Latrobe City Towns

Latrobe City is a culturally diverse and vibrant community and today is one of Australia's major provincial centres. Latrobe City is made up of four major urban centres;

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with smaller townships of;

Boolarra first came alive in 1884 when a railway was built connecting Boolarra, Mirboo North and Yinnar to Morwell. Today the town has a population of 360. One of the smaller towns in Latrobe City, there is still plenty to see and do.

Nestled in the foothills of the Strzeleki Ranges, Boolarra provides access to the Grand Ridge Road and Tarra Bulga National Park. Each year the town comes alive with the Boolarra Folk Festival which is held annually in March. Boolarra is also the home of historic buildings, the Mirboo North Boolarra Rail Trail, the Boolarra fish farm and the Boolarra Water Wheel Orchard where you can pick your own fresh berries in season..

Accommodation is available.

Situated on the Traralgon-Maffra Road (C105), Glengarry is a small town located 10km north of Traralgon. With a population of around 700 and established in 1883, Glengarry is a lovely place to stop on your way along the Country Road (C105) tourist drive.

If walking or riding is more your thing, Glengarry is also one of the many stops along the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail which extends 67km from Traralgon to Stratford.

Wine conissours can visit Narkoojee Winery a boutique winery committed to premium quality wines. Originally a dairy farm, Narkoojee's first experimental vines were planted in 1980, with wine being commercially undertaken in 1990. Seen on many resturant wine lists, Narkoojee offers a comfortable and attractive cellar door and gallery to spend the day.

Things to see & do;

Cycle the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail
Stretch your legs at Apex Park or take the kids to the skate ramp nearby
Visit the historical buildings including the railway station, Mechanics Institute Hall or butter factory
Sit back and enjoy an award winning chardonnay at Narkoojee Winery

Continuing on from Glengarry, Toongabbie is the next stop along the Country Road (C105) tourist drive and also a destination en route the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail travelling from Traralgon to Stratford.

Toongabbie is a small, historic township in a classic rural landscape which today has a population of about 460. The most famous person to come from Toongabbie is Ned Stringer, the first person to find Gold in Walhalla. The township features restored heritage buildings, particularly the Mechanics Institute and the Anglican Church. Interpretive signs tell the story of days gone by.

Things to do: Historic Cemetery and Walks, Wetlands, Golf Course, Ned Stringers Memorial, Skate Park, Children's Playground. For golfer's, head to the Toongabbie Golf Club for a fun trip away from the bigger courses with its wide fairways working their way up and back tree lined fairways. Overall, the course is flat with no bunkers, but the small target areas create a tough challenge.

www.toongabbie.vic.au

Tyers is a small town 10km north west of Traralgon. It was known until 1852 as "Boola Boola", after which it was named after the surveyor and explorer Charles Tyers. Tyers has a population of approximately 900.

The township of Tyers is host to the annual Tyers Art Festival in November, one of the most anticipated events on the Gippsland Arts Calendar. The festival opens on a Friday with the presentation of prizes and then continues on Saturday with the exhibition, wine and beer tastings, Devonshire Teas and sales. Sunday is Family Day with a lifestyle craft market, demonstrations by local groups, Gippsland produce stalls and local community displays. The Tyers Art Festival is well worth a visit to enjoy the high quality art work, sample the best Gippsland produce as well as enjoy a variety of entertainment for the whole family.

Tyers Park is a haven for plants and wildlife. With its diversity of wildflowers and the abundance of its birdlife make it a favourite destination for naturalists. The park encompasses the fine scenery of the Tyers Gorge where the Tyers River winds between the steep forested slopes. Outcrops of limestone and conglomerate are of considerable geological interest. The limestone contains both plant and animal fossils.

A walking track (the Wirilda Trail) runs along the Tyers River running from Moondarra Reservoir south through the park. To walk the full length of the track takes about five hours and is for bushwalkers with experience. Visit Peterson's Lookout (open 15 December to 30 June) just off the Tyers-Walhalla Road for fine views overlooking Tyers Gorge and Tyers River as well as across Latrobe City.

Yinnar, Gippsland, Victoria is only a short drive from other Latrobe Valley towns of Morwell, Moe and Traralgon.

Yinnar has a population of around 500 and sits amidst dairy country with beautiful views of the Jeeralang hills. The local pub, Commercial Hotel, is the social hub and has been known to cook up a storm, so when you’re in town make sure you stay for a meal.

The town is also home to the infamous ARC Gallery. Displaying contemporary exhibitions from local talented artists, the continually changing exhibitions, art workshops and classes are well worth checking out.

When visiting Yinnar, make sure you take a walk through Centenary Park, established in 1974. www.yinnar.vic.au

Yallourn North is a small country town just a 10 minute drive north east of Moe. It began as a township around 1916 and was originally know as Brown Coal Mine. It was regarded as a 'shanty town' in the 1920s, until a landslide caused it to slip into the Open Cut Coal Mine. A new township grew rapidly in the 1930s, in much the same way as the new town of Yallourn. Yallourn North has survived as a symbol of mining activity that took place in this area many years ago up to the present nearby Yallourn W Power Station, unlike Yallourn, which was demolished in 1981 as the Open Cut was extended. Today, Yallourn North has a population of approximately 1,450.

Visit the Old Brown Coal Mine Museum on weekends to see photographs and memorabilia of the original township known as Brown Coal Mine and read about the slip that claimed part of the town, the family life and workmanship of the early pioneers and the demise of the Yallourn township and demolition of the Yallourn Power Station.