Leongatha

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Leongatha
Victoria
File:Leongatha McCartin Street.jpg
McCartin Street
Leongatha is located in South Gippsland Shire
Leongatha
Leongatha
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Population 6,860 (2006 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 3953
Elevation 88 m (289 ft)
Location
LGA(s) South Gippsland Shire
County Buln Buln
State electorate(s) Gippsland South
Federal Division(s) McMillan
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
19.0 °C
66 °F		 8.4 °C
47 °F		 972.2 mm
38.3 in

Leongatha /ˈliːɒnɡæθə/ 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 civic, commercial, industrial, religious, educational and sporting centre of the region.[clarification needed][2] At the 2006 census, Leongatha had a population of 6,860.[3]

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.

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.[4]

The railway line from Melbourne reached the town in 1891,[5] and stimulated further settlement. Regular V/Line passenger operations on the line to the local railway station ceased in 1993.[6]

Transport

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Main article: Leongatha railway station, Victoria

The town is located on the South Gippsland Highway which links Leongatha to Melbourne. Leongatha was formerly situated along the South Gippsland railway corridor that operated to its terminus at Yarram in the early 1980s and Leongatha in the mid 1990s. A V/Line road coach service replaced the rail service on July 24, 1993, running between Melbourne and Yarram. However, since the closure of the South Gippsland rail line with the exception of the locally run tourist railway between Nyora and Leongatha by the Kennett Victorian government on December 14, 1994. The South and West Gippsland Transport Group represented by the local council are campaigning for the passenger and freight rail services to be reinstated beyond the current terminus at Cranbourne by the 2020s. The line beyond Leongatha is being used as a rail trail for public use and also the former Wonthaggi line. The Dandenong to Cranbourne is being used by the Melbourne Suburban train company, while the section beyond Cranbourne - Nyora is in an unusable state for trains to operate.[7][8]

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 permanently.[9] The Leongatha Airport is located south of the town and serves general aviation.

Education

Leongatha is a major educational hub for South Gippsland, with Leongatha Secondary College, Leongatha Primary School, South Gippsland Specialist School and GippsTafe (Leongatha Campus) as well as St Lawrence's Catholic Primary School, Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College and South Coast Christian College for Prep level to year 12.[10]

Tourism

  • The Daffodil Festival is held annually in September. Competitions are held and many daffodil varieties are on display. A garden competition is also held.
  • The South Gippsland Railway runs historical diesel locomotives and railcars between Nyora and Leongatha, passing through Korumburra.
  • The railway line from Leongatha to Foster has been converted into the Great Southern Rail Trail, 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 car park planned for the future to assist with access to the trail in the future. Walkers can access the trail from the children's park next to the old rail bridge in Leongatha at the end of Bair Street.

Community

Leongatha has a community theatre company, the "Lyric Theatre Company" that regularly stages theatrical productions.[11] The town has a medieval society, the "Leongatha Medieval Society", which re-enacts 14th-century weapons, armour and fighting styles.[12] The Medieval Society can be seen each month at Coal Creek Community Park and Museum at Korumburra.

For a rural Australian town, Leongatha has an unusually wide range of sports including: athletics, basketball, badminton, cricket, croquet, cycling (BMX, road and track), equestrian, football (Australian rules, association and indoor soccer), golf, gymnastics, hockey (field and underwater), lawn bowls, martial arts (karate and taekwondo), netball, shooting, skateboarding, softball, squash, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball (indoor and beach).[13][14][15] The town's Australian Rules football club, the Leongatha Football Club ("The Parrots"), competes in the Gippsland Football League. Golfers play at the course of the Leongatha Golf Club on Inverloch-Koonwarra Road, Leongatha South,[16] or at the course of the Woorayl Golf Club at the Recreation Reserve.[17]

Community services include CFA, SES, Police, ambulance. Other community organisations include Scouts (cubs, scouts, venturers and rovers), Girl Guides, and Salvation Army Youth Corps. The town also boasts a large YMCA complex (including pool, gym and basketball courts) plus a four theatre complex.

  • Leongatha Mechanics Institute.JPG

    Mechanics Institute

  • Leongatha Otago Hotel.JPG
  • Leongatha Post & Telegraph Office.JPG

    Post Office

  • Leongatha Roman Catholic Church.JPG

    Catholic Church

  • Leongatha War Memorial Hall.JPG

    Leongatha War Memorial Hall

  • Leongatha War Memorial.JPG

    War memorial

  • Leongatha Court House.JPG

    Court House

  • Leongatha eastview.jpg

    Leongatha eastview

  • Leongatha Anglican Church.JPG

    Anglican Church

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/leongatha/
  3. ↑ http://www.southgippsland.vic.gov.au/page/page.asp?Page_Id=379&h=0
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Cranbourne Transit website, accessed 23 November 2006
  8. ↑ http://www.sgst.com.au/rail-return-an-election-issue/
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Leongatha Medieval Society
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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