Stawell (/stɔːl/ "stall"), is an Australian town in the Wimmera region of Victoria 237 kilometres (147 mi) west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne.

One of the most significant Aboriginal cultural sites in south-eastern Australia is Bunjil's Shelter, within the Black Range Scenic Reserve, south of Stawell.

Aboriginal peoples of Victoria lived in the Stawell area for many thousands of years before the colonisation of Australia.

The formally recognised traditional owners for the area north-east of the Horsham and Ararat roads, are the Wotjobaluk, Jardwadjali (also known as Jaadwa), Wergaia and Jupagalk nations.

[3] In the area of Stawell that is south-west of Horsham and Ararat roads traditional owners have not yet been formally recognised; however, the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (EMAC) is negotiating a recognition and settlement agreement with the Victorian Government.

[5] The language spoken in the area is Djab Wurrung, and the local placename for Stawell in the indigenous language is Yirip[6] William McLachlan discovered alluvial gold at Pleasant Creek in May 1853, but the yield was not in sufficient volumes to attract much interest, as the Ballarat and Bendigo fields were known to be giving better results, and had already established the infrastructure to support the miners.

The mining population of the Stawell field remained relatively small (averaging 200 or less) until 1857 when a series of new alluvial gold discoveries were made.

[7] The prospecting spread to nearby Deep Lead, about 6 kilometres to northwest, and it was reported that at the height of the rush there were over 25,000 people in the area.

The former Free Library and Mechanics Institute building at 170 Main Street was constructed in 1874 to the design of Stawell architect, George Inskip.

The town hall underwent significant postwar remodelling, culminating in the addition of the landmark clock tower in 1939.

The LGA was created in 1994 as an amalgamation of a number of other municipalities in the region and currently consists of 4 wards, each represented by one to three councillors elected once every four years by postal voting.

[13] In state politics, Stawell is located in the Legislative Assembly electoral district of Lowan, currently held by Emma Kealy (National Party).

The economy of Stawell is sustained by the mining, agriculture, manufacturing, retail and tourism industries; the upcoming addition of the only neutrino observatory in the southern hemisphere, the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory in a transitioning gold mine, represents a significant shift.

Stawell is situated not far from the Grampians National Park, about 32 kilometres (20 mi) by road from Halls Gap.

The town is at the junction of several major roads, the most significant being the Western Highway which bypasses the centre of town along Longfield Street linking it to the cities of Ararat, Ballarat and Melbourne in the east and the cities of Horsham and Adelaide to the west.

Bus services operate from the Stawell railway station to nearby towns including Halls Gap.

[20][21] Stawell Airport (IATA: SWC, ICAO: YSWL) is located 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southwest on Grampians Road; it provides for general aviation.

[22] Stawell Harness Racing Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack in the town.