Thorpdale, Victoria
This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(February 2024) |
Thorpdale Victoria | |
---|---|
"Welcome to Thorpdale - Heart of Potato Country" | |
Coordinates | 38°17′0″S146°10′0″E/ 38.28333°S 146.16667°E |
Population | 447 (2006 census)[1] |
Postcode(s) | 3835 |
Location | |
LGA(s) | Shire of Baw Baw |
State electorate(s) | Narracan |
Federal division(s) | Monash |
Thorpdaleis a town in theGippslandarea of easternVictoriain theShire of Baw Baw.Famous for itspotatoes,it is located amongst the rich farmland of theLatrobe Valley.Thorpdalespudsare eaten around the country and also exported overseas. The name "Thorpdale" means "village in a valley".[2]The soil in the area is particularly rich as the town is located in a former volcanic crater. It is administered by theShire of Baw Baw.At the2006 census,Thorpdale and the surrounding area had a population of 447.
History
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Gippsland%2C_Sunday_night%2C_February_20th%2C_1898.jpg/220px-Gippsland%2C_Sunday_night%2C_February_20th%2C_1898.jpg)
The Thorpdale district, known at first as the Narracan district, was settled by Europeans in the 1870s. The first European settlers arrived from the old Melbourne – Sale Road via McDonalds Track, a stock route that had been surveyed in 1862 through the hills fromLang Langto Morwell Bridge, but which later became disused and very much overgrown. Land selection began atNarracan(near the eastern end of the track) in 1873, and progressed steadily along the track, reaching Narracan West in 1876.
A Post Office opened on 1 October 1879 as Narracan West. It was renamed Thorpdale in 1884, Thorpdale South in 1888, and closed in 1968. The present town of Thorpdale (situated about 2 km north of the old town) was founded in 1888, following the opening of abranch railway linefromMoe.A new Thorpdale Post Office opened in 1888 near the railway station.[3]The railway line closed in December 1958.[4]
At its height, Thorpdale was a business centre for all the farming activity that surrounded it. Much of the old town was destroyed during the largeRed Tuesday(20 January 1898) bushfire that ravaged Gippsland and theOtway Ranges.
The Town today
[edit]Today, the Thorpdale township is becoming smaller and smaller as more farming families opt to live in larger townships such asTrafalgar.[citation needed]The national decline in consumption of potatoes is making even farming difficult in the small town.[citation needed]
The town has anAustralian rules footballteam competing in theMid Gippsland Football League.
Potato farming
[edit]In late 2008, the town was hit by the news that a potato disease (potato cyst nematode) had been found among its crops. The disease is not harmful to humans but can significantly reduce crop yields. Thorpdale farms were quarantined and banned from exporting potatoes interstate and overseas.[5]Interstate trade has since resumed.[6]
Attractions
[edit]The township holds the Thorpdale Potato Festival every second year on the Sunday before VictorianLabour Dayholiday in March, although it was not held from 2002 to 2015, after the insurance cost became too great for the small community to bear.[7]The festival featurespotato sack races,Historic machinery, eating contests, market stalls, and much more. The lush farming surrounds give the town a peaceful rural atmosphere and there are several scenic sights nearby, including the Narracan Falls, Trafalgar South Lookout and Henderson's Gully.
References
[edit]- ^Australian Bureau of Statistics(25 October 2007)."Thorpdale (State Suburb)".2006 Census QuickStats.Retrieved1 October2007.
- ^"Trafalgar".The Sydney Morning Herald.8 February 2004.Retrieved12 November2010.
- ^Phoenix Auctions History."Post Office List".Retrieved7 February2021.
- ^Harrigan, Leo J. (1962).Victorian Railways to '62.Melbourne: Victorian Railways Public Relations and Betterment Board. p. 287.
- ^Mallia, Shaun (23 October 2008)."POTATO PLIGHT".Latrobe Valley Express.Retrieved12 November2010.
- ^"Interstate trading to resume for Thorpdale potatoes".ABC News. 17 December 2008.Retrieved12 November2010.
- ^"Thorpdale Potato Festival".Name of Template.Retrieved22 June2020.
External links
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