31/08/2026
📍 MYRTLEFORD, VICTORIA 🇦🇺 | GATEWAY TO THE ALPS
Today we’re exploring Myrtleford, a beautiful little town in Victoria’s Ovens Valley, surrounded by farmland, vineyards, pine-covered hills and the mountains of the Victorian High Country.
👥 Population: Myrtleford had 3,285 residents at the 2021 Census within the official suburb/locality boundary. Interestingly, almost 20% of residents reported Italian ancestry, nearly five times the Victorian average — a legacy that has had a huge influence on the town’s food, farming and culture.
⛏️ FROM GOLD TO FARMING
Myrtleford’s European settlement really began during the Victorian gold rush. Gold was discovered in the district in 1853, and by 1856 a settlement had developed around the workings. Myrtleford was officially gazetted in 1859.
One of the most important discoveries was the rich quartz reef at Reform Hill, discovered in 1854. Mining became a major part of the young town, with the Reform Mine eventually producing more than 21,000 ounces of recorded gold.
🚂 The railway reached Myrtleford from Everton in 1883, giving local farmers and businesses much better access to outside markets.
🚬 THE TO***CO YEARS
After mining declined, agriculture became increasingly important. To***co was first cultivated around Myrtleford in the 1870s, but the industry really took off during the 20th century.
Following World War II, large numbers of Italian migrants settled in the region and became heavily involved in to***co farming. Italian, Spanish and Yugoslav migrants all contributed to the industry, which became a huge part of Myrtleford’s economy and identity.
The industry eventually came to an end in 2006, when Australia’s remaining licensed to***co growers accepted a Federal Government buyout.
Today the fertile Ovens Valley supports vineyards, hops, nuts, fruit and other crops, while forestry and tourism also remain important.
🚶 THINGS TO SEE & DO
🌄 Walk up Reform Hill Lookout and explore remnants of Myrtleford’s gold-mining past while taking in views across the Ovens Valley, Mount Buffalo and the Victorian Alps.
🌳 Check out The Big Tree — believed to be around 500 years old and one of the oldest trees in the district.
🔥 See the historic to***co kiln and other reminders of the industry that shaped the town for generations.
🎨 Follow the Myrtleford Mosaic Trail and hunt down the mosaics scattered around town.
🌳 Stop by The Phoenix Tree, another of Myrtleford’s unusual local landmarks.
🚴 Jump on the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, which follows sections of the former railway corridor and has helped turn this part of North East Victoria into one of the state’s best-known cycling regions.
🍷 Explore the surrounding Alpine Valleys wine region, where the climate and soils produce a wide variety of wines.
💡 FUN FACTS
👉 Myrtleford began as a collection of huts and stores serving miners along Happy Valley Creek in late 1853.
👉 The town’s old Reform Hill quartz-crushing battery was capable of crushing around 19 tonnes of quartz per day, powered by a waterwheel.
👉 The Big Tree is believed to have been a meeting place for First Peoples before European pastoral settlement dramatically changed the valley.
👉 Myrtleford’s Italian heritage remains particularly strong — 19.9% of the population reported Italian ancestry in the 2021 Census, compared with just 5.9% across Victoria.
👉 Myrtleford’s economy has reinvented itself several times — from gold mining → farming → to***co → timber, wine, food and tourism.
From gold mines and to***co kilns to vineyards, cycling trails and High Country scenery, Myrtleford has a lot more history behind it than you might expect from a drive through town.
Another great stop as we make our way deeper into Victoria’s High Country. 🚙⛰️
Part 8
