Bruthen, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Bruthen is a small town located alongside the Tambo River
between Bairnsdale
and Ensay
on the Great Alpine Road
in East Gippsland, Victoria
, Australia
. At the 2006 census
, Bruthen had a population of 624. Bruthen is 26 km (16.2 mi) east of Bairnsdale and 311 km (193.2 mi) east of the state capital Melbourne
.
Bruthen is an Aboriginal
word from the Brabiralong people of the Gunai/Kurnai
tribe meaning ‘long wooden point’. Alfred Howitt
claimed the proper name for the area around Bruthen was Murloo, meaning ‘pipeclay’.
Noted explorer of Gippsland, Angus McMillan
, first passed through the area of what is now Bruthen on 14 April, 1840 on his early explorations from the Omeo
region. The Post Office opened on 15 January 1862 and the first school opened in 1872.
On 27 November, 1958 an RAAF
Avon-Sabre Fighter Jet crashed on the outskirts of Bruthen, narrowly missing the populated area of town. Flight Lieutenant
Ralph Oborn was flying from New South Wales
to the RAAF base in Sale
when his engine ‘flamed out’. Oborn ejected at 500ft, suffering only minor injuries, and became the first person to safely eject from an aeroplane in Australia.
, hotel
, service station, as well as speciality stores and cafes. One of the new local features is the Bullant Brewery which offers meals and a variety of locally brewed Victorian beers. Bruthen also has a Police
station, State Emergency Service
and Country Fire Authority (CFA)
branches, churches, a cemetery
and a primary school
.
A railway line used to pass through town, with the railway station
just to the east of the township; the station site remains as does a former railway tunnel under the main road and a railway bridge, the Storer Bridge, over the Tambo River, these facilities remaining in use as part of the shared use East Gippsland rail trail
.
, which runs from Bairnsdale
to Orbost
, passes through Bruthen, providing an excellent facility for cycling, walking and horse-riding.
the Bruthen Football Club competes in the Omeo & District Football League
(ODFL), and has the nickname ‘The Bulldogs’. The club has won six premierships (1979,1948,1985,1989,1990 and 2003) since joining the league in 1978. The affiliated Bruthen Netball Club
competes in the associated netball competition.
The Bruthen colours are red, white and blue. Bruthen football jumpers consist of red and white hoops on a blue background, essentially the design of what was formerly Footscray, and now the Western Bulldogs
AFL
club. The netball club wears a white shirt with red stripe and navy blue skirt.
Other sports in the town include tennis
, cricket
and lawn bowls
and shooting clubs.
Tambo River (Victoria)
The Tambo River is a river in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia with a total length in excess of 170 km. It is the longest river in the Tambo and Nicholson Basin, extending from the steep forested southern slopes of the Australian Alps through forest and farmland to the Gippsland...
between Bairnsdale
Bairnsdale, Victoria
Bairnsdale is a small city in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. With a population at the 2006 census of 11,282, it is a major regional centre of eastern Victoria along with Traralgon and Sale....
and Ensay
Ensay, Victoria
Ensay is a small town located between Swifts Creek and Bruthen on the Great Alpine Road in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Ensay is north of the major town of Bairnsdale and east of the state capital Melbourne...
on the Great Alpine Road
Great Alpine Road
The Great Alpine Road is a country tourist road in Victoria, Australia, running from Wangaratta in the north to Bairnsdale in the east, and passing through the Australian Alps...
in East Gippsland, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Bruthen had a population of 624. Bruthen is 26 km (16.2 mi) east of Bairnsdale and 311 km (193.2 mi) east of the state capital Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
History
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
word from the Brabiralong people of the Gunai/Kurnai
Gunai
The Gunai or Kurnai is an Indigenous Australian nation of south-east Australia whose territory occupied most of present-day Gippsland and much of the southern slopes of the Victorian Alps. The nation was not on friendly terms with the neighbouring Wurundjeri and Bunurong nations...
tribe meaning ‘long wooden point’. Alfred Howitt
Alfred William Howitt
Alfred William Howitt was an Australian anthropologist and naturalist.-Background:Howitt was born in Nottingham, England, the son of authors William Howitt and Mary Botham. He came to the Victorian gold fields in 1852 with his father and brother to visit his uncle, Godfrey Howitt...
claimed the proper name for the area around Bruthen was Murloo, meaning ‘pipeclay’.
Noted explorer of Gippsland, Angus McMillan
Angus McMillan
Angus McMillan , was an explorer and pioneer pastoralist in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. He is also known for being an instigator of many of the massacres against the Aboriginal peoples in the Gippsland region.-Early life:...
, first passed through the area of what is now Bruthen on 14 April, 1840 on his early explorations from the Omeo
Omeo, Victoria
Omeo is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Alpine Road, east of Mount Hotham, in the Shire of East Gippsland. At the 2006 census, Omeo had a population of 452. The name is derived from the Aboriginal word for 'mountains' or 'hills'...
region. The Post Office opened on 15 January 1862 and the first school opened in 1872.
On 27 November, 1958 an RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
Avon-Sabre Fighter Jet crashed on the outskirts of Bruthen, narrowly missing the populated area of town. Flight Lieutenant
Ranks of the RAAF
The Royal Australian Air Force inherited its rank structure from the Royal Air Force. The RAF based its officer ranks on the Royal Navy, and its airmen ranks on the British Army....
Ralph Oborn was flying from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
to the RAAF base in Sale
Sale, Victoria
Sale is a city in the Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria. It is the seat of the Shire of Wellington as well as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sale and the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland. It has a population of around 13,336, and is expected to reach a population of 14,000 soon...
when his engine ‘flamed out’. Oborn ejected at 500ft, suffering only minor injuries, and became the first person to safely eject from an aeroplane in Australia.
Facilities
Bruthen has a small shopping centre, including a general store (established in 1860 and it continues to be run out of a period building), bakery, Post OfficePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, hotel
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, service station, as well as speciality stores and cafes. One of the new local features is the Bullant Brewery which offers meals and a variety of locally brewed Victorian beers. Bruthen also has a Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
station, State Emergency Service
State Emergency Service
A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue...
and Country Fire Authority (CFA)
Country Fire Authority
Country Fire Authority, or CFA, is the name of the fire service that provides firefighting and other emergency services to all of the country areas and regional townships within the state of Victoria, Australia, as well as large portions of the outer suburban areas and growth corridors of Melbourne...
branches, churches, a cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
and a primary school
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
.
A railway line used to pass through town, with the railway station
Bruthen railway station, Victoria
Bruthen Railway Station was opened on Monday 10 April 1916 as part of the Orbost railway line. The station officially closed on Monday 24 August 1987....
just to the east of the township; the station site remains as does a former railway tunnel under the main road and a railway bridge, the Storer Bridge, over the Tambo River, these facilities remaining in use as part of the shared use East Gippsland rail trail
East Gippsland Rail Trail
The East Gippsland Rail Trail is a rail trail located in East Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. The trail is a popular cycling route, beginning in Bairnsdale and extending to Orbost, following the route of the former Orbost railway line...
.
Activities
The Bruthen community holds a number of activities throughout the year. These include the "Mixed Bag" art exhibition, the Bruthen Village Markets (every 4th Saturday of the month), annual Parish dance, and the Bruthen Blues & Arts Festival on the 3rd weekend of February each year. The 96 km (59.7 mi) East Gippsland rail trailEast Gippsland Rail Trail
The East Gippsland Rail Trail is a rail trail located in East Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. The trail is a popular cycling route, beginning in Bairnsdale and extending to Orbost, following the route of the former Orbost railway line...
, which runs from Bairnsdale
Bairnsdale, Victoria
Bairnsdale is a small city in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. With a population at the 2006 census of 11,282, it is a major regional centre of eastern Victoria along with Traralgon and Sale....
to Orbost
Orbost, Victoria
Orbost is a town in the Shire of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, located east of Melbourne and south of Canberra where the Princes Highway crosses the Snowy River. It is about from the town of Marlo on the coast of Bass Strait. At the 2006 census, Orbost had a population of 2452...
, passes through Bruthen, providing an excellent facility for cycling, walking and horse-riding.
Sports
In Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
the Bruthen Football Club competes in the Omeo & District Football League
Omeo & District Football League
The Omeo and District Football League is an Australian Rules Football League based out of the Tambo Valley region of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The ODFL has existed in some form since 1893, and operates under the auspices of the Victorian Country Football League...
(ODFL), and has the nickname ‘The Bulldogs’. The club has won six premierships (1979,1948,1985,1989,1990 and 2003) since joining the league in 1978. The affiliated Bruthen Netball Club
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
competes in the associated netball competition.
The Bruthen colours are red, white and blue. Bruthen football jumpers consist of red and white hoops on a blue background, essentially the design of what was formerly Footscray, and now the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
club. The netball club wears a white shirt with red stripe and navy blue skirt.
Other sports in the town include tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and lawn bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
and shooting clubs.
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