Poowong
Inspiration

Poowong

<b>Poowong</b><br><b>Small West Gippsland dairy town</b><br>Located 8 km north-west of Korumburra and 100 km from Melbourne is the dairying town of Poowong. The word'poowong'is probably from an Aboriginal term thought to mean'carrion'or'putrefaction'. The first European settlers arrived in the area and spent their early years clearing the vast Gippsland forests.

Bruthen
Inspiration

Bruthen

<b>Bruthen</b><br><b>Small town which is one of the gateways to the Snowy Mountains</b><br>Located 310 km east of Melbourne,Bruthen is situated in the valley of the Tambo River where the mountains meet the plains. The town is a gateway to the snowfields and the Snowy mountain country to the north.'Bruthen'is supposed to have an Aboriginal derivation meaning'bracken'or'place of an evil spirit'.

Bass
Inspiration

Bass

<b>Bass</b><br><b>Quiet Gippsland township servicing the surrounding beef and cattle farms</b><br>Bass is a small and attractive town located 109 km south-east of Melbourne via the Princes,South Gippsland and Bass Highways. To the west,it faces the tranquil waters of Westernport and,to the east,are the dairy and beef cattle inland farms. The town was named after George Bass (of Bass and Flinders fame) who reached Westernport Bay in 1798 and sailed some distance up the river which also bears his name. He named Westernport as it was the most westerly harbour he had found on Bass Strait.The visit is commemorated by a memorial in the George Bass Park.

  • byBruce Elder
Toora
Inspiration

Toora

<b>Toora</b><br><b>Small picturesque dairy town in Western Gippsland</b><br>Located 197 km south-east of Melbourne,Toora is a small town surrounded by undulating hills which are primarily used for dairying. The word'toora'is said to be an Aboriginal instruction which translates as'woman,look after fire'. It was reputedly used regularly when the men in the group departed for religious ceremonies at Wilsons Promontory.

Stratford
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Stratford

<b>Stratford (including Briagolong and Munro)</b><br><b>Small service centre in West Gippsland</b><br>Situated at a ford on the Avon River,232 km east of Melbourne via the Princes Highway,Stratford's principal industries are dairying,sheep,cattle and horse breeding. There is some dispute about the origin of the town's name. Some claim it to be a variation on"straight ford"while others have suggested it comes from England. The most plausible explanation seems to be that it is named after the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-on-Avon in England. In any case the locals have embraced the connection and a Shakespearean festival is an annual event.

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Paynesville
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Paynesville

<b>Paynesville (including Raymond Island and Rotomah Island)</b><br><b>Resort and holiday destination on the Gippsland Lakes</b><br>Paynesville is a seaside resort situated between Lake King and Lake Victoria. It is located 298 km east of Melbourne via the Princes Highway. The town was formerly a shipbuilding centre and a vital port in the district's shipping. Historically large vessels could reach Lake King via the McMillan Straits.

Port Albert
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Port Albert

<b>Port Albert</b><br><b>Attractive and historic port.</b><br>Port Albert,located 238 km south-east of Melbourne,was one of Victoria's earliest settled ports. Although the area is often mentioned in Aboriginal myths,it remained undiscovered by Europeans until 1841. In the first two months of that year,the site of the future township was visited by three separate exploration parties,marking an appropriately enthusiastic start to a town that would make a dramatic rise to prominence in the ensuing decades.

Port Welshpool
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Port Welshpool

<b>Port Welshpool (including Welshpool and Barry Beach)</b><br><b>Quiet port on the Gippsland coast.</b><br>Port Welshpool is located 191 km south-east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland Highway. Located at the north-eastern margin of Corner Inlet,it is not surprising that it initially relied almost exclusively on the ocean's marine life for its prosperity. An anchorage,apparently established offshore near Snake Island,was used by whalers as early as the 1830s.

Traralgon
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Traralgon

<b>Traralgon (including Glengarry)</b><br><b>Important industrial centre in the heart of the Latrobe Valley.</b><br>Traralgon,situated in the economically important Latrobe Valley,is located 162 km south-east of Melbourne via the Princes Highway and 38 metres above sea level. It is thought that the town may have been named by Edward Hobson,an early settler,after two Aboriginal words possibly meaning"river of little fish".

Yarram
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Yarram

<b>Yarram (including Balook and Woodside)</b><br><b>Central service township in West Gippsland</b><br>Yarram is located 220 km south-east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland Highway and 21 metres above sea level. Located in the shire of Alberton,it is notable less for its own sights than for its proximity to the surf of Ninety Mile Beach (14 km),the Tarra-Bulga National Park,the Strzelecki Ranges and Wilsons Promontory.