Fernbank is a small country town on the Perry River in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia, approximately 310 km east of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. In the , it had a population of 152. With the main highway,

Princes Highway Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...

close by, the small community not only services itself, but travellers along the main highway that stop for a break.

History

The origin of the town's name is somewhat of a mystery. It is commonly believed that the town was named after the plants that grow by the banks of the Perry River, the fern, giving rise to the name, Fern-bank. Fernbank Post Office opened on 1 January 1868 and closed in 1977.

Today

Approximately 2.5 km south-west of Fernbank is the Fernbank Landscape and Flora Reserve, just off of the main highway,

. There are some walking tracks and picnic spots.

Transport

Fernbank used to be serviced by the Bairnsdale railway line, but the

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

closed to passengers in 1981 and then fully closed in 1996.

References

Towns in Victoria (state) Shire of East Gippsland {{Gippsland-geo-stub