Boolarra, Victoria

Boolarra
Victoria

Bridge between Boolarra and Darlimurla

Boolarra

Coordinates

38°23′S 146°16′E / 38.383°S 146.267°E

Population

973 (2016 census)^[1]

Established

1880s

Postcode(s)

3870

Location

158 km (98 mi) SE of Melbourne
30 km (19 mi) SW of Morwell
40 km (25 mi) NW of Leongatha

LGA(s)

City of Latrobe

State electorate(s)

Gippsland South, Morwell

Federal division(s)

Gippsland, McMillan

Localities around Boolarra:
Narracan	Hernes Oak	Morwell
Narracan	Boolarra	Churchill
Mirboo North	Boolarra South	Yinnar

Boolarra is a small township located in the Latrobe Valley, in central Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. At the 2016 Census, Boolarra had a population of 973 with 48% males and 52% females and an average age of 50. The Boolarra Folk Festival is held in the town every year in March and attracts music lovers from around Australia and the world. The town is also infamous for producing the Boolarra strain of carp (Cyprinus carpio) which, after their release into the Murray River near Mildura, spread throughout Australia.

The name Boolarra is believed to be derived from an expression in one of the local Aboriginal languages meaning 'plentiful' or 'twenty'. The Post Office opened on 1 September 1884 prior to the railway arriving in 1885.^[2]

The town is at one end of the Grand Ridge Rail Trail, which travels for 13 kilometres through temperate rainforest and dry sclerophyll forest in the Strzelecki Ranges. The original railway branch line from Morwell to Boolarra, was opened on 10 April 1885, with the last train being run on 22 June 1974. The railway was constructed through difficult hilly terrain requiring construction of massive embankments and numerous bridges.

The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Mid Gippsland Football League.

History

Prior to colonisation, the Boolarra area was part of the country of the Gunaikurnai people, who had lived there for over 20,000 years.^[3]^[4]

The first European settler, W.H. Penaluna, arrived around 1878, taking up land along the Morwell River and erecting the Settlers' Arms Hotel. Land was quickly taken up, when a railway line was built in 1884‑5, connecting Mirboo North, Boolarra and Yinnar to Morwell, on the main Melbourne‑Sale line.

The hill country south and east of the Morwell River was opened up and a series of small communities, such as Budgeree, Gunyah, Ruyton Junction and English's Corner, began to flourish as goods and services flowed to and from Boolarra, which was the commercial and agricultural centre of the district.^[5]

Initially, the early settlers depended on timber and mixed farming for their livelihood. Blackwood for furniture and palings, cut from the surrounding forests, was freighted to Melbourne.

Butter, salted and packed on the farm, was also sent to the city. In 1905, the Danish firm Heyman set up a butter factory in Boolarra, and dairying became the main industry of the district. At that time, Boolarra's population rivalled that of Morwell.

At its peak, Boolarra supported three general stores, three hotels and four churches, along with two butchers, two bakers and three confectionery shops. Horses were harnessed and shod by two blacksmiths and the butter factory provided the bulk of employment for the town's youth. At one stage, a black coal and bauxite mine triggered an investment flow into the town.

Sadly, in 1937, a large fire raged through Tarwin Street, destroying many of the original shop fronts.

After World War II, residents banded together to create a Memorial Park, with the names of the town's fallen soldiers inscribed on its gates.

Today

Modernisation of farming and improved transport links have brought changes to many small rural towns, with car travel to the larger commercial centres in the Latrobe Valley increasing.

Boolarra, no longer a centre, has settled down to become an attractive town with a friendly rural atmosphere.

Today a large fish farm exports goldfish to the national market.

Despite being related to carp, little is known about the impact goldfish have on native fish, particularly in regard to competition for food, resources and habitat. Few detrimental effects have been recorded, however, this may be due to limited research. One impact that has been well recorded is the transmission of disease.

Goldfish ulcer disease (GUD) is a bacterial disease first isolated from a goldfish farm in Victoria in 1974. Since then outbreaks have occurred at warm water fish hatcheries in NSW and Victoria. NSW DPI researchers have found that fingerlings of Murray cod, golden perch and silver perch are resistant to GUD. However, there has been one recorded outbreak of the disease in a silver perch fish farm in NSW. Trout are at high risk of infection.^[6]

Farming is still important, as is Timber, which is harvested from plantation forests in the hills. There has been an influx of new residents, retirees and young families from the city. The old railway line, closed in 1974, has become an attractive Rail ‑Trail bush walk from Boolarra to Mirboo North. The Old Boolarra Pub has been restored.

Numerous sporting clubs use the recreational facilities of the Memorial Park, a modern school and kindergarten provide excellent educational facilities, and an historical society has converted the Old Boolarra School into a museum to preserve the local heritage.

Shops and cafes in Boolarra include the Boolarra Community Hotel, Boolarra Store (general store/cafe), post office, and the Boolarra Emporium.

In 2011, The Boolarra Australian Rules Football team, known as the Demons, won their first Mid-Gippsland premiership since 1997, defeating the Trafalgar Bloods.

Boolarra Folk Festival

The Boolarra Folk Festival was first held in 2003 in Railway and Centenary Parks in Tarwin Street, Boolarra. The free, whole-day music concert is complemented by a large arts, craft and produce market.

Newspaper

The Boolarra Link is a volunteer community newspaper published quarterly in March, June, October and December. The newspaper is published by the Latrobe Valley Express.

References

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Boolarra (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
^ Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 21 January 2021
^ "Our Story". Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
^ Flood, Josephine (2004). Archaeology of the Dreamtime. Marleston, South Australia: J.B. Publishing. ISBN 1876622504.
^ History of Boolarra, boolarra.gippsland.com, archived from the original on 19 September 2008, retrieved 30 January 2009
^ "Goldfish - Carassius auratus". www.dpi.nsw.gov.au. 24 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2017.

External links

Australian Places - Boolarra

v t e Localities in the City of Latrobe
City	Moe^ Morwell Traralgon
Town	Boolarra Callignee Churchill Cowwarr^ Glengarry^ Glengarry North Hazelwood North Hazelwood South Hernes Oak Jeeralang Junction Mirboo^ Moe South^ Narracan^ Newborough Tanjil South^ Toongabbie^ Traralgon East Traralgon South Tyers Yallourn North^ Yinnar Yinnar South
Locality	Balook^ Boolarra South Budgeree Darlimurla^ Delburn^ Driffield Flynn^ Flynns Creek^ Glengarry West Grand Ridge^ Hazelwood Jeeralang Jumbuk Koornalla Loy Yang Maryvale Mount Tassie Yallourn
^ - Territory divided with another LGA

v t e Towns of Gippsland
Central Gippsland	Boisdale Briagolong Coongulla Cowwarr Fernbank Glengarry Gormandale Heyfield Hollands Landing Licola Loch Sport Longford Maffra Munro Newry Rosedale Sale Seaspray Stratford Tinamba Toongabbie Woodside Woodside Beach
East Gippsland	Anglers Rest Bairnsdale Bellbird Creek Bemm River Benambra Bendoc Buchan Buchan South Bruthen Cabbage Tree Creek Cann River Cape Conran Cassilis Club Terrace Dargo Deddick Dinner Plain Eagle Point Ensay Gelantipy Genoa Johnsonville Lakes Entrance Lake Tyers Beach Lindenow Mallacoota Marlo Metung Mossiface Mount Hotham Nicholson Nowa Nowa Nungurner Omeo Orbost Paynesville Raymond Island Swan Reach Swifts Creek Tambo Crossing Tambo Upper Twin Rivers W Tree Woodglen Wulgulmerang
Latrobe Valley	Boolarra Churchill Erica Glengarry Hazelwood North Moe Morwell Newborough Rawson Thorpdale Traralgon Tyers Walhalla Yallourn North Yinnar Yinnar South
South Gippsland	Alberton Allambee Arawata Bena Berrys Creek Buffalo Dalyston Darby River Dumbalk Fish Creek Foster Inverloch Kardella Kilcunda Koonwarra Kongwak Korumburra Leongatha Loch Meeniyan Mirboo North Nyora Poowong Port Albert Port Franklin Port Welshpool Ruby Sandy Point San Remo Stony Creek Strzelecki Tarwin Lower Tidal River Toora Trida Venus Bay Walkerville Waratah Bay Welshpool Wonthaggi Yanakie Yarram
West Gippsland	Athlone Bona Vista Brandy Creek Buln Buln Bunyip Cloverlea Crossover Darnum Drouin Ellinbank Erica Gainsborough Garfield Iona Jindivick Labertouche Lardner Lillico Longwarry Maryknoll Modella Nar Nar Goon Narracan Neerim Neerim North Neerim South Nilma Noojee Rawson Ripplebrook Rokeby Shady Creek Tarago Tonimbuk Trafalgar Tynong Warragul Walhalla Yarragon

This page was last edited on 20 October 2023, at 01:48

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