Traralgon

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Traralgon

Traralgon (including Glengarry)
Important industrial centre in the heart of the Latrobe Valley.
Traralgon, situated in the economically important Latrobe Valley, is located 162 kilometres south-east of Melbourne via the Princes Highway and 38 metres above sea level. It is thought that the town may have been named by Edward Hobson, an early settler, after two Aboriginal words possibly meaning "river of little fish".

The area was settled in the 1840s as an agricultural and pastoral centre but grew during the gold rushes due to its important location on the road from Melbourne to Sale. The town site was surveyed in 1858 with land sales commencing the following year. The arrival of the railways in the late 1870s gave the town a further economic boost. The shire of Traralgon was created in 1879. The town became a borough in 1961 and was declared a city three years later.

Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, a medical scientist specialising in immunology who won the 1960 Nobel Prize, was born in Traralgon in 1899. Novelist Mary Grant Bruce also lived and wrote in the town a number of times during her life, drawing on the area for the settings of some of her novels.

In economic terms, Traralgon now relies principally on a pulp and paper industry and on the Loy Yang Power Complex, 6 km from the town, which first opened in 1984 after the discovery of massive brown coal reserves in the area. The open-cut mine and the two power plants with their 260-metre chimneys constitute the largest power complex in Australia. Loy Yang supplies about 40 per cent of Victoria's electricity.


Things to see:

Tourist Information
Traralgon Visitor Information Centre is located at Southside Central on the Princes Hwy, tel: (03) 5174 3199.

Traralgon Hotel and other Historic Buildings
The two-storey, Victorian-style Traralgon Hotel is a brick structure classified by the National Trust. Erected in 1914 to replace the original 1858 building it is notable for its iron lace balconies, ornate iron balustrades and hipped iron roof. The Post Office and Court House, recently restored, were opened in 1886.

Other Attractions
The attractive Victory Park Gardens feature a giant mountain ash, a time capsule and a quaint band rotunda. South of the town are Hazelwood Dam, a man-made lake where water sports can be enjoyed, and Tarra-Bulga National Park. Wirilda Environmental Park is also nearby.

Narkoojee
To the north of Traralgon is Glengarry. At 1110 Francis Rd is Narkoojee which was established in 1981. It produces chardonnay, cabernets and merlot. The cellar door is open weekends but phone before visiting. There is a picnic and barbecue area and a basket lunch is available by arrangement, tel: (03) 5192 4257.

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Tourist Information

Traralgon Visitor Information Centre
Southside Central Princes Hwy
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 3199


Motels

Angus McMillan Motor Inn
Princes Hwy P.O. Box 337
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 2381
Rating: ***

City Gardens Motel
80 Argyle St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 6066
Rating: ***

Connells Motel
144 Princes Hwy
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 5221
Rating: ****

Governor Gipps Motor Inn
59 Argyle St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 5382
Rating: ***

Latrobe Motel
Princes Hwy P.O. Box 82
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 2338
Rating: ****

Motel Traralgon
Cnr Lodge Dve & Princes Hwy P.O. Box 7
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 2241
Rating: ***

Victorianos Motor Inn
Cnr Princes Hwy & Airfield Rd
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5176 1822
Rating: ***

Sundowner Fernhill Motor Inn
40 Princes Hwy
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 7277, 008 014 136
Facsimile: (03) 5174 0793
Rating: ****

Strzelecki Motor Lodge
54 Argyle St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 6322
Rating: ****


Hotels

Crown Hotel
Franklin St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 2094

Grand Junction Hotel
Cnr Franklin St & Princes Hwy
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 6011
Rating: **

Ryans Hotel
Franklin St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 2058


Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses

Quigleys of Traralgon Bed & Breakfast
11 Hyde Park Rd
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 4088
Rating: ****


Caravan Parks

Tandara Caravan Park
Cnr Princes Hwy & Village Ave
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5133 6206
Rating: ***

The Latrobe Valley Caravan Park
Princes Hwy P.O. Box 283
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 5566
Rating: ***

Village Caravan Park
Airfield Rd
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 2384
Rating: ***


Restaurants

Angus McMillan Motor Inn
Princes Hwy
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 2381

Chapel's Restaurant
Kay St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 5166

Chen's Of Traralgon
Hotham St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 4878

Dragon Corner Restaurant
Church St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 5638

Explorers Restaurant
Argyle St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 6322

Fernhill Motor Inn
40 Princes Hwy
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 7277, 008 014 136
Facsimile: (03) 5174 0793

Governor Gipps Motor Inn
Argyle St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 5382

Grand Junction Hotel
Cnr Franklin St & Princes Hwy
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 6011

Hand Made Heritage Restaurant
Argyle St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 7478

Indian Tree Restaurant
Breed St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5175 0005

Latrobe Motel
Princes Hwy P.O. Box 82
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 2338

Rasa Satay Restaurant
Seymour St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 1288

Sizzle At The Valley
Franklin St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 6011

Strzelecki Motor Lodge
54 Argyle St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 6322

Tara's Restaurant
Princes Hwy
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 7277

The Amigo Mexican Restaurant
Cnr Whittakers Rd & Princes Hwy
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 9521

The China Inn
Franklin St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 3657

The Ritz Restaurant
Hotham St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 0155

Traralgon Pizza Restaurant
Franklin St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 3747

Vagabondo Italian Restaurant
Hotham St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 0902

Victorianos
Princes Hwy
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5176 1822

Wan Loy Restaurant
Church St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 3734


Cafés

Caffe ' G.
Seymour St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5175 0100

PJ's Colonial Cafe
Church St
Traralgon VIC 3844
Telephone: (03) 5174 6122


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