Australia - Warragul

Situated at the head of Gippsland, it comes as no surprise to learn that Warrugal is the dairy capital of Victoria and Melbourne's major milk supplier.
Probably meaning, in aboriginal language, "wild" or "wild dog", the town is 98 km south-east of Melbourne via the Princes Highway and 112 metres above sea level. Although it is not the largest centre in the area it is recognised as the regional capital of West Gippsland.
The first settlement in the area occurred in the 1860s to the north at Brandy Creek, later known as Buln Buln, which was coach staging point on the Old Sale Road. The creek was allegedly named after the beverage shared by Archibald Campbell and William Pearson beside the stream in 1865. Whoever named it, you can be sure it had to do with the beverage.
Thomas Walton, a landowner from Berwick to the west, bought all of the land between the Bunyip River and Brandy Creek for 45 pounds; a decision he is said to have rued as it consisted mostly of swampland. Indeed, the track between Brandy Creek and Sandy Creek was a notoriously bad stretch of road.
English novelist, Anthony Trollope, spoke in 1872 of 'horses, rolling up to their bellies in the mud', struggling to pull coaches free of the bog. However, the marshes were soon drained, the forests were torn down and the scrub was burnt. Commercial activity really began with the arrival of the railway in 1878, the year that the township of Warragul was established.
In 1868 a record-breaking earthworm was uncovered at Brandy Creek, though the largest ever accurately measured - 2.19 metres when contracted and over 4 metres when stretched - was found in the area in 1930.
The admired poet John Shaw Neilson worked as a labourer in the district in 1919-20 and the great Aboriginal boxer, Lionel Rose, was born here in 1948.
The dairy festival that is held each March is indicative of the town's status as the commercial and service centre of a major Victorian dairying and agricultural district. With an estimated 100,000 cows in the immediate area Warragul is a major supplier of milk for Melbourne.

Warragul (including Brandy Creek, Neerim and Neerim South)
Dairy capital of Victoria and Melbourne's major milk supplier

Population approximately 12,000

98 kilometres south east of Melbourne

Local gourmet and agricultural produce
West Gippsland Arts Centre

An important commercial centre and hub of a rich dairying and agricultural district, which supplies Melbourne with large quantities of milk. It is located at the gateway into the Latrobe Valley and the alpine snow resort at Mt Baw Baw. Just over one hundred years ago, the Warragul district was mostly marsh and swamp. After the impenetrable swamp was conquered, trees burnt and seed sown, the area began developing into the rich dairying land that we now know it as.

Warragul, with a name said to come from an Aboriginal word meaning "wild" or "wild dog", is 98 km south-east of Melbourne via the Princes Highway and 112 metres above sea level. Although it is not the largest centre in the area it is recognised as the regional capital of West Gippsland. This is status has been achieved largely because, while places like Moe and Morwell may be large industrial centres, Warragul is the centre of the region's rich dairy industry and consequently supplies Melbourne with most of is milk.

The first settlement in the area occurred in the 1860s to the north at Brandy Creek, later known as Buln Buln, which was a staging point for coaches on the Old Sale Road. The creek was allegedly named after the beverage shared by Archibald Campbell and William Pearson beside the stream in 1865.

Thomas Walton, a landowner from Berwick to the west, bought all of the land between the Bunyip River and Brandy Creek for 45 pounds; a decision he is said to have rued as it consisted mostly of swampland. Indeed, the track between Brandy Creek and Sandy Creek was a notoriously bad stretch of road.

English novelist, Anthony Trollope, spoke in 1872 of 'horses, rolling up to their bellies in the mud', struggling to pull coaches free of the bog. However, the marshes were soon drained, the forests were torn down and the scrub was burnt. Commercial activity really began with the arrival of the railway in 1878, the year that the township of Warragul was established.

In 1868 a record-breaking earthworm was uncovered at Brandy Creek, though the largest ever accurately measured - 2.19 metres when contracted and over 4 metres when stretched - was found in the area in 1930.

The admired poet John Shaw Neilson worked as a labourer in the district in 1919-20 and the great Aboriginal boxer, Lionel Rose, was born here in 1948.

The dairy festival that is held each March is indicative of the town's status as the commercial and service centre of a major Victorian dairying and agricultural district. With an estimated 100,000 cows in the immediate area Warragul is a major supplier of milk for Melbourne.

Warragul began as a construction camp for rail workers, and its first building was a simple log store built by James Biram who had the contract to collect mail, by packhorse, from Brandy Creek post office. Other shopkeepers from Brandy Creek followed his example — when the first train arrived in March 1878, the stationmaster appointed to take charge at Warragul found several shops already established. Queen Street retains an admirable accumulation of architecture from the 19th century. Here elegant ornate facades and arched windows of hotels, shops and banks line the broad footpaths. The Shire Hall built in 1893 now houses the local historical society, Railway Park is set on a green belt, and Warragul Station is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Warragul is today a thriving rural town with a growing commuter population and is an excellent base to explore the delightful countryside to the north and south including the Baw Baw snowfields and Gourmet Deli Country. It has excellent public transport, boasting a dozen train services to or from the town to Melbourne each weekday. Warragul is a dairying centre supplying much of Melbourne’s milk and is surrounded by a patchwork of farmers’ fields, emerald green hills and dales complete with tiny bucolic hamlets. Travelling the web of back roads in the region, including the Old Sale Road, is a scenic indulgence. The town is by-passed by the Princes Freeway — perhaps a blessing in disguise as it buffers the town’s heritage from the contemporary rush of passing transport.

The West Gippsland Arts Centre is recognised as a Mecca of performance and visual arts in the region, playing host to a range of festivals and headline events throughout the year, including the Australian Ballet and the Comedy Festival
Mount Worth State Park
Civic Park and Gardens
Mt Baw Baw Alpine Village
Gourmet Deli Country

Major events

Trucks in Action – February biannually
Farmworld – March
Agricultural Show – March
National Exhibition of Photography – July
Rotary Art Show – October
Baw Baw Garden Expo – October
Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort Mountain Classic, Road Bike Race – October
Celtic Festival – November

Historic Buildings and the Museum
The court house in Smith St, built in 1887, is classified by the National Trust, while the Wesley Uniting Church in Victoria St opened in 1889. The Warragul Historical Museum, containing local history and dairy exhibits, is situated in the old shire hall (1892).

Of further historical interest is the Warragul Vintage Craft Park in Copelands Road which contains functioning examples of old farm equipment, a miniature steam train which carries visitors through the park and gardens, as well as barbecue and picnic facilities. Entrance is free and there is a playground for children.

West Gippsland Arts Centre
Those interested in the arts may wish to investigate the acoustically-designed West Gippsland Arts Centre. Built on a 2.5-acre site, it is the focal point of the town's Civic Centre Complex. For the botanically-minded there are the attractive displays at Rowses Flower Farm in Warragul South or the wildflower sanctuary at Labertouche.

Darnum
At Darnum, 8 km east of Warragul, is the Darnum Musical Village, which features a display of hundreds of musical instruments, including a single-string cello and a 15th century clavichord, collected by Albert Fox while he travelled around Gippsland as a piano and organ restorer, tuner, manufacturer and teacher.

Wild Dog Winery
Wild Dog Winery, established in 1982, is located 3 km south of the freeway on the Warragul-Korumburra Rd. It produces shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling and rose. The cellar door is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily, tel: (03) 5623 1117.

Mount Worth State Park
15 km to the south is Mount Worth State Park, consisting of 164 hectares of land recovered after logging and grazing ceased. The ruins of old timber mills can still be seen in the vicinity. The mountain itself overlooks the valley to the north and meandering creeks to the south. The park can be approached off the Darnum to Hallston Road. This track leads to the Moonlight Creek picnic area where the Cameron Valley walking track begins its one-hour circuit through the mountain ash forest.

Neerim and Lookouts
Visitors to Neerim, to the north of Warragul, may wish to visit the dairy farm where Gippsland blue cheese can be seen in the making and tea can be enjoyed in the tea room. To the north-east is the Baw Baw National Park while Reservoir Hill, off Brandy Creek Road, offers fine views of Warragul and the district. Other scenic spots in the area include the Glen Cromie and Glen Nayook nature reserves and the Tarago reservoir on the Jindiwick Road.

Ada River Vineyard
At 2330 Main Neerim Road, Neerim South, is the Ada River Vineyard which was established in 1991. It produces traminer, chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon and the cellar door is open from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. weekends and public holidays.