Latrobe River
The Latrobe River’s journey begins on the southern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, flowing south into the Latrobe Valley before making its way east into Lake Wellington.
- The Latrobe River contributes much-needed fresh-water flows to the Ramsar-listed Gippsland Lakes.
- The Latrobe River supports many important environmental and social values, particularly in the upper tributaries and the lower reaches around Heart Morass.
- The waterway has suffered from a legacy of abuse including industrial pollution and redirection, and is now facing further pressure from reduced inflows due to climate change.
People who love and depend on the Latrobe River have many memories and insights to share – of raging whirlpools, cheekily wagging school and of bird-watching in the wetlands.
Take a minute and explore the Latrobe River through the eyes of these river champions…
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Alwyn Ryan: Sale Common wetlands godmother
For almost two decades Alwyn Ryan has acted like a Godmother to the Sale Common wetlands, working to rejuvenate its damaged terrain and educating its future users...
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Greg Gilbert: LaTrobe river champion
As a teenage technical student in Newborough, Greg Gilbert used to skip Friday lectures and drive to Lake Narracan to waste the afternoon on the banks of the Latrobe River... more
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Keith Bell: Transforming a pest to a resource
Initially labelled a “bloody idiot’’ for commercial carp fishing, Keith Bell has turned a stubborn pest into a lucrative business that has provided major... more
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Ann Andrew: From swamp to getaway
For more than 70 years the Andrew family regarded the wet corner of their Longford farm as a wasted piece of land - a place to feed their stock in summer and little else...
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Peter Woodhead: Surviving a river whirlpool
Snatched from the surface by an angry and swollen Latrobe River, Peter Woodhead could only hold his breath and hope the raging whirlpool would spit him back out... more
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Tim Bowman: Carrying on his family heritage
At just 20 years of age Tim Bowman was dealing with the death of his father and the responsibility of running a 4000 acre farm on his own... more
Other Gippsland Rivers
Check out stories from the Mitchell River
Check out stories from the Snowy River
