The Big Milkshake container outside Golden Cow Dairy Education and Tourism Centre

Kyabram (including Tongala)
Substantial rural centre surrounded by rich agricultural land.
Kyabram is oddly situated between, but not quite near, the Goulburn, Campaspe and Murray Rivers, and on no major artery (the Murray Valley Highway is 14 km to the north). Nonetheless it is a substantial and growing rural town of some 5500 people which has proven attractive to large numbers of retirees. Brought to life as one of the state's irrigation projects, the district is a major producer of fruit, agriculture and dairy products. Local industries include a jam, conserve and topping factory, clothing manufacture and container production. It is 200 km north of Melbourne and 105 metres above sea-level.

Prior to European settlement the area was occupied by the Yota-Yota people. It is from their language that the word 'Kyabram' is derived, meaning 'thick forest'.

The first squatter took up land here in 1840. The area was opened up to selection in the 1870s, enabling the development of wheat farming and dairying. Fruit orchards arrived with the first irrigation water in the 1890s.

In 1902 local businessmen initiated an ultimately successful statewide movement to dismiss the newly-elected Peacock government for breach of election promise.

Further subdivision and utilisation of the Goulburn River's water supply proceeded early in the 20th century. Returning soldiers from World War I intensified the fruit-growing and locals set up a Fruit Preserving Co-Operative in 1922, establishing one of the largest canneries in the Southern Hemisphere. A factory to supply the tin containers for the canned fruit was established in the 1950s but overseas competition, oversupply, high production costs, the loss of the UK market to the newly-formed EEC in 1973, and declining domestic consumption of tinned fruit saw the Co-op go private and then close in 1983. Since that time growers have re-oriented themselves to fresh-fruit and export markets. In 1989 a factory has reopened, converting some of the produce into jams, conserves and toppings.

Kyabram became a borough in 1954 and a town in 1973.

The Agricultural Show is held on the third Saturday in October, a rodeo on the Labor Day holiday in March and the Antique Aeroplane Fly-in at the Kyabram airstrip during Easter.

Things to see:  

Fountain and Kyabram hotel in the main street

Kyabram Fauna Park
The fauna park, on Lake Rd, at the southern end of town, is a community-owned operation that was opened in 1976 as a non-profit venture. It features five ponds with waterfowl which can be viewed from a two-storey observation tower, a 57-metre walk-through aviary, a solar-heated reptile house for snakes and freshwater crocodiles and 55 ha of open-range bushland which contains some 400 free-roaming animal species, including Cape Barren geese, ibises, the tiny parma wallaby (thought to be extinct until 1967), the rare alpine dingo, Tasmanian devils, wombats, koalas, echidnae, kangaroos and emus.

On the grounds is Hazelman's Cottage (1867), which was originally built 5 km away for Theodore Hazelman, a Frenchman who travelled to the USA as a cabin boy, fought in the American Civil War at the age of 14, and then moved to Australia where he became a boundary rider, married, had 13 children and became a wheat and dairy farmer.

The complex has a restaurant, barbecue-picnic facilities and a childrens' playground. It is open daily from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., tel: (03) 5852 2883.

Adjacent the premises are The Stables: some renovated horse stalls which have been converted into small shops selling pottery and crafts. There is also a pottery workshop with kiln. They are open daily from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., tel: (03) 5852 3322.

Mr Ilzyn's Cottages
Mr Ilzyn's Cottages in Breen Ave features miniaturized versions of mansions, hotels, and farmhouses from around the world which have been carefully landscaped into Mr Ilzyn's garden. It is open daily, tel: (03) 5852 3240.

Edis Park Arboretum
Edis Park Arboretum, off Oswald St, offers a stroll or picnic under 200-year-old gums and through some native bushland.

Willowmere
Willowmere is a gracious Edwardian home which has been converted into a restaurant. It is located at the eastern edge of town on Lancaster Rd, tel: (03) 5853 1833.

Killamont
Killamont Homestead (1880s) is delightfully set amidst 5 acres of olde-world gardens. It is located on Finlay Rd at Wyuna East (head north of Kyabram for about 7 km then turn left onto Finlay Rd) and is open to tour groups of 15 or more, tel: (03) 5859 4248.

Tongala
Tongala, 16 km north-west, and 6 km south of the Murray Valley Highway, has a population of around 1500 and a similar history and economic focus to Kyabram.

The Golden Cow Dairy Education and Tourism Centre, on Henderson Rd, is a working dairy with regular milking sessions, young calves to view, historic dairy machinery, displays on dairying, irrigation, landcare and salinity, a milk bar/cafe and souvenirs, tel: (03) 5859 1100.

The town is flooded with tents every year during the Tent Town Festival in March when arts-and-crafts people from around the state meet to air their wares and skills and general entertainment is the order of the day.

	Motels
	Country Roads Motor Inn 363 Allan St Kyabram VIC 3620 Telephone: (03) 5852 3577 Facsimile: (03) 5852 3564 Rating: ***
	Kyabram Motor Inn 364 Allan St Kyabram VIC 3620 Telephone: (03) 5852 2111 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Commercial Hotel/Motel 217 Allan St Kyabram VIC 3620 Telephone: (03) 5852 1005 Rating: *
	Caravan Parks
	Kyabram Caravan & Tourist Park 14 Anderson St Kyabram VIC 3620 Telephone: (03) 5852 2153 Rating: **
	Tongala Caravan Park 23 Finlay Rd Tongala 3621 Kyabram VIC 3620 Telephone: (03) 5859 0725
	Western Gums Caravan Park McEwan Rd P.O. Box 320 Kyabram VIC 3620 Telephone: (03) 5852 3310 Rating: ***1/2
	Restaurants
	Commercial Hotel/Motel 217 Allan St Kyabram VIC 3620 Telephone: (03) 5852 1005
	Willowmere Restaurant Lancaster St Kyabram VIC 3620 Telephone: (03) 5853 1833