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Swifts Creek
Swifts Creek is a town in the Tambo Valley of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The town is on the Great Alpine Road between Omeo and Ensay, 379 kilometres (235 mi) east of the state capital Melbourne and 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level. The area was originally settled by Europeans in the gold rushes of the mid-1800s. At the 2011 census, Swifts Creek and the surrounding area had a population of 419, with a median age of 47.
The Aboriginal name for the site of Swifts Creek was Bun Jirrah Gingee Munjie, which translates as 'big kangaroos go to that place'. True to this name, mobs of large eastern grey kangaroos still frequent the town, especially at night when they are often seen feeding by the roadside, and on the local football ground and primary school oval.
The town of Swifts Creek is located at the confluence of Swifts Creek and the Tambo River. The creek was reputedly named after an otherwise unknown gold prospector named Swift who worked the creek panning for alluvial gold in the 1850s. The townsite itself was originally known as "Swifts Creek Junction", as it was at the road junction alongside Swifts Creek. Swift's Creek Post Office opened on 1 January 1867 and closed in 1879. Swift's Creek Junction Post Office opened on 1 May 1874 and was renamed Swift's Creek in 1926.
In the 1870s McLarty's Junction Hotel was established, and a small town with stores, service facilities, and a butter factory slowly grew up around the site.
The butter factory was constructed in 1907 and eventually produced 50 tonnes per annum, with the majority being sent for sale in Melbourne. Due to unreliable seasons, the factory eventually closed down in 1946. The building is no longer in existence, however Factory Lane just past the creek at the northern end of town marks its former location.
A flour mill was also planned, but was instead installed in the nearby town of Ensay in 1913. These factories were constructed as a result of local demand for flour, milk, butter and cream. The cost of transporting goods was high as wagons from the nearest large town of Bairnsdale took a week in good weather to travel the distance (now approximately an hour by car). Around this time, Jack (John Arthur) Ezard built the Swifts Creek sawmill, which provided the stable economy the town needed to move on from its gold mining beginnings. His son Ian inherited the mill when Jack retired. In contrast, the surrounding towns of Cassilis and Tongio West collapsed, as the area lost its potential for gold mining.
The primary industries today are timber and farming of sheep and cattle. The Pentarch Group acquired the sawmill in June 2021 and the mill specialises in making wood pallets out of low grade local mountain ash timber. It uses an advanced system designed in France which aims at utilising the entire log, and thus making the process economical.
Besides this, the major employers in town are now the local branch of the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), the Bush Nurses Centre and the government primary and secondary schools. There are also a number of small retail outlets and services, including a hotel, general store, gallery, cafe, bakery and post office. There is also a community centre, and a community hall.
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Swifts Creek
Swifts Creek is a town in the Tambo Valley of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The town is on the Great Alpine Road between Omeo and Ensay, 379 kilometres (235 mi) east of the state capital Melbourne and 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level. The area was originally settled by Europeans in the gold rushes of the mid-1800s. At the 2011 census, Swifts Creek and the surrounding area had a population of 419, with a median age of 47.
The Aboriginal name for the site of Swifts Creek was Bun Jirrah Gingee Munjie, which translates as 'big kangaroos go to that place'. True to this name, mobs of large eastern grey kangaroos still frequent the town, especially at night when they are often seen feeding by the roadside, and on the local football ground and primary school oval.
The town of Swifts Creek is located at the confluence of Swifts Creek and the Tambo River. The creek was reputedly named after an otherwise unknown gold prospector named Swift who worked the creek panning for alluvial gold in the 1850s. The townsite itself was originally known as "Swifts Creek Junction", as it was at the road junction alongside Swifts Creek. Swift's Creek Post Office opened on 1 January 1867 and closed in 1879. Swift's Creek Junction Post Office opened on 1 May 1874 and was renamed Swift's Creek in 1926.
In the 1870s McLarty's Junction Hotel was established, and a small town with stores, service facilities, and a butter factory slowly grew up around the site.
The butter factory was constructed in 1907 and eventually produced 50 tonnes per annum, with the majority being sent for sale in Melbourne. Due to unreliable seasons, the factory eventually closed down in 1946. The building is no longer in existence, however Factory Lane just past the creek at the northern end of town marks its former location.
A flour mill was also planned, but was instead installed in the nearby town of Ensay in 1913. These factories were constructed as a result of local demand for flour, milk, butter and cream. The cost of transporting goods was high as wagons from the nearest large town of Bairnsdale took a week in good weather to travel the distance (now approximately an hour by car). Around this time, Jack (John Arthur) Ezard built the Swifts Creek sawmill, which provided the stable economy the town needed to move on from its gold mining beginnings. His son Ian inherited the mill when Jack retired. In contrast, the surrounding towns of Cassilis and Tongio West collapsed, as the area lost its potential for gold mining.
The primary industries today are timber and farming of sheep and cattle. The Pentarch Group acquired the sawmill in June 2021 and the mill specialises in making wood pallets out of low grade local mountain ash timber. It uses an advanced system designed in France which aims at utilising the entire log, and thus making the process economical.
Besides this, the major employers in town are now the local branch of the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), the Bush Nurses Centre and the government primary and secondary schools. There are also a number of small retail outlets and services, including a hotel, general store, gallery, cafe, bakery and post office. There is also a community centre, and a community hall.
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