Leongatha, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Leongatha is a town in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges
, South Gippsland Shire
, Victoria
, Australia
, located 135 kilometres (84 mi) south-east of Melbourne
. The town is the commercial, religious, educational and civic centre of the region. At the 2006 census
, Leongatha had a population of 4,504.
The Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co. Limited
, is a farmers' co-operative which trades in Australia under the Devondale label, and has a dairy processing plant just north of the town producing milk-based products for Australian and overseas markets.
The railway line from Melbourne reached the town in 1891, and stimulated further settlement. Regular V/Line
passenger operations on the line to the local railway station
ceased in 1993.
which links Leongatha to Melbourne
. A V/Line
road coach service replaced the rail service, running between Melbourne and Yarram. A second service runs from Traralgon to Wonthaggi. There is also a third bus service running from Venus Bay, through Tarwin Lower and Koonwarra connecting with the V/Line services that depart from Leongatha. This is a trial service and will run for one year before a decision is made on whether or not to run the service permanentely. The Leongatha Airport
is located south of the town and serves general aviation.
Leongatha is home to the Leongatha campus of GippsTAFE, as well as South Gippsland Specialist School. \
Leongatha is also home to Leongatha Christian School - a christian based school for children from Prep to year 10.
The Great Southern Rail Trail is in the process of procuring finance to extend the trail as far as Yarram. At the present time the Wellington Shire have financed the first portion of the trail from Yarram to Alberton with the present Committee of Management intending to manage that portion in the foreseeable future. The Rail Trail commences at the end of Parr Street with a carpark planned for the future to assist with access to the trail in the future. Walkers can access the trail from the childrens park next to the old rail bridge in Leongatha at the end of Bair Street.
The Medieval Society can be seen each month at Coal Creek Community Park and Museum at Korumburra.
The town has an Australian Rules football
team, "The Parrots" competing in the Gippsland Football League.
Golfers play at the course of the Leongatha Golf Club on Inverloch-Koonwarra Road, Leongatha South, or at the course of the Woorayl Golf Club at the Recreation Reserve.
Strzelecki Ranges
Strzelecki Ranges, also known as Strzelecki Hills is a low mountain range in the Gippsland region of south-eastern Australia between the Latrobe Valley to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
, South Gippsland Shire
South Gippsland Shire
South Gippsland Shire is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the south-eastern part of the state. It includes the towns of Leongatha , Korumburra, Foster, Poowong and Mirboo North. It has an area of 3,305 square kilometres...
, 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...
, located 135 kilometres (84 mi) south-east of 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...
. The town is the commercial, religious, educational and civic centre of the region. 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,...
, Leongatha had a population of 4,504.
The Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co. Limited
Murray Goulburn Co-operative
Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co. Limited is an agricultural cooperative formed in 1950 from 14 dairy farms that has grown to become the largest processor of milk in Australia and the nation’s largest exporter of processed food.- Profile :...
, is a farmers' co-operative which trades in Australia under the Devondale label, and has a dairy processing plant just north of the town producing milk-based products for Australian and overseas markets.
History
First settlement of the area by Europeans occurred in 1845. The Post Office opened as Koorooman on 1 October 1887 and renamed Leongatha in 1891 when a township was established on the arrival of the railway.The railway line from Melbourne reached the town in 1891, and stimulated further settlement. Regular V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
passenger operations on the line to the local railway station
Leongatha railway station, Victoria
Leongatha is a railway station in the town of Leongatha, Victoria on the former South Gippsland railway line in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.The station opened in 1891 as a terminus, the line being extended to Welshpool the next year...
ceased in 1993.
Transport
The town is located on the South Gippsland HighwaySouth Gippsland Highway
The South Gippsland Highway is a partially divided highway in Victoria, Australia which connects the city of Melbourne with the South Gippsland region of Victoria, ending in the town of Sale...
which links Leongatha to 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...
. A V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
road coach service replaced the rail service, running between Melbourne and Yarram. A second service runs from Traralgon to Wonthaggi. There is also a third bus service running from Venus Bay, through Tarwin Lower and Koonwarra connecting with the V/Line services that depart from Leongatha. This is a trial service and will run for one year before a decision is made on whether or not to run the service permanentely. The Leongatha Airport
Leongatha Airport
Leongatha Airport is located at Leongatha, Victoria, Australia....
is located south of the town and serves general aviation.
Education
Leongatha is a major educational hub for South Gippsland. The Leongatha Education Hub contains the Leongatha Secondary College, Leongatha Primary School, South Gippsland Specialist SChool and GippsTafe (Leongatha Campus). There is also St Lawrence's Catholic Primary School and Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College.Leongatha is home to the Leongatha campus of GippsTAFE, as well as South Gippsland Specialist School. \
Leongatha is also home to Leongatha Christian School - a christian based school for children from Prep to year 10.
Tourism
- The Daffodil Festival is held annually in September.Competitions are held and many daffadil varieties are on display. A garden competition is also held.
- The South Gippsland RailwaySouth Gippsland RailwayThe South Gippsland Railway is a tourist railway located in south Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. It controls a section of the former South Gippsland line between Nyora and Leongatha, operating services from Leongatha to Nyora via Korumburra taking around 65 minutes, trains operate on sundays,...
runs historical diesel locomotives and railcars between NyoraNyora, VictoriaNyora is a town in south Gippsland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Nyora had a population of 545.The Post Office opened around September 1890 replacing an office at nearby Lang Lang East open since 1885....
and Leongatha, passing through KorumburraKorumburra, VictoriaKorumburra is a town in the Australian state of Victoria. It is located on the South Gippsland Highway, kilometres south-east of Melbourne, in the South Gippsland Shire local government area....
. - The railway line from Leongatha to FosterFoster, VictoriaFoster is a dairying and grazing town south-east of Melbourne on the South Gippsland Highway in Victoria, Australia. It is about north of the Gippsland coastline which includes Shallow Inlet, Corner Inlet, Waratah Bay, Yanakie and Wilsons Promontory...
has been converted into the Great Southern Rail TrailGreat Southern Rail TrailThe Great Southern Rail Trail is a Rail trail from Leongatha to Foster in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The trail is 49 km long and travels through open farmland, before passing through the Hoddle range to Foster. , there is a 3 km section between Koonwarra and Meeniyan where...
, for the shared use of horse riding, walking and cycling.
The Great Southern Rail Trail is in the process of procuring finance to extend the trail as far as Yarram. At the present time the Wellington Shire have financed the first portion of the trail from Yarram to Alberton with the present Committee of Management intending to manage that portion in the foreseeable future. The Rail Trail commences at the end of Parr Street with a carpark planned for the future to assist with access to the trail in the future. Walkers can access the trail from the childrens park next to the old rail bridge in Leongatha at the end of Bair Street.
Community
The town has a medieval society "Leongatha Medieval Society" which re-enact 14th-century weapons, armour and fighting styles http://www.lms.asn.auThe Medieval Society can be seen each month at Coal Creek Community Park and Museum at Korumburra.
The town has an Australian Rules football
Australian 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...
team, "The Parrots" competing in the Gippsland Football League.
Golfers play at the course of the Leongatha Golf Club on Inverloch-Koonwarra Road, Leongatha South, or at the course of the Woorayl Golf Club at the Recreation Reserve.