Euroa Post Office

Euroa
A town made famous by its associations with Ned Kelly
Euroa is a country town of some 2700 people located adjacent Seven Creeks 147 km north-east of Melbourne via the Hume Freeway, between Seymour and Benalla. It is situated at an elevation of 175 m at the foot of the Strathbogie Ranges with Balmattum Hill adjoining the town boundary. The district has long been noted for its fine-wool production, although its name is probably more familiar in relation to Australia's most famous bushranger Ned Kelly.

The area is thought to have been occupied by the Ngurelban Aborigines prior to European settlement and there is an important Aboriginal art site in the Gardens Range, 10 km south-east of town. It is presumably from their language that the town's name derives. 'Yera-o' is said to mean 'joyful'.

The first white men in the district were explorers Hume and Hovell in 1824. Overlanders drove their stock through an area to the north of the present townsite in 1837 or 1838 while following the track cut by explorer Thomas Mitchell in 1837. Squatters began taking up runs in the district in 1838. One of the first was Seven Creeks, established by Janet Templeton in 1838. The adjacent 'Urowa' station was taken up in 1840.

It was at Seven Creeks that the first fine-wool Saxon merino sheep in Victoria were introduced in 1851 by Eliza Forlonge who had selected the sheep in Saxony.

Euroa was surveyed in 1849 and planned as a roadside squatting centre in 1850-51 on the road from Melbourne to Wodonga. Drovers camped at the spot due to the presence of a permanent water supply.

By 1852 the townsite consisted of Euroa homestead in Kirkland St and two huts occupied by a bootmaker and a married couple who worked on Euroa station. However, the town grew more rapidly than expected due to the road traffic generated by the goldrushes. A store and butcher's shop were the first commercial buildings. A hotel opened in 1853 and a post office in 1854. The first school was established in a small bark hut in 1854.

At this time the residences were all of slab or bark construction clotted with clay and roofed with stringybark. In 1856 wheat farming began on small blocks and Euroa became a regular coach stop on the Melbourne to Beechworth run. Timber and honey were also exploited commercially in the town's early days. The first substantial church (Catholic) was built in 1867.

St Johns Catholic Church, Euroa

Floods devastated Euroa in 1870 but ongoing expansion saw an extension of the town boundaries in 1872; the year prior to the railway's arrival. A road was cut through to link up with the Shepparton Rd in 1874 and, in conjunction with the railway, this made Euroa a viable trading centre for the exchange of goods between Melbourne and the district's farmers and shopkeepers which proved an impetus to local farming.

Arguably, Australia's best-known figure is bushranger Ned Kelly who has strong associations with the town and with this part of Victoria. After two prison sentences and a series of brushes with the law (see entry on Glenrowan), the 22-year-old Ned and his younger brother Dan went into hiding in the Wombat Ranges to the south-east of Euroa in 1878 where Ned killed three constables during a confrontation (see entry on Mansfield).

In December, Steve Hart was sent into Euroa to ascertain the whereabouts of key buildings. On December 9, the gang took over the Faithful Creek sheep station, 7.5 km from Euroa, using it as a base while they prepared for their first bank robbery. 22 people were locked in a storeroom which Byrne was left to guard. After cutting the telegraph lines, the Kelly brothers and Steve Hart proceeded to Euroa where, just on closing time, they stuck up the National Bank which was located at the corner of Binney and Railway Sts (until it was, unfortunately, demolished in 1975).

They stole 2000 pounds in cash and gold and then took the bank manager, his mother, wife and seven children, two servants and two tellers to Faithful Creek station where they held them until late in the evening. They were gentlemanly and polite with their 'guests' and entertained them with trick riding. Ned spoke at length by way of explaining his actions and grievances and he handed over a lengthy document which did the same. It was to be mailed to politician Donald Cameron whom they hoped would put their case before parliament (which he did not).

At eight o'clock in the evening Ned declared that nobody was to leave for three hours after the gang's departure, on pain of death, then they rode off into the Strathbogie mountains.

When one of the captives returned to Euroa he was thought to be joking until the bank was checked and it was found that the doors and safe were open and nobody there. The next morning a number of police and black trackers arrived from Benalla by train. They were followed by a contingent of militia who patrolled the streets for 2 months for fear of a return though they were drunken and troublesome. Detective Ward appeared periodically unconvincingly disguised in various garbs and guises.

As a result of the Euroa robbery the reward was doubled and the gang's run was eventually terminated at Glenrowan in June 1880 (see also entry on Jerilderie).

Ned Kelly has become inextricably associated with aspects of Australia's national mythology and is a potent symbol of Australian larrikinism and a widely felt disrespect for authority and scepticism about the function of the law. Clive Turnbull has observed: 'Ned Kelly is the best known Australian, our only folk hero...Popular instinct has found in Kelly a type of manliness much to be esteemed - to reiterate: courage, resolution, independence, sympathy with the under-dog '; hence the saying 'as game as Ned Kelly'.

His story has been converted into numerous tales and folk songs and was committed to film as early as 1906. Noted Australian painter Sidney Nolan also executed a distinguished series of works focusing on Kelly in the 1940s and 1950s.

The Euroa Wool Week Festival is held in late October in conjunction with the Agricultural Show. Events include the Golden Shears International Shearing Championships.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
For tourist information ring the Nagambie Visitors' Centre on (03) 5794 2647. It is open every day.

Seven Creeks Park
Seven Creeks Park is located on either side of the waterway that bisects the town and flows under Tarcombe St in the town centre. It is a pleasant picnic area with barbecue facilities.

Farmers Arms Museum
On the edge of the park, adjacent Kirkland Ave, is the Farmers Arms Museum which is located in the old Farmers Arms Hotel (1876). It has a strong and well-organised collection of local memorabilia, farm machinery and old buggies. Adjacent is a small timber building that was originally the National Bank building at Longwood. The museum is open from Friday to Monday and on holidays from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.

Miniature Steam Train
Miniature steam train rides are held in Turnbull St on the fourth Sunday of the month.

Forlonge Memorial
The Forlonge Memorial was established in 1933 as a tribute to Eliza Forlonge who introduced the first fine-wool Saxon merino sheep into Victoria. She hand-picked the sheep in Saxony then had them shipped to Australia and overlanded to Seven Creeks station near Euroa in 1851.

The memorial is located on her grave at the foot of the Gardens Range. Head out of town on the Euroa-Strathbogie Rd and turn right after 9 km onto the Forlonge Memorial Road. It is to the left about 6 km along this road.

Mt Wombat Lookout
Mt Wombat Lookout offers excellent views of the area from the plateau atop Mt Wombat (799 m). It is located 20 km south-east, off the Euroa-Strathbogie Rd. The turnoff is signposted but 2WDs will only find the last section accessible in dry weather.

Polly McQuinns Weir
This reservoir is well signposted to the south of Strathbogie. Water cascades over rocks at this lovely spot which is ideal for a country picnic.

Gooram Falls
Gooram Falls are located adjacent the Merton Rd 15 km south of Euroa (signposted).

Balloon Flights Victoria
Balloon Flights Victoria are based 10 km south-west of town, tel: (03) 5798 5417.

Skydive Euroa
Skydive Euroa are located on Drysdale Rd. They are open weekends, tel: (03) 9432 2419.

Longwood
Longwood, 14 km south-west (3 km north of the freeway) was established a few years prior to Euroa. It has a number of historic buildings, especially the White Hart Hotel.

	Motels
	Castle Creek Motel 53 Clifton St Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 2506 Rating: ***
	Euroa Motel Hume Hwy Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 2211 Rating: ***
	Jolly Swagman Motor Inn Cnr Hart & Clifton Sts Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 3388 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Euroa Hotel 67 Railway St Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 2005
	North Eastern Hotel 2 Deboos St Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 2015
	Seven Creeks Hotel Tarcombe St Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 3034
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Salem Farm Cottage Galls Gap Rd P.O. Box 279 Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5790 5307 Rating: ***
	Caravan Parks
	Euroa Caravan Park Kirkland Ave Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 2160 Rating: ***
	Restaurants
	Fettuccine Restaurant Hume Hwy Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 3696
	Flam Shan Chinese Restaurant Binney St Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 3292
	Hayguns Restaurant Old Hume Hwy Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 2187
	Jumping Jumbuck Restaurant Tarcombe Rd Euroa VIC 3666 Telephone: (03) 5795 1181