnificent new Municipal Chambers and Public Hall opened its doors. Since then, generations of people have danced, performed, celebrated, watched movies, attended meetings, married, farewelled loved ones and made memories within its walls.

And now, as we look towards the Hall's 100th anniversary in 2028, we're keen to uncover even more of its story.
📸 Do you have an old photograph?
🎟️ A dance or theatre program?
📰 A newspaper clipping?
💌 A wedding invitation?
🎭 A story or memory from the Hall?

Harvey Champness will be back in Kaniva soon and is collecting memorabilia, photographs and stories to help build the Hall's history. If you have something to share, please contact Harvey on 0427 255 732 or email [email protected]

And let us know where you seen another cameo ceiling in the comments!

You can find out more about the hall on our website:
https://www.kaniva.org/kaniva-shire-hall.html

17/08/2026

🌳 Have you ever thought about leaving the city behind?

Less commuting.
More space.
More time.

And a community where people actually know your name.

But then comes the big question…
“What would I do for work?”

Well, if you’ve been thinking about making the move, Kaniva currently has some very different business opportunities worth looking at. 👇

🍕 FORMER PIZZA CAFÉ – 40 COMMERCIAL STREET
A ready-made hospitality space with main street and highway exposure. Existing café/pizza setup, large former supermarket space and potential for a café, pizza, restaurant, gallery or multi-business model. Plant and equipment available from $18,000.

👗 BOUTIQUE FASHION – 28 COMMERCIAL STREET
An affordable entry into retail fashion with a beautifully fitted-out shop, displays, racks and fixtures. $5,000 purchase price and rent of just $81.16 per week. A flexible opportunity that could suit a lifestyle business or someone with bigger plans.

🔧 FORMER AUTO REPAIRS – 20 COMMERCIAL STREET
$95,000. A prominent Western Highway property with a retail showroom requiring renovation, a huge 18m x 9m powered shed, rear access via Phillips Street and existing amenities. Potential for retail, a workshop, services or a completely new concept.

🚜 FORMER WIMMERA POWER & AG EQUIPMENT – 92 COMMERCIAL STREET
$150,000 – business not included. A substantial workshop/industrial property with mezzanine accommodation space ready for completion. Ideal for trades, mechanical, agricultural services or fabrication.

🎭 FORMER SALVATION ARMY CHURCH & RESIDENCE – 34–36 PROGRESS STREET
$399,000 + GST – all offers considered. A unique property featuring a newly renovated church with kitchen, separate house and hall/office space. Imagine a studio, gallery, theatre, performance space, wellness or fitness centre — or create something completely different.

🍺 HENRY’S CLUB HOTEL – 54–56 COMMERCIAL STREET
A well-established country pub in a prime Western Highway location, with bar, dining and function areas, recently refurbished worker and traveller accommodation and free RV camping. An established local and traveller customer base with plenty of opportunity to continue developing the business.

❤️ Whether you're thinking about coming home to Kaniva, escaping the city, starting your first business, changing careers or creating a lifestyle business, there may be an opportunity here for you.

👉 See all opportunities and find out more:
www.kaniva.org/business-opportunities.html

14/08/2026

🏛️ Did you know that 2028 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Kaniva Shire Hall?

Originally built as the Lawloit Shire Hall, the building has been at the heart of community life for almost a century. It has hosted weddings, funerals, dances and balls, concerts, public meetings and countless other events. For many years, it was also the administrative centre of the old Kaniva Shire.

As we look towards the centenary, a history of the Hall is being compiled to capture the stories, people and events that have made it such an important part of Kaniva's history.
📸 Do you have old photographs?
📜 Programs, newspaper clippings or memorabilia?
💭 Do you have a story or memory of an event at the Hall?
🎙️ Perhaps you'd simply like to sit down and share what you remember?

All contributions are welcome. Even the smallest memory could help paint a bigger picture of how the Hall has been part of community life over the generations.
If you have something to contribute, please contact Harvey Champness, writer and editor for the project on behalf of West Wimmera Shire.

📧 [email protected]
📱 0427 255 732

Let's make sure the stories behind this much-loved building aren't lost and help celebrate 100 years of Kaniva Shire Hall in 2028. ❤️

13/08/2026

🎧 Step back in time with a very special voice from Kaniva’s past…

In this fascinating 1968 seven minute oral history recording, Blanche “Phyll” Cowell, younger sister of renowned Australian cartoonist Percy Leason, shares her memories of growing up in Kaniva, as well as describing her recent visit back to the town shortly after the opening of the Shire Hall extension.

Phyll recalls her school days with Mr Kerr the headmaster, the Leason family home in Progress Street and childhood adventures at Bill’s Gully with the Vennell and Grant families. Her memories provide a wonderful glimpse into the people, places and experiences that helped inspire Percy Leason’s famous Wiregrass cartoons.

🎥 Watch the video and then come along TOMORROW at 11am to Windmill Corner for our Wiregrass Heritage Trail walking tour.

🚶 Every Friday in August at 11am
📍 Windmill Corner, Kaniva
⏱️ Approximately 45 minutes

The short walking tour takes you along Kaniva’s main street, bringing some of the stories behind the Wiregrass cartoons and life in 1920s and 1930s Kaniva.

📖 MISSED OUT ON THE BOOK?
If you missed buying Percy Leason: An Artist’s Life by Margot Tasca, we have a limited number available for $40 cash only as part of the tour.

That’s half the original RRP – and the book is now out of print!
Come along, discover Kaniva’s history and hear the stories behind one of Australia’s most fascinating cartoonists.

Step back in time through the memories of Blanche "Phyll" Cowell, t...