Dargo, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Dargo is a town in Victoria, Australia
, located 348 kilometres (216.2 mi) east of Melbourne
, in the Shire of Wellington. At the 2006 census
, Dargo and the surrounding area had a population of 144.
The town provided a stopover for Victorian Gold Rush
miners on their way to the goldfields of Grant, Talbotville, and Crooked River. The Post Office opened on 18 March 1868.
Today the town is a producer of timber, and stockmen reside in the nearby Dargo High Plains. The town is a popular destination for four-wheel drive
enthusiasts, and bushwalkers as well as trout
fisherman.
The annual Walnut Festival runs through the Australian Easter Holiday period, and is usually well attended.
Trout Fishing in the Dargo River
It is best to avoid the Dargo river if there have been recent heavy rains as the due to geological nature of the river (steep gradient flowing over rubble, gravel and rock substrate) it is prone to discolour easily and rise to levels that make shore fishing difficult and wading dangerous. Access to the river is excellent, with immediate access available around the township, with the (unsealed) Upper Dargo Road running alongside the river and providing river access for over 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) upstream of the township. Although the Upper Dargo Road is marked as a 4WD-only road on maps, a 2WD vehicle is sufficient except following heavy rains as there is a small creek crossing just prior to Black Flat, and beyond Black Flat (near Matheson Flat) the road can turn to mud.
The lower Dargo is best fished with bait or artificial lures, with the upper Dargo being well suited to these methods as well as fly and bait drifting.
In summer months (December to April) beware of brown snakes that inhabit the area, and become especially aggressive from January to March.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, located 348 kilometres (216.2 mi) east of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, in the Shire of Wellington. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Dargo and the surrounding area had a population of 144.
The town provided a stopover for Victorian Gold Rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
miners on their way to the goldfields of Grant, Talbotville, and Crooked River. The Post Office opened on 18 March 1868.
Today the town is a producer of timber, and stockmen reside in the nearby Dargo High Plains. The town is a popular destination for four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
enthusiasts, and bushwalkers as well as trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
fisherman.
The annual Walnut Festival runs through the Australian Easter Holiday period, and is usually well attended.
Trout Fishing in the Dargo River
It is best to avoid the Dargo river if there have been recent heavy rains as the due to geological nature of the river (steep gradient flowing over rubble, gravel and rock substrate) it is prone to discolour easily and rise to levels that make shore fishing difficult and wading dangerous. Access to the river is excellent, with immediate access available around the township, with the (unsealed) Upper Dargo Road running alongside the river and providing river access for over 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) upstream of the township. Although the Upper Dargo Road is marked as a 4WD-only road on maps, a 2WD vehicle is sufficient except following heavy rains as there is a small creek crossing just prior to Black Flat, and beyond Black Flat (near Matheson Flat) the road can turn to mud.
The lower Dargo is best fished with bait or artificial lures, with the upper Dargo being well suited to these methods as well as fly and bait drifting.
In summer months (December to April) beware of brown snakes that inhabit the area, and become especially aggressive from January to March.