Leongatha, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Leongatha
state = vic

---

caption = Leongatha, looking east (1906)
lga = South Gippsland Shire
postcode = 3953
est =
pop = 4818 (2006 Census)
elevation= 88
maxtemp = 19.0
mintemp = 8.4
rainfall = 972.2
stategov = Gippsland South
fedgov = McMillan
dist1 = 135
dir1 = SE
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 59
dir2 = SW
location2= Morwell
dist3 = 39
dir3 = NW
location3= Wonthaggi

Leongatha is a town in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria, Australia, located convert|135|km|mi|0|lk=on south-east of Melbourne. The town is the commercial, religious, educational and civic centre of the region. At the 2006 census, Leongatha had a population of 4818.

The Murray-Goulburn Dairy Co-operative, which trades under the "Devondale" label, has a processing plant just north of the town producing milk-based products for Australian and overseas markets. It is also the largest milk factory in the southern hemisphere.

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. Citation
last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | accessdate = 2008-04-11 ]

The railway line from Melbourne reached the town in 1891,cite journal | year = 1990 | month = March | title = Tracks Across the State | author = Sid Brown | journal = Newsrail | publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) | pages = pages 71-76 ] and stimulated further settlement. Regular V/Line passenger operations on the line to the local railway station ceased in 1993.cite journal
year = 1997
month = March
title = Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960
author = Chris Banger
journal = Newsrail
publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division)
pages = pages 77–82 ]

Transport

The town is located on the South Gippsland Highway which links Leongatha to Melbourne. A V/Line road coach service replaced the rail service, running between Melbourne and Yarram. A second service runs from Traralgon to Wonthaggi. [cite web
url=http://www.vline.com.au/apps/vline/tripplanner/GetTimeTableForTown.asp?sid=&Town=Leongatha
title=V/Line Timetable Search
publisher=www.vline.com.au
accessdate=2008-07-14] The Leongatha Airport is located outside the town and serves general aviation.

Tourism

* The Daffodil Festival is held annually in September.
* 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.

Community

The town has an Australian Rules football team, "The Parrots" competing in the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League, in Gippslands top level football league

ee also

Leongatha railway station

References