Tatong, Victoria

Tatong is a town in north eastern Victoria, Australia. The town is on the northern foothills of the Blue Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range, beside Holland Creek, north east of the state capital, Melbourne. At the, Tatong had a population of 350.The area is a mixture of farmland, pine plantations and dense bushHistoryThe Post Office opened on 10 October 1890 on the arrival of the railway from Benalla, closing in 1993.Timber from the surrounding hills was harvested to supply the early Melbourne power station until coal from the Latrobe Valley became the favoured fuel source. That together with dwindling patronage of the rail line to Benalla led to the closing of the rail line after World War II.Tatong is the birthplace of Michael Joseph Savage, the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Graeme Peck, male lead for the Australian Ballet Company.FacilitiesIt has a pub, the Tatong Tavern, a memorial hall and sports ground.It has an active community with archery, cricket, tennis and table tennis clubs. Tatong used to have netball and Australian rules football teams competing in the Ovens and King Football League prior to being thrown out. Other groups include the Tatong Angling Group, Tatong Heritage Group and the Tatong Young Bloods.