Boolarra: Gateway to the Strzeleckis

Nestled in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges, Boolarra takes its name from the Kurnai word meaning "Plenty". An area of lush temperate rain forest, with high eucalypts covering steep slopes, shading giant tree ferns in the numerous gullies. So dense was the forest of the area, that the explorer, Count Strzelecki and his party endured a 28-day trek from their camp near Boolarra to reach Western Port Bay.
In 1884, a school was established at "Twelve Mile Peg", to cater for the children of construction workers on the Morwell to Mirboo railway. The coming of the railway was instrumental in the foundation of the township of Boolarra.
From this humble beginning, a thriving town grew, based on logging the extensive Blackwood forests, which helped establish a thriving dairying industry. Nowadays, forestry and dairying are still important, as is the Boolarra Fish Farm, whose 60 acres of ponds supply goldfish to the Australian wholesale market.