Discover Toongabbie: Rail Trail, wetlands and history

Toongabbie brings together local history, landscapes and activities around the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail. This gives you a range of interests to consider when planning your trip: historic buildings and memorial sites, as well as wetlands, cycling and views of the surrounding area. The specific places can help you explore the destination’s themes according to your own interests.

Local history and historic buildings

Toongabbie was founded in 1863 and served as a supply station for gold prospectors during the Walhalla gold rush. The town’s history can therefore be understood both through its founding year and its role in the context of the gold rush: its main purpose was to supply gold prospectors. This connection adds a specific historical context to the town’s later building history.

The Toongabbie Mechanics Institute was built in 1883 and is located at the corner of King Street and Cowan Street. Today, it is the oldest surviving public building in Toongabbie. The Mechanics’ Institute and Library at 12–16 King Street is listed in the Victorian Heritage Register under reference H544 in accordance with the Heritage Act 2017. St David’s in Toongabbie is an Anglican church dating from 1884. The institute and church were built just one year apart, offering two distinct points of reference for the town’s history. The institute represents a surviving public building, while St David’s reflects the town’s religious history.

Wetlands and Rail Trail

The Toongabbie Wetlands are located along the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail. A shelter at the wetlands features interpretive signage about Toongabbie’s original railway station site. So, as well as the wetlands, you’ll find a specific connection to the town’s railway history there. The Gippsland Plains Rail Trail near Toongabbie also offers views of the Great Dividing Range. The signage and the view highlight different aspects: the original station site on the one hand, and the wider landscape on the other.

Activities in Toongabbie include cycling on the Rail Trail and mountain biking. The Gippsland Plains Rail Trail is the specific route for cycling, while mountain biking is a separate activity. This distinction can help you tailor your plans to your interests. If you plan to cycle on the Rail Trail, check current trail conditions in advance.

Art and memorial sites

The Gippsland Railway Dog is a scrap-metal sculpture created for Toongabbie by Jo Caminiti. It is located on the Rail Trail behind the CFA station. Here, two different themes meet along the Rail Trail: the sculpture as a work of art and the views of the Great Dividing Range as a landscape experience. Both offer a different way to connect with the town than its buildings and railway history.

Toongabbie’s historic cemetery has many graves dating from the late 19th century. This period is close to the construction dates of the Mechanics Institute and St David’s, but the cemetery focuses on a distinct aspect of the town’s history: burial practices. The Ned Stringer Memorial Cairn tells the story of Ned Stringer’s discovery of gold at Stringers Creek in Walhalla. Visitors can visit the cairn; if you plan to go, check current visitor information in advance. Toongabbie’s historical connections thus range from its founding and the gold rush to public and religious buildings, the cemetery and the memorial.

Discover more destinations: Barnawartha, Rubicon, Bacchus Marsh, Trentham East, Patchewollock, Buninyong, Johanna, Prahran.

For the main travel overview: Victoria.