🔍

Yallourn

VIC 3825 • Victoria

143
Population (2021)
N/A
Median Income
28.79 km²
Area
N/A
Median Rent
HistoricRuralMining TownEstablished

About Yallourn

Yallourn is a historic locality in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, approximately 150 kilometres east of Melbourne within the Latrobe City local government area. Once a thriving planned town of up to 5,000 residents built by the State Electricity Commission in the 1920s to house power station workers, the township was demolished between the 1970s and 1982 to allow expansion of the adjacent open-cut brown coal mine. Today the locality survives in name only, with a small population of 143 recorded in the 2021 Census — a remnant of its former self and a powerful symbol of the Latrobe Valley's industrial heritage.

The area is now dominated by the Yallourn W Power Station and the vast open-cut brown coal mine, which occupies much of the site where the original town once stood. Nearby towns including Morwell, Moe, and Yallourn North offer all everyday services and amenities for remaining residents. Yallourn North, just a few kilometres away, holds photographic archives and memorabilia recounting the demolished town's story, with views over Lake Narracan and the wider Latrobe Valley — a landscape forever shaped by coal.

Yallourn falls under postcode 3825 and is governed by the local council Council (LGA). For state elections, residents vote in the Narracan (Eastern Victoria) electorate.

📍 Location

State
Victoria
Postcode
3825
Urban Area
N/A
LGA / Council
N/A
Federal Electorate
Monash
State Electorate
Narracan (Eastern Victoria)
Type
Locality
Timezone
Melbourne (UTC+10)
Coordinates
-37.98°, 146.34°
Statistical Area
N/A
Area
28.79 km²
Elevation
0m

🚌 Transport & Commute

Nearest Train Stations

Morwell Station
8 km
N/A — car required

Bus Services

  • Limited regional services — Morwell / Moe 15–20 min by car

Commute to Melbourne CBD

Distance
150 km
By Train
Drive to Morwell Station (~8km), then ~1h 50min via Gippsland Line to Flinders Street
By Car (Peak)
1 hr 50 min – 2 hr 20 min
By Car (Off-Peak)
1 hr 30 min – 1 hr 50 min

🛣️ Car essential; Princes Freeway (M1) provides access west to Melbourne

Walkability Almost All Errands Require a Car

A remnant rural locality with no township amenities; all services require a drive to Morwell or Moe.

🛒 Supermarkets Nearby

No major supermarkets listed for this suburb.

🎓 Schools

👥 Demographics

Census 2016
0
Census 2021
143
▲ 0% growth

Population Growth

Gender Distribution (Census 2021)

Income 2016
N/A
Income 2021
N/A
▲ 0% increase

Income Comparison

📊 Population: ABS Census 2021
💰 Income: ABS Census 2021

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Yallourn known for? +

Yallourn is best known as the site of a once-thriving planned town built in the 1920s by the State Electricity Commission to house power station workers. The town was demolished between the 1970s and 1982 to allow expansion of the adjacent open-cut brown coal mine, and its story is remembered as one of the most dramatic examples of industrial displacement in Australian history.

How far is Yallourn from Melbourne? +

Yallourn is approximately 150 kilometres east of Melbourne in the Latrobe Valley, taking around 1.5 to 2 hours by car via the Princes Freeway (M1).

Does Yallourn have public transport? +

Yallourn itself has no public transport services. The nearest train station is Morwell, approximately 8 kilometres away, on the Gippsland Line connecting to Melbourne's Flinders Street Station.

What is the population of Yallourn? +

According to the 2021 Census, Yallourn has a population of 143 residents — a sharp decline from a peak of around 5,000 when the original town was intact, and down from 251 recorded in the 2006 Census.

Is Yallourn a good place to live? +

Yallourn is a very small remnant locality with virtually no services of its own; residents rely entirely on nearby Morwell and Moe. The area appeals mainly to those connected to the energy and mining industries or seeking a quiet rural fringe lifestyle close to Latrobe Valley towns.

What is the postcode for Yallourn? +

The postcode for Yallourn is 3825, which it shares with several other localities in the Latrobe Valley area.