Traralgon, Victoria

Traralgon Victoria
View south over the Traralgon urban area from Tyers lookout
Traralgon Location in City of Latrobe
Coordinates	38°11′45″S 146°32′25″E / 38.19583°S 146.54028°E / -38.19583; 146.54028Coordinates: 38°11′45″S 146°32′25″E / 38.19583°S 146.54028°E / -38.19583; 146.54028
Population	24,590 (2011 census)
• Density	1,028.9/km2 (2,665/sq mi)
Established	1840s
Postcode(s)	3844
Elevation	60 m (197 ft)(45-75m)
Area	23.9 km2 (9.2 sq mi)
Location	161 km (100 mi) from Melbourne
LGA(s)	City of Latrobe
County	Buln Buln
State electorate(s)	Morwell
Federal Division(s)	Gippsland
Localities around Traralgon: Tyers Glengarry Traralgon East Yallourn North Traralgon Traralgon East Morwell Hazelwood North Hazelwood North

Traralgon is a city located in the east of the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The urban population of Traralgon at the 2011 Census was 24,590. It is the largest and fastest growing city in the greater Latrobe Valley urban area, which has a population of more than 75,000 and is administered by the City of Latrobe.

The origin of the name Traralgon is uncertain. It is popularly believed to be derived from words from the Gunai language: tarra meaning "river" and algon meaning "little fish". However, these words are not reflected in modern linguists' knowledge of the Gunai language, where, for example, the word for river is wun wun or wurn wurn.

The Gippsland region was originally inhabited by the indigenous Gunai people for a period in excess of 2,000 years. The area around Traralgon was first settled by Europeans in the 1840s soon after being explored by Count Paweł Strzelecki on his return from the Snowy Mountains where he named Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko. Due to the Latrobe Valley having relatively high rainfall, the land is very fertile, and farming was quickly established. As with much of central and western Gippsland, this was mainly dairy farming.

The township was established in the early 1860s, the first Post Office opening on 1 January 1861.

In 1877 the railway line from Melbourne was completed with a railway station at Traralgon giving the town a major economic boost.

Traralgon was part of the area administered by the Rosedale Roads Board, before the Shire of Traralgon was established in 1879. In the latter part of the 19th century the Shire grew strongly.

It was not until the 1930s however that Traralgon began to move away from a farming based economy. In 1936 Australian Paper Manufacturers established a paper mill at Maryvale, around 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Traralgon.