Mirboo North Victoria |
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The Mirboo Bellevue Hotel, Store and Post Office ca. 1885-1899
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Coordinates | 38°24′S 146°09′E / 38.400°S 146.150°ECoordinates: 38°24′S 146°09′E / 38.400°S 146.150°E | ||||||||||||
Population | 2,688 (2006 census) | ||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 3871 | ||||||||||||
Location | |||||||||||||
LGA(s) | South Gippsland Shire | ||||||||||||
County | Buln Buln | ||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Gippsland South | ||||||||||||
Federal Division(s) | McMillan | ||||||||||||
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Mirboo North is a town in Victoria, Australia, located 155 kilometres (96 mi) east of Melbourne, with a population of 2688. It is in the South Gippsland Shire local government area.
The town is at the start of the Grand Ridge Rail Trail, which travels for 13 km through temperate rainforest and dry sclerophyll forest in the Strzelecki Ranges.
The Mirboo area was settled by timber getters in the late 1870s, attracted particularly by the Mountain Ash. The original railway branch line from Morwell to Mirboo North was completed on 7 January 1886, with the last train being run on 22 June 1974. The railway was constructed through difficult hilly terrain requiring construction of massive embankments and numerous bridges. The convoluted history of the Post Office below demonstrates the attempts to form a viable Mirboo township, culminating in the township of Mirboo North at the railway station becoming predominant.
Mirboo North became the focus of Victorian media on 10 August 2005, when about 15 cm of snow fell. The snow lay around for days.
Mirboo North is where the Grand Ridge Road, a scenic route running from Seaview (near Warragul) to Carrajung (near Traralgon) crosses the middle of the Strzelecki Highway between Leongatha and Morwell.
The town has two schools. Mirboo North Secondary College (~450 students) and Mirboo North Primary School.
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Mid Gippsland Football League and a cricket team competing in the Central Gippsland Cricket Association.