Churchill.

Overview

Surrounded by the stunning mountainous Jeeralangs, Churchill is located 11 kilometres south of Morwell and was originally a service centre for the Hazelwood Power Station and future replacement for Yallourn and Morwell townships.

Churchill was to be named Hazelwood, but was renamed after Sir Winston Churchill's death. The town has one standout landmark, which is a huge replica of Winston Churchill's cigar, also known as the 'big cigar'.

Another iconic attraction located in the Churchill township is the Monash University ‘binishell’. The binishell is a peculiar large dome-like structure utilized for entertainment purposes.

History

Construction on Churchill began in 1965. The town was planned with a well defined commercial centre, expansive parklands, a mix of government and privately owned quarter-acre town blocks and light industrial estates spaced from residential areas by a belt of parkland. The transport system was to be a network of restricted-access highways and a ring road fully encircling the town.
 
Population was planned to reach 6,000 by 1971, and eventually 40,000 by 2000. However slow development of services and a slowdown of the state of Victoria's power station construction program meant that Churchill was to never realise its potential, and population reached a modest level of 5500 by the 1991, before stabilising at around 5,000. Signs of renewed growth are appearing, with a new housing estate development opening in 2005, the first for some years.

Places of interest

Hazelwood Pondag
Switchback Gallery
arc Yinnar
Lake Hyland
Monash University
Winston Churchill Cigar

Accommodation

Places surrounding Churchill include Jumbuk Cottage, Hazelwood Pondage Caravan Park. To book your accommodation in Churchill contact the Latrobe Visitor Information Centre on 1800 621 409 or visit the website www.visitlatrobecity.com

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