Moe

Overview

Located at the western end of the Latrobe Valley, Moe is home to the Gippsland Heritage Park, Moe Racing Club and the Moe Jazz Festival.
 
Its location near one of the world’s largest brown coal deposits made Moe the commercial centre for the power industry, creating large population growth in the 20th century.
 
Gippsland Heritage Park is a step back into history of Gippsland’s Pioneer days - with more than 30 authentic old buildings and décor, horsedrawn carriages, agricultural machinery, and a general store - the park allows visitors to experience the civic, commercial and rural life from before the turn of the 20th Century.

History

The area was settled in the 1850s and the township of Moe was originally located 3 kilometres to the north of its present site. It was moved to its current site when the railway arrived in the late 1870s. In the 1850s it became a base for rural selectors moving south into the hill country and for miners headed for the Walhalla goldfields to the north. A small gold discovery was made in the immediate area in 1852.

The area was originally known as 'The Moe' or the 'Mowie' swamp. Indeed the town's name derives from an Aboriginal word which supposedly relates to the marshy nature of the territory.

The modern history of the area was shaped by the determination, after the First World War, of the State Electricity Commission (SEC) to utilise the large brown coal deposits in the area. A mine had operated at Yallourn North between 1887 and 1899 and was reopened in 1916. The SEC began building a power station in 1922 to economise on transportation costs. When it opened in 1924 it became the primary source of energy in the state.

Places of interest

Old Gippstown
Edward Hunter Bush Reserve, Botanical Gardens,
Old Brown Coal Mine Museum
Lake Narracan

Accommodation

There are a number of accommodation properties in Moe. You can choose from a cosy cottage bed & breakfast in a bush setting, park your caravan with a view over a lake or relax in a motel in the centre of town. To book your accommodation in Moe contact the Latrobe Visitor Information Centre on 1800 621 409 or visit the website www.visitlatrobecity.com

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