Bright

Bright (pronunciation: ) is a town in northeastern Victoria, Australia, 319 metres above sea level at the southeastern end of the Ovens Valley.

Bright (pronunciation: ) is a town in northeastern Victoria, Australia, 319 metres above sea level at the southeastern end of the Ovens Valley. At the 2016 census, Bright had a population of 2,406. It is in the Alpine Shire local government area. Its postcode is 3741.

Hamilton Hume and William Hovell explored the area in 1824, naming the Ovens River.

The town was first known as Morse's Creek after F.H. Morse but in 1861 it was renamed in honour of the British orator and politician John Bright. The Post Office opened on 25 January 1860 as Morse's Creek and was renamed Bright in 1866.During the Victorian gold rush there was arush to the nearby Buckland River.As the gold deposits gradually diminished, Chinese miners arrived in the area to sift the abandoned claims.Tensions over Chinese success from Anglo-Irish miners caused the violent Buckland Riot in 1857, resulting in deaths of Chinese miners and the fleeing of 2,000 Chinese.The riot was eventually quelled by the Beechworthpolice under the command of Robert O'Hara Burke from 80 kilometres away.

Bright has a rich cultural heritage and many locations within the town along with street names can be traced to present day residents. The Bright Historical Society has extensive records of the region's past.

The Bright Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.

Owing to its elevation, Bright has an oceanic climate (Cfb) under the Köppen climate classification scheme, with four distinct seasons. Summer is warm and usually dry, with mild to cool nights. Autumn is mild and dry. Winters and spring are damp. Snowfall and frost are common during the winter months.The highest recorded temperature in Bright was 40.7 °C (105 °F) on 8 February 1983 and the lowest recorded temperature was -7.8 °C (18 °F) on 30 June 1986.