Have you ever noticed how a town can feel like a living, breathing entity? Neerim South is one of those places. It has a heart, a history, and a soul that whispers through the stories of the people who have lived here.
Neerim South nestles itself in the foothills of the Great Dividing Ranges, just a short drive from Melbourne. Its history stretches back to the early 1870s, when gold prospectors ventured into this densely forested region. The allure of precious metal brought with it settlers, and the town began to blossom.
What you see today is a testament to the hard work of those pioneers. Neerim South is the largest of five settlements all named Neerim. The original township was surveyed nearby, and the town started to become more settled, a post office opened in 1883, and there were shops, a courthouse, and a police station too.
This small town was greatly transformed when a branch line from the Warragul railway, which was opened in 1892, connected it to the Victorian Railways network. Neerim South’s railway line was a catalyst for growth, with sawmills springing up along its flanks. The railway line continued to grow and in 1919 connected to Noojee, although the line closed in 1958. Those sawmills are now gone, their echoes replaced by the peaceful sound of the breeze rustling through the leaves.
Neerim South is now a quaint town, its heart rooted in its agricultural heritage. You can still feel the legacy of the past in the rows of farms, the rich soil, and the fresh air. Today, you can find cheese factories, wineries, and alpaca farms that pay homage to the area’s agricultural tradition. If you take a walk through the town, you’ll see the locals gathered at the bakery, still cooking bread in the same wood-fired oven that was built in 1880. Despite the passage of time, the spirit of Neerim South – its history, its people, and its sense of community – remains as strong as ever. It’s no wonder that so many people choose to call this place home.