Tatong
Tatong is a town in north eastern Victoria, Australia. The town is on the northern foothills of the Blue Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range, beside Holland Creek, 226 kilometres (140 mi) north east of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2011 census, Tatong had a population of 350 declining to 287 in 2016.[1]
The area is a mixture of farmland, pine plantations and dense bush
History
The Post Office opened on 10 October 1890 and closed in 1993.[2]
In 1914, a railway from Benalla to Tatong was opened. Timber from the surrounding hills was harvested to supply the early Melbourne power station, but coal from the Latrobe Valley became the favoured fuel source. In February 1928, staff were withdrawn from Tatong railway station.[3] Persistent operating losses on the operation of the line led its closure in July 1947.[4]
Tatong is the birthplace of Michael Joseph Savage, the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand,[5] and Graeme Peck, male lead for the Australian Ballet Company.[citation needed]
Facilities
It has a pub, the Tatong Tavern, a memorial hall and sports ground.
It has an active community with archery, cricket, tennis and table tennis clubs. Tatong used to have netball and Australian rules football teams competing in the Ovens and King Football League prior to being thrown out. Other groups include the Tatong Angling Group, Tatong Heritage Group [1] and the Tatong Young Bloods.
People from Tatong
- Michael Joseph Savage, former Prime Minister of New Zealand
References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Tatong (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, retrieved 11 April 2008
- ^ "Benalla". The Argus. 25 January 1928. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
- ^ "Benalla-Tatong Railway Line to be Closed". The Argus. 22 November 1946. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
- ^ Gustafson, Barry. "Savage, Michael Joseph - Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
External links
Media related to Tatong, Victoria at Wikimedia Commons