History of Leongatha
- Originally on cleared forests of the western Strzelecki's, the 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
The Town Today
- Leongatha offers a large commercial centre, servicing its local population and the surrounding smaller towns.
- A good selection of shops extend along both the wide boulevards of Bair Street and McCartin Street. Where these two roads meet are some of Leongatha's oldest buildings including the post office (built in 1887), court house (1912) and Mechanics Institute (1912) which now serves as a local history museum. The Memorial Hall was built between 1925 and 1926 and part of it functions as a community art and craft gallery.
- Leongatha's long agricultural heritage is underscored with the Murray-Goulburn Dairy (Devondale) having a factory just north of the town centre. It is the largest co-operative in the country, producing milk-based products for Australian and overseas markets.
- Leongatha marks the start of the Great Southern Rail Trail. Beginning just south of the Leongatha railway station, it consists of a 53 kilometre walking, cycling and horse riding trail which covers much of the distance south-east to Foster, and passes through a several small towns which offer visitors refreshments and attractions such as wineries, galleries and antique shops.
*Information on the history of Leongatha and the town today was gathered from www.visitvictoria.com
Town Facilities
* Banks *
* NAB - Branch and ATM - 23 McCartin Street
* ANZ - Branch and ATM - 34 Bair Street
* CBA - Branch and ATM - 42 McCartin Street
* Bendigo Bank - Branch with ATM - 16 McCartin Street
* Westpac Bank - ATM - 28 Bair Street
* Dump Point *
* Leongatha Apex Caravan Park - Fees apply - 14 Turner Street
* Hospital *
* Leongatha Hospital - Koonwarra Road
* Internet *
* Leongatha Community House - 16 Bruce Street
......... Mon to Fri 9.30-4.30
* Leongtha Library - 2 Smith Street
......... Mon to Thurs 10-6
......... Fri 10-7
......... Sat 10-1
* DBS Computronics - 1 Johnson Street
* Petrol Station *
* Castrol Service Station - 86 Yarragon Road
* Shell/Hallyburtons' Service Station - 6 Koonwarra Road
* BP Service Station - 95 Bair Street & 7 Anderson Street
* Safeway Plus Petrol (Caltex)- Sth Gippsland Hwy
* Supermarket/General Store *
* Safeway Supermarket - Smith Street, Cnr Peart Street
* Micheal's IGA Supermarket - Church Street, Cnr Bruce Street
* Micheal's IGA Highway Liquor - Anderson Street
Quick facts
- Population approximately 4,500
- 130 kilometres south-east of Melbourne
- Local produce and agriculture
- Major service centre for the region
Activities and attractions
See "Things to see and do" section for details.
- Leongatha Gallery
- Splash aquatic centre
- Great Southern Rail Trail
- Stadium 4,cinema complex
- Woorayl Air Services
- Leongatha Golf Course
Major events
- Daffodil Festival – September
- Rose Show - October
How to get there
Leongatha is approximately 90 minutes from Melbourne on the South Gippsland Highway. Vline bus services are available for travel.
Leongatha Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 1, Leongatha, 3953
Additional Information
For additional information regarding Leongatha visit:
