Tintaldra is a town in north east Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, Australia

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...

. The town is located on the upper reaches of the Murray River

Murray River

The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...

, 440 kilometres (273.4 mi) north east of the state capital, 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...

 and 131 kilometres (81.4 mi) east of Wodonga

Wodonga, Victoria

Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA...

. Part of the Shire of Towong Local government area, 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,...

, Tintaldra and the surrounding area had a population of 203.

History

European settlement began in the Tintaldra in 1837 with the arrival of squatters

Squatting (pastoral)

In Australian history, a squatter was one who occupied a large tract of Crown land in order to graze livestock.  Initially often having no legal rights to the land, they gained its usage by being the first Europeans in the area....

 looking for fresh grass and water for cattle. The town began to form around 1854 as unlucky prospectors began to look for land to farm, though of insufficient size to justify a Post Office until 1 January 1867.
Its location as a crossing

Murray River crossings

The Murray River in south-eastern Australia has been a significant barrier to land-based travel and trade. This article lists and briefly describes all of the recognised crossing points. Many of these had also developed as river ports for transport of goods along the Murray...

 point over the Murray River and its associated customs house led to a boom period in the late 19th century. Federation

Federation of Australia

The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...

 and the development of other river crossings into New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 led to a slow decline. Soldier settlers

Soldier settlement (Australia)

Soldier settlement refers to the occupation and settlement of land throughout parts of Australia by returning discharged soldiers under schemes administered by the State Governments after World Wars I and II.- World War I :...

 moved to the area after World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. Much of Tintaldra was burnt to the ground in the Black Friday

Black Friday (1939)

The Black Friday fires of 13 January 1939, in Victoria, Australia, were considered one of the worst natural bushfires in the world, and certainly the single worst in Australian history as a measure of land affected...

 bushfires of 13 January 1939.

Upper Murray Football League

Upper Murray Football League

The Upper Murray Football League is an Australian Rules football competition based in North-east, Victoria and South-Eastern Riverina, New South Wales. The players in the league are largely from Corryong and its surrounding areas. The competition is played over fifteen home and away rounds and four...

The town had a football team involved with the Upper Murray Football League an Australian Rules football competition which began in 1893. Tintaldra first played from 1912-1913, after this first unsuccessful run they rejoined in 1951 and playing to 1962 before expanding in 1963 to include Khancoban, NSW & renamed to Tintaldra-Khancoban United FC. the club was officially when into recess at the end of the 1967 season.

The Town today

Tintaldra's economy is based around agriculture and tourism. The Tintaldra store, constructed in 1864 with rough hewn River Red Gum

River Red Gum

The River Red Gum is a tree of the genus Eucalyptus. It is one of around 800 in the genus. It is a plantation species in many parts of the world, but is native to Australia, where it is widespread, especially beside inland water courses...

 beams and rafters and walls made from vertical slats of Stringybark

Stringybark

A stringybark can be any of the many Eucalyptus species which have thick, fibrous bark. Like all eucalypts, stringybarks belong to the Myrtaceae family. In exceptionally fertile locations some stringybark species A stringybark can be any of the many Eucalyptus species which have thick, fibrous...

 timber, is still standing today. Nearby Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park

Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park

Burrowa-Pine Mountain is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 314 km northeast of Melbourne. The park is the location of Pine Mountain, Victoria the largest monolith in the southern hemisphere at 1.5 times the size of Uluru ....

is a popular place for bushwalking and camping.

External links

• Towong Shire Council - Official site
• SMH Travel site - Tintaldra page
• Roads and Traffic Authority - Tintaldra Bridge