Briagolong, Victoria

Briagolong is a town in the Australian state of Victoria, located 20 kilometres north of Maffra and some 270 kilometres east of Melbourne, in the Shire of Wellington region of Gippsland. At the 2011 census, Briagolong had a population of 1,075.HistoryBriagolong Post Office opened on 1 May 1871.The town's principal industry has been timber, and it supplied red gum paving blocks for Melbourne's streets, and stringybark for the flooring at Australia House in London.The railway line from Maffra opened in 1889 and was closed in 1952.TodayBriagolong was the home town of Private Jake Kovco, Australia's first military casualty in the Iraq War. The funeral for Private Kovco was held in the town on 2 May 2006, and was attended by Prime Minister John Howard, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson, Defence Force Chief Angus Houston and Army Chief Peter Leahy.The town in conjunction with neighbouring township Boisdale has an Australian Rules football team Boisdale-Briagolong competing in the East Gippsland Football League.