Omeo

Omeo is a town in eastern Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. It lies on the Great Alpine Road east of Mount Hotham. According to the Australian 2006 Census Omeo has 452 inhabitants. Omeo serves as a commercial center for the Tambo Valley and the Omeo Valley.

The place name is derived from the Aboriginal word for mountain or hill.

History

The first Europeans has proven to be the naturalist John Lhotsky seen in 1834 by the Australian Alps from the vast plain, who named the Aboriginal Omeo. Already in 1835 Australian stockmen drove their cattle through the area. 1845 was found to Omeo gold, and in the 1860s the gold rush reached its peak.

The first post office was opened near the present Post Office on 1 January 1858. However, there were two in 1851 respectively 1856/57 opened post offices in other settlements, which were also called Omeo.

Earthquakes in 1885 and 1892 and the big forest fire in the Black Friday, 1939 caused damage in Omeo, but several old buildings like the historic bank are preserved.

Omeo today

The city hosts every year in December and January, the Omeo Plains Mountain Festival from, as well as a market with rodeo and polo competition in Cobungra Easter and an agricultural show in November.

Previously, Omeo had a football team that played in the Omeo & District Football League ( ODFL ), as well as an attached Netball team. There was a senior and a junior football team, as well as senior, junior and midget teams in Netball. Because of the decrease of the population in 2007 had both clubs with which to merge the neighboring town of Benambra and Omeo - Benambra formed the (Alpine Ranges) Club.

Omeo has a horse racing club, the Omeo District Racing Club, whose oriented annual competition, the Omeo Cup, taking place in Hinnomunjie in March. In the village there is also a golf club.

Area attractions include the former gold mine Oriental Claims, the cuckoo clock business and white-water rafting on the Mitta Mitta River. The Cobungra River, which Bundara River, Big River and Mitta Mitta River in the vicinity of the nearby Anglers Rest and the Tambo River offer good trout fishing.

The Australian Western Red Hill was shot in the area around Omeo.