Stawell, is an Australian town in the Wimmera region of Victoria 237 kilometres 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 2021 census, Stawell had a population of 6,220. It was founded in 1853 as Pleasant Creek during the Victorian gold rush. It is one of few towns in Victoria retaining an active gold mining industry.