Charlie's Park
In 1909 an area of 303 hectares was set aside by the Victorian State Government as a reserve of forest for use as a public park. This was joined to the nearby Bulga National Park, which had been established in 1903, to form the Tarra-Bulga National Park in 1986.
The Tarra Valley section of this National Park was named after the Aboriginal guide and tracker Charlie Tarra. Charlie assisted the Polish explorer Count Paul Edmond de Strzelecki in his exploration of the Gippsland region in 1840. In fact it was probably only due to the skills of Charlie that Strzelecki was successful in achieving his crossing of the range which now bears his name. Strzelecki became "lost" after abandoning his horses and his instruments at Kornalla, to the north of this location. He was hoping to reach Corner inlet, Wilson's Promontory, which he thought to be not too distant. However he altered course and headed for Western Port Bay which he believed to be approximately forty kilometres distant, and where he knew a settlement was in existence. After a difficult journey through over a hundred kilometres of harsh terrain he arrived on the shores of the bay at Corinella. His party were hungry and disheveled after having eaten such fauna as koala and lyrebird to survive. The river which rises in this valley was named in recognition of Charlie Tarra and when the land was reserved, Tarra was also the name chosen for this park.
This is one of our favourite unspoiled locations in Victoria. Please enjoy the park, however respect the area by not littering or destroying the environment.
There has been a recent upgrade of facilities - new toilets and picnic shelter, plus improvements to the old tables and a new paved car park for the benefit of visitors.
As this can, on occasions, be a busy muggle area, please re-hide the container as it was found.