Tallangatta, Victoria
| Tallangatta Victoria |
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 Tallangatta viewed from the town lookout in January 2004. The Mitta arm of Lake Hume can be seen behind the town |
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 Tallangatta
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| Population: | 950[1] |
| Postcode: | 3700 |
| Location: | |
| LGA: | Shire of Towong |
| State electorate: | Benambra |
| Federal Division: | Indi |
Tallangatta (
/təˈlæŋɡætə/) is a small town in north-eastern Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, Tallangatta had a population of 950.[1]
The town is situated on the banks of the Mitta Arm of Lake Hume, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) south-east of Albury-Wodonga along the Murray Valley Highway.
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[edit] History
Tallangatta was founded in the 1870s, the Post Office opening on 15 May 1871.[2]
On the arrival of the railway it served as a rail gateway for the Mitta and Upper Murray valleys (the Upper Murray only until the railway was extended to Cudgewa). A considerable amount of gold and tin mining occurred in the late 19th and early 20th century, though, unlike Beechworth, little evidence for this remains. While initially profitable, the mining generally ended because the deeper reefs contained not only gold but other metals, and mining technology at the time was not advanced enough to cope with these and extract the gold profitably.
Since that time, Tallangatta has been a service centre for the local farming community, with a butter factory operating throughout much of the 20th century. Improved road transport links finally ended both the dairy and the rail link in the 1970s (with dairy processing operations now concentrated in Tangambalanga, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) to the west).
Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of the town's history is the fact that it was moved 8 kilometres (5 mi) to the west in the 1950s to allow for the expansion of Lake Hume. On 14 April 1955 the Post Office was renamed Tallangatta East and a new Tallangatta office opened at the new town location.[3]
The grid layout of the streets of Old Tallangatta are clearly visible in Google Earth.
[edit] Economy
Beef and dairy cattle farming is the dominant industry, with a small abattoir[4] the only substantial secondary industry. Because of the lake and the substantial number of through travellers (including many motorcyclists who enjoy the twisty roads in the area) the town also supports a small tourist industry, with a motel[5] and caravan park.[6]
Services include a small hospital,[7] and two primary schools and a secondary school.[8] A considerable number of residents now commute to work in Albury-Wodonga, for these people, the beauty and recreation offered by the lake compensates for the half-hour drive to the larger centre.[citation needed]
[edit] Sport
Tallangatta has an Australian rules football team competing in the Tallangatta & District Football League.
Golfers play at the course of the Tallangatta Golf Club on Coorilla Street.[9]
[edit] Tallangatta Tomorrow project
Tallangatta has seen some major changes over the past 60 years that have had significant impacts on the town and community.[citation needed] In recent years the largest impact on the town has been the decline of the water frontage. This has seen the decline of tourism and residential and business settlement. The main street is long for a town of its size and due to the lack of trade has seen the business placement fragmented and buildings in need of refurbishment. There are plans to revive the fortunes of the town with an urban renewal project.[10]
[edit] Notable people
Matt Norman — Actor / Writer / Director and Producer was Born in Tallangatta in 1971
[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tallangatta, Victoria |
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Tallangatta (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL251200&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
- ^ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country=, retrieved 2008-04-11
- ^ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country=, retrieved 2008-04-11
- ^ slaughterhouses listing, australiabigbook.com
- ^ Tallangatta Motor Inn
- ^ Lakelands Caravan Park
- ^ Hospitals in the Albury-Wodonga region, albury-wodonga.com
- ^ Educational contacts, Shire of Towong
- ^ Golf Select, Tallangatta, http://www.golfselect.com.au/armchair/courseView.aspx?course_id=1101, retrieved 2009-05-11
- ^ "Tallangatta Tomorrow". http://www.tallangattatomorrow.com.au.
[edit] External links
- [1] Photos of old Tallangatta at Culture Victoria
Coordinates: 36°12′S 147°15′E / 36.2°S 147.25°E
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