NATHALIA
Nathalia is a small town on the Murray
Valley Highway some 50k’s from Echuca. Nathalia is another of those
towns in the region that has not grown wealth wise as many of the
towns in the region have grown. Big wide streets are a feature of
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In 1838, Charles Sturt was the
first European to explore the area, following the Murray River
downstream... The squatter, W.J Locke established Kotupna station on
the future site of Nathalia in 1843. The station was broken up for
closer settlement in 1869. A selector, Richard Blake took up the
townsite in 1875 and established a saw mill and flour mill soon after.
Hotels, a post office (opened on 7 September 1878), schools and
churches followed and Nathalia was officially gazetted as a village in
1880. The railway arrived in 1888, allowing local production to
increase and a butter factory was established in 1895.
The main industries in Nathalia
are dairy farming, cropping and grazing.
Nathalia is developing its
creative arts tourist potential through the Nathalia Living Arts/
Rural Arts Project under the guidance of internationally recognised
resident artist William Kelly.
The three hotels in Nathalia are
classic and in the business district.  
The Nathalia War Memorial has a
strong presence on entry from the East of the town
but there also the Memorial Gardens to look.  
All of the churches in Nathalia
are, or approaching the century.   
The Museum in Nathalia is just off
the main road.
If the timing is right a coffee or
refreshment, or a look at the gardens rather than just passing
through would be in order. 
Heritage diary
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