Alberton ( Gunai: ''Lurt-bit'') is a town in Victoria,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. It is located along the South Gippsland Highway, 7 kilometres south of Yarram and 216 kilometres east of

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. Albert River passes through the town. At the , Alberton had a population of 297. The township was surveyed in 1842 and named after

Prince Albert Prince Albert most commonly refers to: *Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria *Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco Prince Albert may also refer to: Royalty * Alb ...

, the husband of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. Initially the township consisted of two settlements, one named Alberton and the other named Victoria, which were separated by Victoria Street (renamed Brewery Road in 1847). Alberton Post Office opened on 10 January 1856. An earlier Alberton office opened in 1842 was renamed Port Albert some days earlier. The town's population grew steadily. Stores, hotels, and churches were built, as well as the Police Magistrate and Court of Petty Sessions. By the 1880s the town's growth stagnated. The announcement of a new railway line increased growth, with new houses and factories being built. Shire Offices were planned for the town, but in 1897 the location was changed to nearby Yarram. This led to many businesses moving to Yarram, and by 1921 the railway had been extended there. Today, Alberton is a small cattle grazing community. There is also a primary school which was built in 1858 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008. The Victoria Hotel, built in 1890, still stands.

References

External links

Local History of Alberton
{{authority control Towns in Victoria (state) Shire of Wellington