The Series has been brought to you to highlight local country towns in the South of Victoria.

Inverleigh

Inverleigh is a small rural township in Victoria, Australia located 28 kilometres west of the City of Geelong and 87 kilometres from the state capital, Melbourne. The town is divided between Golden Plains Shire andSurf Coast Shire. In the 2011 census, the central area of Inverleigh had a population of 715. Since the mid-1970s Inverleigh has become a dormitory suburb of Geelong with some residents commuting to Melbourne. The recent opening of the Geelong Ring Road will improve access to Melbourne which should be only a 45-minute drive away.

The Wathaurong people called the River Leigh "Yaramlok" and at Inverleigh it flows cool and clear through a shallow gorge lined by river red gums. Following the course of the river is Lawsons Park, named after a blacksmith from Tasmania who arrived here in 1836 and settled under an ancient, gnarled river red gum that still stands on the edge of town and bears his name. Nearby you'll find a barbecue, picnic spot and the old police lock-up. Further upstream is the steel cable and wood Federation suspension bridge that crosses the Leigh and leads to the Rainers Hill lookout. From this construction, built on the edge of the escarpment, one looks over the Barwon River Valley, with its low hills and large farms, the sky filled with soaring swallows and the air ringing with the jingling sound of the school's brass bell.

See also the Inverleigh web site for more information on its history.

Source: Wikipedia and SMH