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HistoryBeginningsBoolarra is a small town situated in the foothills of the Eastern Strzelecki Ranges. The first settler, W.H. Penaluna, arrived around 1878 taking up land along the Morwell River and erecting the Settlers' Arms Hotel. Land was quickly taken up, when a railway line was built in 1884‑5, connecting Mirboo North, Boolarra and Yinnar to Morwell, on the main Melbourne‑Sale line. The hill country south and east of the Morwell River opened up and a series of small communities, Budgeree, Gunyah, Ruyton Junction, English's Corner among them, began to flourish as goods and services flowed to and from Boolarra, which acted as the commercial and agricultural centre of the district. Initially, the early settlers depended on timber and mixed farming for their livelihood. Blackwood for furniture and palings, cut from the surrounding forests, was freighted to Melbourne.
Butter, salted and packed on the farm, was also sent to the city. In 1905, the Danish firm Heyman set up a butter factory in Boolarra, and dairying became the main industry of the district. This was the time when Boolarra's population rivalled that of Morwell! At its peak, Boolarra supported three general stores, three hotels and four churches along with two butchers, two bakers and three confectionery shops, which satisfied the needs of the community. Horses were harnessed and shod by two blacksmiths and the Butter Factory provided the bulk of employment for the town's youth. At one stage, a black coal and bauxite mine triggered an investment flow into the town. Sadly, in 1937 a large fire raged through Tarwin Street, destroying many of the original shop fronts. After WW II residents banded together to erect a Memorial Park, with the names of the town's fallen soldiers inscribed on its gates. PresentModernisation of farming and improved transport links have brought changes to many small rural towns, with car travel to the larger commercial centres in the Latrobe Valley increasing. Boolarra, no longer a centre, has settled down to become an attractive dormitory town with a friendly rural atmosphere, having a population of around 600. Today a large fish farm exports goldfish to the international market. Farming is still important, as is Timber, which is harvested from plantation forests in the hills. There has been an influx of new residents, retirees and young families from the city. The old railway line, closed in 1974, has become an attractive Rail ‑Trail bush walk from Boolarra to Mirboo North. The Old Boolarra Pub has been restored. There are two general stores in Boolarra today, numerous sporting clubs use the recreational facilities of the Memorial Park, a modern school and kindergarten provide excellent educational facilities, and an historical society has converted the Old Boolarra School into a museum to preserve the local heritage. Courtesy of: The Boolarra and District Historical Society
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