Korumburra’s Beginnings
Korumburra owes its origins and initial prosperity to coal mining. More than 2 thousand men mined 2 million tonnes of coal from the Korumburra coalfields from 1893 to 1962. The mine at Coal Creek operated from the 1880s to the 1958.
The town was originally named Coal Creek, for obvious reasons.
Korumburra grew with waves of migration of European migrants.
Antonio Radovick “Father of Korumburra” was a Croatian pioneer who contributed to the start and growth of Korumburra in the 1890s and 1900s. He built the first hotel in the town called the Korumburra Hotel (now known locally as “the Middle”) in 1890. The Korumburra Middle Hotel is on the corner of Radovick Street and Commercial Road.
Many of the original miners cottages remain and have been restored, providing homes for families. As well, many of the original shopfronts still feature on the main thoroughfare, Commercial Street, giving the town a historical feel.
According to “Bunce’s Language of the Aborigines of the Colony of Victoria (1859)”, Korumburra is an Aboriginal word meaning either “Blowfly” or “maggot”.
In 2007 a “history tour map” was created highlighting historical buildings and architecture around town.
Wall Murals around town pay respect to shops and Key influences on the development of Korumburra as a thriving community.
