• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Explore Korumburra by KCDA

Korumburra Community Development & Action Inc

MENUMENU
  • the Burra Flyer
    • Past Editions
    • Be in the Next Edition
    • Advertisers
  • What's On
        • All Events & Gatherings
        • Landcare
        • Past Events
        • Promote Your Community Event
        • Community Group & Community Organisation meetings
  • Explore
        • Explore Korumburra
        • Korumburra’s Origins
        • Korumburra Railway & Great Southern Rail Trail
        • Korumburra Skip Track
        • Coal Creek Park
        • Korumburra Murals
        • the Korumburra Show
        • Working Horse and Tractor Rally
        • About Arawata
        • About Jumbunna
        • About Ruby
  • Local Directory
  • News
  • About
    • About the KCDA
    • Contact the KCDA
    • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / About Korumburra / Korumburra’s Beginnings

Korumburra’s Beginnings

In the mid 1800’s the region was designated as Wild Cattle pastoral run. In 1878 everything changed when black coal was discovered.

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 Post Office, historical
The old Post Office, now a private residence
Korumburra Butter Factory - historic
Korumburra Butter factory credit: John Young Collection
Historic Korumburra Railway Yards & Station
Korumburra railway yards & station credit: John Young Collection
Historic Korumburra Hospital
Korumburra Hospital credit: John Young Collection
Korumburra Commercial St, historic
Commercial St, looking west credit: John Young Collection
Korumburra Hotel, now "the Middle" - historic
Commercial St, looking east credit: John Young Collection
Korumburra School, historic circa 1950
Korumburra School circa 1950, now the Korumburra Primary School
Main St Korumburra 1895
Main St Korumburra 1895 – image credit: State Library of Victoria

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.

Historical Changes to Korumburra

War Memorial

Bridge Rd, top pub C 1930
Bridge Rd, top pub C 1930 image credit Graham Peters

In this image you can see the top pub in the background to the right. Just left is a memorial.

The memorial is the Korumburra World War 1 Soldiers’ Memorial, designed by RV Courtney and constructed by GB Edwards in 1922 in Bridge Street. It was later moved to Coleman Park in Queen Street, Korumburra.

The building in the background to the left is no longer standing.

The Victorian Hotel (aka the bottom pub)

  • Korumburra Historic image, the Victoria hotel
    The Victoria Hotel (aka “the bottom pub”), in 1985, Building longer standing
  • Korumburra Commercial St 1979
    Korumburra Commercial St 1979, Victoria Hotel in background (no longer standing)
  • The Victoria Hotel, became "the bottom pub" and torn down in the 80's
    The Victoria Hotel (no longer standing)

The Victoria Hotel

There are conflicting stories about how this beautiful old building met its end. Some say it was demolished by Vic Roads so the highway coming in to town could be straightened, around 1987. Others say it was already derelict and damaged by fire, so it had to be torn down.

Today the site is occupied by a BP station. If you visit, you can see a photo of this old pub hanging inside.

Wall Murals around town pay respect to shops and Key influences on the development of Korumburra as a thriving community.

korumburra mural
Korumburra Hotel Burning
Mural at Italian Club, Korumburra
Story of Italian immigrants to the Korumburra area. On the wall of the Italian Social Club, Korumburra. Image credit: Michael Coghlan https://www.flickr.com/people/89165847@N00
Horses & Wagon Mural, Korumburra
Horses & Wagon mural, remembering the blacksmith & buggy shop at the location. Image credit: Michael Coghlan https://www.flickr.com/people/89165847@N00
Mural 1
mural korumburra
SGRT

Great Southern Rail Trail Documentary

Following is a brief documentary of the rail trail and how it was developed starting in the late 1800’s. While most of the line no […]
Read More Great Southern Rail Trail Documentary
Historic Korumburra Railway Yards & Station

HOW THE MONEY GOES

CONSTRUCTION OF THE GREAT SOUTHERN LINE. OVER £1,000,000 TO BUILD 118 MILES OF RAILWAY. One of the important duties laid upon the Parliamentary Standing Committee […]
Read More HOW THE MONEY GOES
korumburra mystery house

Korumburra Mystery House

aka the haunted house & Emma Young’s Corner Store Since our article was initially published, The Korumburra Historical Society published a more extensive article about […]
Read More Korumburra Mystery House
January 1, 2019



Black Coal discovered at Coal Creek

January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019

Korumburra proclaimed a town

January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019

Antonio Radovick builds the first hotel – the Korumburra Hotel (now known as “the Middle”)

January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019

Austral Hotel built (now known as “the Top Pub”)

January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019

Subway under the railroad tracks built

Baptist Church built – the only remaining original church

The South Gippsland Cordial Co (aka “the Lyre Bird” cordial factory opened. Renamed to “Joes” cordial in 1948

January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019

Korumburra Butter Factory opened

in 1909, the facilities were expanded to become the largest Butter Factory in the Southern Hemisphere

January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019

the State Savings Bank built (now home of an accounting firm)

January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019

Korumburra Railway station built

in 1982 the station was included on the Victorian Heritage Register

January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019

the Butter Factory reopened as Burra Foods

January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019

Last public train from Korumburra station.

The tourist railway from Korumburra to Legongatha ran from 1993 to 2015.

January 1, 2019

Korumburra Historical Info Links from the web
  • Historic Digitised newspapers
  • Korumburra Historical Society
  • Korumburra Shire history
  • Korumburra town history
  • Other historical image collections
  • Spotlight on Korumburra

Footer

Quick  Access

  • Contact the KCDA
  •  
  • Promote Your Community Event
  • Events Terms & Conditions
  • Request Event Update or Removal
  •  
  • Add Your Organisation / Business
  • Directory Terms & Conditions
  • Request Update to a listing
  •  
  • Policies

Not  for  Profits

  • Be in Next Edition of the Burra Flyer
  • Free Webpage, Listing and more
  • Add Your Volunteer Opportunity
  • Reserve Meeting Room / PA System

 

Something to add?

If you have info or images to add to make this site even better, let us know!

Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 · Korumburra Community Development and Action Inc (KCDA) · All rights reservedsite by more customers more sales 

KCDA acknowledges the Bunurong People, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, and recognises their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.