Suggan Buggan, Victoria: Travel guide and things to do

Located 431 km north east of Melbourne and 133 km north of Orbost, Suggan Buggan lies on the edge of the Snowy Mountains. This is wild lonely country which can be bitterly cold in winter.

It seems that the town's name came from the Aboriginal expression 'bukkan bukkan' which was a term used to describe bags made from grass.

The first run in the district was taken up by William Woodhouse in 1843 who passed it on to Benjamin Boyd in 1845. The property was transferred to Edward O'Rourke in 1858 who had travelled south from the Monaro plains with his young family. He stayed for 25 years before moving south to Wulgulmerang, which began its life as another O'Rourke station, and then west to the Omeo station at Benambra. O'Rourke used local Murray pines to build the first permanent home in the area. The O'Rourke's ownership ended in 1902 when the property was sold to John Churchill Rogers. Bush walks in the area lead to Mount Stradbroke (1310 metres) and Mount Cobberas (1836 metres).

Things to see

Suggan Buggan Schoolhouse
In 1865 Edward O'Rourke constructed the old school house which still stands today. The smaller of the two rooms was for a tutor named Ballantyne who was hired to teach O'Rourke's thirteen children. A man named Tom Dillon, who worked for the family, is buried in a grave at the top of the hill near the school house. He was a ticket-of-leave man; a convict who was granted freedom of lodging and occupation within a given district until the termination of his sentence.

Snowy River National Park
To the east of the entire Buchan to Suggan Buggan road is the Snowy River National Park. At its southern tip is the picnic area on Moresford Track where a short walking trail leads to an impressive view of Raymond Falls. Further north, on Varney's Track, is Hicks Property which is ideal for car-based camping although it lacks any facilities. A four-wheel drive track leads to Jackson's Crossing on the Snowy River and the lower reaches of Rodger River can also be investigated. South of Wulgulmerang is a road which will take the visitor along a signposted route to within walking distance of a spectacular lookout over Little River Gorge, one of the deepest in the state. 2 km west is a short walking track that leads to the Little River Falls. Further east is the McKillops Bridge area, on the banks of the Snowy River, which is an ideal locale for swimming and relaxing in summertime. Wild horses live in the park and can sometimes be seen.

Tours in the Area
West Tree Trail Rides (03 5155 0237) and Snowy River Mountain Rider Tours (03 5155 9245) offer trail rides in the area, while Snowy River Expeditions (03 5155 9373) are rafting and canoeing specialists, also catering for abseilers and horse riders.