Traralgon is the largest city in the Latrobe Valley, in Gippsland, Victoria, about 163 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, with a population of about 27,000 at the 2021 Census. It stands on Gunaikurnai Country. European settlement in the district dates from the 1840s; there is a longer history of the town on its own page.
The surrounding country is a mix of dairy, grazing and forestry, with the open-cut coal mines and power stations that have shaped the valley sitting north-west and south-east of the city, and the Maryvale paper mill a few kilometres away.
Wide tree-lined streets, parkland and the busiest dining strip in the valley make it the practical base for anyone travelling through eastern Victoria. The Gippsland Performing Arts Centre on Kay Street is the main theatre, and also houses the Latrobe Visitor Information Centre. Pubs and clubs put on live music through the year. See food and wine and things to do.
The town centre is Franklin Street and Seymour Street, with a run of local shops, cafes and restaurants. Its best-known building is the clock-towered Post Office and Court House of 1886 on Franklin Street, on the Victorian Heritage Register; Ryan's Hotel (1914) and Ostler's House are nearby.
Newman Park on Peterkin Street is the picnic ground with play equipment and miniature train rides on the fourth Sunday of the month. The what's on page lists the other regular events and the next dates: tennis in January, the marathon in June, and race meetings at Glenview Park.
Sport is a large part of town life: Australian rules football, soccer, basketball, cricket, and horse and greyhound racing. Fast bowler Peter Siddle was born in Traralgon, as was the Nobel Prize-winning immunologist Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet. Local news is covered by the Latrobe Valley Express.
Planning a visit
- Visitor FAQ and facts — weather by month, getting around, hospital and visitor information
- Day trips from Traralgon — Walhalla, Tarra-Bulga, Mount Baw Baw, Wilsons Promontory and the Gippsland Lakes
- Getting here — by car and V/Line train
- History of Traralgon