Stawell, Victoria towns in Victoria (Australia)]] [[Category:Populated places established in 1853]] [[Category:1853 establishments in Australia]] Stawell, Victoria Stawell (pronounced /stɔːl/, "Stawl"), is an Australian town in the Wimmera region of Victoria west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne. Located within the Shire of Northern Grampians local government area, it is a seat of local government for the shire and its main administrative centre. At the , Stawell had a population of . It was founded in 1853 during the Victorian gold rush and is one of few towns in Victoria retaining an active gold mining industry. Stawell is famed for the Stawell Gift,
Victoria State Emergency Service of the largest in the world. VICSES also provides assistance to other emergency services such as Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, The Country Fire Authority (CFA) and to municipal councils in planning and auditing their emergency management plans. There are more than 5600 (43,000 nationwide) committed and dedicated volunteers around the state who provide these services 24 hours a day, seven days a week and every day of the year in Victoria. Victoria State Emergency Service Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) is a volunteer based organisation responding to natural disasters and working to ensure the safety of communities around Victoria, Australia.