OMEO, ANGLERS REST, BENAMBRA, BRUTHEN, BUCHAN, ENSAY, SWIFTS CREEK
Scroll beyond the links below for town information
Many High Country towns originated from the gold rush in Victoria and New South Wales. Some were built around the gold diggings and became the destination for gold seekers, or were supply towns en route to the diggings, while others were originally farming districts. When the gold started to run out, many of these towns, already established and supporting large communities, continued on with farming and other industries started to grow. This is certainly the case for towns like Omeo, Benambra, Swifts Creek and further south to Ensay, Bruthen and Buchan. They all have an interesting history and most have a characterful streetscape, giving us a taste of the pioneering days of the mid 1800’s.
Omeo was one of the earliest High Country towns established in Victoria and was built directly as a result of the gold rush, with the diggings surrounding the town becoming one of the richest in Australia. Omeo has preserved its history and proudly welcomes visitors to uncover its past and follow in the footsteps of the pioneers with detailed historic signage and walking trails throughout the town. Omeo is one of the highlights of a visit to the High Country for many.
Situated on the Great Alpine Road, at just under 700 metres altitude, Omeo is about a 400km drive north east of Melbourne and 120kms north of Bairnsdale. Travellers can access the Great Alpine Road either via the Hume Highway or Princes Highway, with many tourists choosing to do a loop from Melbourne, allowing them to experience all of the Great Alpine Road and other High Country towns along the way.
Gold was first discovered in 1851 along Livingstone Creek and today, we can visit this area. Visitors can either follow a picturesque walking trail from Livingstone Park in Omeo or drive to the Oriental Claims Historic Area about 3kms west of town, along the Great Alpine Road. There are various walks throughout the claims with detailed signage, including picnic areas with fireplaces and toilets.
Part of the 500 acre Oriental Claims Historic Area features 30 metre high man-made cliffs where miners blasted away the hillside with water in search of gold. Walkers can explore the base of the cliffs or they can be viewed from above up at the Pioneer Lookout, which can be walked up to or driven to if desired. Further information can be found here.
A stroll through Omeo will take you to the Justice Precinct (5 Heritage Listed buildings) and Museum (small entry fee applies), to stunning historic buildings and the river swimming pool, picnic areas and playground at Livingstone Park. Omeo also has several accommodation, food and retail options and is a must see High Country destination.
About 9kms along the Great Alpine Road towards Mt Hotham, is the Kosciuszko Lookout. This parking area with picnic tables and informative signage looks out over Omeo and beyond, where on a clear day, Mt Kosciuszko can be seen. Caravans can be parked here overnight and for up to 36 hours. Around 28kms north of Omeo on the Omeo Highway is Anglers Rest, where a historic country pub sits along the banks of the Cobungra River. This area is a trout fishing haven with the Mitta Mitta, Bundara and Cobungra Rivers all nearby. Following the Omeo Highway 80kms north of Anglers Rest is Mitta Mitta.
Benambra has been a farming district since the 1830’s and is just over 30kms north east of Omeo. Scotsman, James MacFarlane, came over from the Monaro Plains in the High Country of New South Wales in 1834. He viewed the suitable farming land from a rocky mountaintop that he named MacFarlanes Lookout and established his cattle station there in 1835, the same year Melbourne was becoming settled. This area was one of the first to be settled by Europeans in Victoria.
Benambra is on the edge of Lake Omeo, a shallow lake that relies on good rainfall to maintain sufficient water levels. The town, like Omeo, is close to the Alpine National Park and is often visited by those heading further into the High Country of the north east corner of Victoria. This small town has a pub with accommodation and a general store that also sells fuel.
The Great Alpine Road between Omeo and Swifts Creek is a beautiful 24km drive through the scenic, rolling hills of this part of the High Country. The town of Swifts Creek is one of the few towns named after a waterway (Swifts Creek) that still retains its original name and is located where the creek flows into the Tambo River. In the 1850’s gold was discovered in this district and soon after, the area was settled by gold seekers before farming and timber became the main industries.
Swifts Creek is a good base for fishing and 4 wheel driving and has a supermarket, country pub, accommodation options, retail and services and a bakery featuring an 1886 built wood fired oven, still in use today. Avenues of deciduous trees line the road at both ends of the town and there’s an easy walk through the town following informative signage along the way.
The Tambo River is a short stroll from the main street of Swifts Creek with powered and unpowered caravan and camping sites found beside the river. Facilities include BBQ and picnic areas, playground, showers, toilets and enquiries can be made by calling East Gippsland Shire Council on 03 5153 9500.
Ensay, about 20km south of Swifts Creek, is a small town that is also beside the Tambo River and on the Great Alpine Road. Land was first taken up for farming in the late 1830’s and a classic old country pub, The Little River Inn, was first granted a liquor license in 1847 and has held it to this day. The current pub was built in 1922 and provides food, accommodation, camping and caravan sites, a small store and post office. The Little River flows nearby to the pub and downstream meets the Tambo River on the south side of the town.
Ensay has a recreation reserve, that is also the local football ground, where powered sites are available. A donation is required to stay overnight and use the facilities, which include hot showers, toilets, playground, bbq and toilets. The scenery along the Great Alpine Road between Omeo, Swifts Creek and Ensay, is stunning, with mostly undulating farmland and impressive stands of poplars showing off their golden leaves in autumn. All of these towns provide good access to fishing streams and off road 4 wheel drive routes further into the High Country.
Further south along this popular touring route is the town of Bruthen, just over 50kms drive south of Ensay and about 25kms north of Bairnsdale along the Great Alpine Road. Bruthen, also on the Tambo River, features a small range of accommodation, retail, services and historic buildings, like the General Store (1860) and the Post Office (1890).
The East Gippsland Rail Trail goes through Bruthen, making this town a good base for exploring the trail, being about 30kms from Bairnsdale at one end of the trail and about 65kms from Orbost at the other end. Around 10 mins drive north west of Bruthen is the Fairy Dell Flora Reserve. This 80 hectare reserve features picnic areas and a walking trail through warm temperate rainforest. It is a day visitor only area and is popular for birdwatchers and nature lovers. More information can be found here.
The popular small town of Buchan is located just over 45kms north east of Bruthen and the iconic Snowy River is only about 10kms east of the town. Buchan was first settled by Europeans in the late 1830’s when, like the towns of Omeo, Benambra, Bruthen, Ensay and Swifts Creek, farmers from the Monaro region of NSW travelled south, looking for farming land. Buchan offers a variety of accommodation and food options, a 9 hole golf course and a scenic valley location. Famous for its limestone caves, where visitors can enjoy tours through these ancient natural formations, Buchan is a must see destination in this part of the High Country. Accommodation in cabins and also campsites are available, with bookings required. Detailed information on the Buchan Caves Reserve can be found here.
The valleys in this region are breathtaking and touring routes like the Great Alpine Road wander through some of the most beautiful scenery in the High Country.
Follow this link to the High Country Back Road Tours Guide and explore this part of the High Country with some touring routes that take you off the main roads.
