Toolangi
Encyclopedia
Toolangi is a rural township in Victoria
, Australia
. At the 2006 Census, Toolangi and the surrounding area had a population of 871.
The township of Toolangi is situated on the edge of the Toolangi State Forest. This forest is very popular with bushwalkers, trail bike riders, horse riders, 4×4 drivers, birdwatchers, campers, nature lovers and those who just wish to go for a drive within 1½ hours of Melbourne.
Toolangi Post Office opened on 1 August 1900 and closed in 1974.
It was not until the early 1960s that electricity came to Toolangi. Together with the opening of the Melba Highway, this created the impetus for industrial expansion in the area. An early development was the Potato Research Station (1945), which was followed by the Strawberry
Certification Scheme.
Victoria was devastated by the worst bushfires in Australia’s history during the summer of 2009. February 7, the day now known as 'Black Saturday', saw the loss of 173 people and over 2000 homes. About 78 communities were directly impacted by the fires and Toolangi was one of them. Two people lost their lives and 18 homes were burnt. Fire surrounded the town for weeks and the whole area was quarantined for three of them. The township itself and a small segment of forest in the Toolangi State Forest to the east of the town survived. In total about 406,337 hectares of land were burnt and it is estimated the amount of wildlife killed and injured during those fires would be in the millions. The small area of forest that survived near Toolangi also meant the survival of the state's faunal emblem, the threatened Leadbeaterʼs possum, which lost 50% of its habitat to the fires.
Toolangi was the home of one of Australia's most beloved poets, the late C. J. Dennis
, the author of The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke
, Jim of the Hills, The Glugs of Gosh, Rose of Spadgers, The Singing Gardens and Ginger Mick, to name a few. Dennis joined artist Hal Waugh on an expedition to Toolangi in 1908. Dennis stayed on after the expedition, attracted by the ambience of the area. His work captured the feel of the bush and the true Australian characters, both of the bush and the pubs. In 1915, he purchased 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) for 22 pounds. This included a mill house. Over a period of 10 years, with the help of a local handyman, they converted the mill house to a two-storey house named “Arden”. His house has long since burned down, but his gardens remain in the care of Jan and Vic Williams, where they operate their tea rooms, The Singing Gardens, and are open to the public.
Opposite the gardens is the pottery of David Williams, who creates unique crystalline-glazed ceramics, which have been exhibited in the National Gallery of Victoria.
The Toolangi Tavern, situated at the intersection of Myers Creek and Chum Creek Roads (aka Healesville-Kinglake Road), is a common meeting spot for those living in, and travelling through, Toolangi. The tavern was opened in 2006 and serves lunch and dinner.
The former Toolangi Hotel burned to the ground in 1975. While the building was totally destroyed, the locals saved the beer. For weeks afterwards, they would gather under the trees at the old pub site and assist in depleting the stocks. The former licensee decided not to rebuild the pub and the town remained publess for decades.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. At the 2006 Census, Toolangi and the surrounding area had a population of 871.
The township of Toolangi is situated on the edge of the Toolangi State Forest. This forest is very popular with bushwalkers, trail bike riders, horse riders, 4×4 drivers, birdwatchers, campers, nature lovers and those who just wish to go for a drive within 1½ hours of Melbourne.
History
The name Toolangi is an Aboriginal word meaning tall trees. It is believed the area was known as Mt Rose up until the 1890s. Toolangi was first inhabited in the 1860s by paling splitters and then timber cutters, who camped deep in the bush. They were attracted by the huge stands of mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans), a tree that splits easily, and the messmate timber, which proved durable as a building material.Toolangi Post Office opened on 1 August 1900 and closed in 1974.
It was not until the early 1960s that electricity came to Toolangi. Together with the opening of the Melba Highway, this created the impetus for industrial expansion in the area. An early development was the Potato Research Station (1945), which was followed by the Strawberry
Certification Scheme.
Victoria was devastated by the worst bushfires in Australia’s history during the summer of 2009. February 7, the day now known as 'Black Saturday', saw the loss of 173 people and over 2000 homes. About 78 communities were directly impacted by the fires and Toolangi was one of them. Two people lost their lives and 18 homes were burnt. Fire surrounded the town for weeks and the whole area was quarantined for three of them. The township itself and a small segment of forest in the Toolangi State Forest to the east of the town survived. In total about 406,337 hectares of land were burnt and it is estimated the amount of wildlife killed and injured during those fires would be in the millions. The small area of forest that survived near Toolangi also meant the survival of the state's faunal emblem, the threatened Leadbeaterʼs possum, which lost 50% of its habitat to the fires.
Attractions
As you drive through the town of Toolangi, you will see a strangely shaped wooden building surrounded by tall eucalypts and mountain ash. This is the Toolangi Forest Discovery Centre. Open to visitors Monday to Friday, this building is used for forest education, and thousands of primary, secondary and tertiary students visit every year. There are also several local walking tracks, which are detailed in information available at the centre, including the Wirra Willa Rain forest walk through local rainforest, the Yea River Walk opposite the centre, and the Forest Sculpture Trail, which takes in nine works by sculptors of international repute and views both of Melbourne and the district.Toolangi was the home of one of Australia's most beloved poets, the late C. J. Dennis
C. J. Dennis
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet known for his humorous poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke", published in the early 20th century...
, the author of The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke
The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke
The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke is a verse novel by Australian novelist and poet C. J. Dennis. The book sold over 60,000 copies in nine editions within the first year, and is probably one of the highest selling verse novels ever published in Australia....
, Jim of the Hills, The Glugs of Gosh, Rose of Spadgers, The Singing Gardens and Ginger Mick, to name a few. Dennis joined artist Hal Waugh on an expedition to Toolangi in 1908. Dennis stayed on after the expedition, attracted by the ambience of the area. His work captured the feel of the bush and the true Australian characters, both of the bush and the pubs. In 1915, he purchased 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) for 22 pounds. This included a mill house. Over a period of 10 years, with the help of a local handyman, they converted the mill house to a two-storey house named “Arden”. His house has long since burned down, but his gardens remain in the care of Jan and Vic Williams, where they operate their tea rooms, The Singing Gardens, and are open to the public.
Opposite the gardens is the pottery of David Williams, who creates unique crystalline-glazed ceramics, which have been exhibited in the National Gallery of Victoria.
The Toolangi Tavern, situated at the intersection of Myers Creek and Chum Creek Roads (aka Healesville-Kinglake Road), is a common meeting spot for those living in, and travelling through, Toolangi. The tavern was opened in 2006 and serves lunch and dinner.
The former Toolangi Hotel burned to the ground in 1975. While the building was totally destroyed, the locals saved the beer. For weeks afterwards, they would gather under the trees at the old pub site and assist in depleting the stocks. The former licensee decided not to rebuild the pub and the town remained publess for decades.