Tarraville is a town in

Gippsland Gippsland is a rural region that makes up the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains to the rainward (southern) side of the Victorian Alps (the southernmost section of the Great Dividing Range). It covers ...

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, located near the mouth of the Tarra River and southeast 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 ...

History

Tarraville was established as a village in 1841, when the land was selected as part of the Reeve's Special Survey. Its name comes from the Tarra River, which is named after Charlie Tarra, an Aboriginal who travelled with

Paweł Strzelecki Sir Paweł Edmund Strzelecki (;By Australian English speakers: pɔːl strʌzlɛki (paul struhzLECKi). 20 July 17976 October 1873), also known as Paul Edmund de Strzelecki and Sir Paul Strzelecki, was a Polish explorer, geologist, humanitarian ...

when he explored Gippsland. The wreckage of the PS ''Clonmel'' was an influence on the founding of Tarraville. Because Tarraville was founded on a path to

Port Albert Port Albert is a coastal town in Victoria, Australia, on the coast of Corner Inlet on the Yarram - Port Albert Road, south-east of Morwell, south-east of Melbourne, in the Shire of Wellington. At the , Port Albert had a population of 293. L ...

, it grew quickly, containing about 50 buildings at the end of 1844. In 1851, it became a government township, after having been a private township since 1843. In the 1850s, when people travelled from Port Albert to fields in

Omeo Omeo ( ) is a town in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia on the Great Alpine Road, east of Mount Hotham, in the Shire of East Gippsland. At the 2016 Australian census, 2016 census, Omeo had a population of 406. The name is derived from a ...

when gold had been discovered there, Tarraville was used as a stopping point. At this time, it was the largest town in Gippsland, containing many buildings, including multiple businesses and seven hotels. In 1850, a private school opened in the town, but closed in 1852. In 1856, a public school opened, and in 1859, a mechanics' institute hall was built. A tollgate was built at the entrance to Tarraville in 1860. Tarraville's population and activity decreased in the late 1870s, after a railway was built going from Melbourne to Sale. Few buildings were left in Tarraville by the early 1900s. In 1903, most of the edges of the town were sea and the only public buildings left were a hotel, a school, three churches, a library, and a mechanics' institute. The school closed in 1988. Currently, Tarraville's Anglican Church is the only remaining public building aside from the closed school. The town in the present era has been described by ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'' as a "sleepy town" and "little of importance". According to a book by the

United States Government Publishing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO; formerly the United States Government Printing Office) is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States Federal government. The office produces and distributes information ...

in 1920, one could travel from the town to Port Albert using a

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

and to Melbourne using a railway.

Population

The census of 1851 revealed the population of the town to be 219. It increased to 227 in 1871, but decreased to 150 in 1911. The population dropped further to 105 in 1947 and grew slightly to 125 in 1961. In the 2016 census, the total population was 80, and 53.2% of people were male and 46.8% female. There were about 20 families, an average of 0.4 children per family, and a median age of 51. Households were 66, with an average of 1.8 people per household.

Church

Tarraville contains an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

church, built by J. H. W. Pettit and George Hastings in 1856. Constructed of wood, the church has been painted blue and cream. It has attracted attention from visitors, due to being the second oldest timber building in Victoria and the oldest church in Gippsland. As of 2011, the church only provides limited services, but traditionally holds the Good Friday service for the region.

References

{{authority control Populated places established in 1841 1841 establishments in Australia Towns in Victoria (Australia) Shire of Wellington