Lifestyle > Drouin - Postcode 3818

Article from The Age newspaper, Saturday, October 24, 2009

Top of its Game
From rolling hills to wineries, there is more to this picturesque town than the sporting prowess of its famous sons, writes Paul Edwards.


There was a time, not very long ago, when Drouin was a quiet little country town noted for producing cows and sporting heroes. Today, although there are still many residents for whom a trip to Melbourne is an annual event, it has just about reached commuter status.

Just under 100 kilometres from Melbourne, Drouin has a population of 8000 and at one time it seemed like most of them were called Ablett. AFL star Gary Ablett snr was born there, as were brothers Geoff and Kevin, both of whom played for Hawthorn. More recently, Collingwood's Dale Thomas was born there but in terms of international fame they are all pipped by world bantamweight champion Lionel Rose, who was born nearby. The little town has most of the infrastructure needed for modern life and what's not there is just a few kilometres away at Warragul. Drouin has streets lined with flowering gum trees, a couple of supermarkets, plenty of restaurants and wonderful views of rolling hills and the distant Baw Baw Plateau.

Several attractive estates have been established. Many of the properties are snapped up by commuters working in the ribbon from Pakenham to Dandenong.

HOME TRUTHS

TRANSPORT
Drouin is a comfortable 60-minute drive from Melbourne unless the freeway is playing up, which is not infrequent. An excellent alternative is the V/Line regional fast rail network. Trains are every hour or so.

SCHOOLS
There are five primary schools within a couple of kilometres and about as many secondary schools within a 10-minute drive. These include St Paul's Anglican Grammar, the Marist-Sion College and the regional college, all at nearby Warragul.

LIFESTYLE
Drouin is a main service town for the surrounding pastoral, agricultural and dairying district. Rich soil and reliable rainfall - relatively speaking - make it one of Australia's premier dairy centres and it also has a big reputation for restaurants, accommodation, wineries (pinot is a specialty) and gourmet food production. There's also a golf course, which doubles as a racecourse, an upgraded swimming pool and a regional hockey centre.

HOUSING MARKET
Together with broad-acre farms, Drouin has a number of estates with blocks of one hectare or more. With new or renovated houses, these properties are worth up to $750,000. At the other end of the scale, older weatherboard properties can be picked up for about $195,000. The Drouin Views estate has land from $80,000 with service including town water, gas, sewerage, power and telephone. Lardner Rise estate has 536-square-metre blocks for $82,500, with house-land packages available.

DAYS GONE BY
Drouin was a late starter, not a lot happened until the railway started to push into Gippsland in the early 1870s. When the Buln Buln Shire was created in 1878, Drouin was chosen as the headquarters. Sawmills sprang up in the dense forest and, as the land was cleared, cows took the place of trees, leading to the establishment of a co-operative butter factory, which became the town's largest employer.

TOP TEN SPOTS

1 Parks and Gardens
There are several in Drouin. Park is in the main street while Civic Park, behind the commercial centre, is set in an attractive valley, complete with a rotunda and a lake. The Alex Goudie Native Park surrounds a lake on the railway's southern side.

2 Two Towns Trail
Drouin and Warragul have been linked by an eight-kilometre bike path aimed at improving sustainable connections between the centres. Riders and walkers can move between the towns without venturing on to busy roads.

3 Drouin Golf and Country Club
Princes Highway. There is a choice of three courses, each with its own character. Unlike most metropolitan courses, visitors can play seven days a week at short notice and without delays.

4 Brandy Creek Wines and View Cafe
570 Buln Buln Road, Drouin East. Enjoy breathtaking views, fabulous food and wonderful wine. Open from Thursday to Sunday.

5 Helena at Parnassus Vineyard
180 Lardners Track, Drouin East. Perched on the brow of Camp Hill, this multi-functional venue with B&B has sensational views to Mount Baw Baw and the Great Dividing Range.

6 Miles Art Studios
Old Telegraph Road West, Drouin West. Gary Mils is a modern impressionist with mixed exhibitions in many media - paintings, drawings, sculpture, jewellery and works on paper, in oil and acrylic. The studio opens 11am to 5pm weekdays and public holidays.

7 The Old Drouin Butter Factory Arts Complex
1 Main South Road. The gallery houses exhibitions by local artists and the two performance spaces showcase music and theatre by touring and local companies.

8 Robin Hood Hotel Motel
655 Princes Highway, Drouin West. This fine old coaching inn (1877) can be a bit tricky to find because it's now bypassed both by the freeway and the Drouin main road. But it's worth a visit to get an idea of the district's history; it was an important staging post on the road from Melbourne to Sale.

9 Ficifolia Festival
Usually held mid-February, is the town's main annual event and celebrates the flowering gums that line several of the streets.

10 Picnic Races
If you want something to do on Boxing Day, the race meeting is a hoot; the horses charge around the golf course and do it again in February.