Walhalla (Victoria)

Walhalla is a small town in Victoria, Australia, founded as a gold-mining community in late 1862 and at its peak home to around 4,000 residents. Today, the town has a population of 20 permanent residents, though it has a large proportion of houses owned as holiday properties. It attracts large numbers of tourists and is a major focus of the regional tourism industry. The town's name is taken from an early gold mine in the area, named for the German hall of fame, the Walhalla temple (Valhalla from Norse legend).GeographyWalhalla is located in South-East Australia, in the eastern Victorian region of Gippsland, about 180 kilometres from the state capital Melbourne. It is located in the Great Dividing Range, in the steep Stringers Creek valley, approximately four kilometres upstream of the creek's junction with the Thomson River. The area around the town is designated as an historic area, adjoining the Baw Baw National Park.The township is mainly located along one road which winds along the valley floor due to the steep terrain. After the 52 year gold rush period, Walhalla's population declined rapidly since the level of the gold has been extinct and for the latter part of the 20th century fewer than 20 people lived in the town as permanent residents.