A brief history of Moe, Victoria

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The history of Moe – name

Moe originally named Mowie or Little Moi, which are local indigenous words for the swamp. It was damp and flooded regularly in the early days. This adversely affected the new settlers, however, the original settlers accessed the swamp with rafts and found it a good source of food.

The history of Moe’s gold

Gold found in 1852, in Narracan Creek brought hopeful prospectors who established themselves in Narracan. The gold was exhausted quickly and farming became the primary industry.

Moe’s Railway

Around 1879 the railway re-energised the township. Later it became the coal interchange for Yallourn.  The Thorpdale and Walhalla interchanges helped as well.  The railway created jobs for Moe residents.

Historical jobs

The swamp, Moe’s namesake, created jobs in helping reclaim the land, in 1903 the Narracan Shire Council discussed the further public works required to preserve the 10-mile drain and stop it silting. The swampland reclaimed left incredibly fertile land for crops that were grown of high satin quality, and reared cattle that turned over 6 tons of butter a week at the nearby Trafalgar Milk Factory. This made farming and agriculture very well. The Settlers applied for crown grants, however, 6 months later they were all denied.


Commerce in Moe

Yallourn was built by 1924 and this also boosted commerce in Moe, as a lot of people who lived in Yallourn, shopped in Moe. The reason for this was the shops owned by the SEC were expensive and the clothes weren’t displayed aesthetically. In 1944, this was learned after a bush fire royal commission. Of course, when Yallourn came along the power industry also employed a large portion of Moe residents.

Historical buildings

Moe didn’t get ‘gold rush’ money, and as a result, most of the founding buildings were built out of wood, very few have survived the test of time. The Bush Hospital started in the 1800s still stands today as a private dwelling. Edward Hunter the namesake to the Edward Hunter reserve, was president of the Bush Hospital and on many other boards in Moe at the turn of the 20th century.

For more Gippsland History listen to Haunted Hills Podcast.

Listen where ever you are or on location.

 

Moondarah State Park is not far from Moe and has an interesting history as well.


Click the following links for either more Gippsland History or stories about Gippsland

Moe has a diverse history, located in a stunning spot, close to nature, with great amenities as it always has…

 

Other things to do in Moe

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Drive the historic Haunted Hills Road from Newborough (the town on the other side of Narracan Creek)

Why don’t you stay and see all Moe has to offer

Moe is a great base to visit these nearby towns:things-to-do-in-yallourn-north

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Moe is a town in the Latrobe Valley (Latrobe City Council – local government political boundary)

Why not see it all.

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