Coal Creek, Korumburra – and other things to do

The Coal Creek Community Park and Museum is the best thing to do in Korumburra, Victoria. This recreated South Gippsland coal mining village has 53 heritage buildings over 27 hectares.

There aren’t all that many things to do in Korumburra, Victoria. But this small South Gippsland town is home to a rather unusual museum.

The Coal Creek Community Park and Museum bills itself as a living history museum. Unlike many museums, however, it spreads across several buildings and 27 hectares.

Coal Creek museum in Korumburra, Victoria

Essentially, Coal Creek is a village where historic buildings and artefacts have been preserved. And, in some cases, relocated from elsewhere.

The Coal Creek Museum in Korumburra, South Gippsland, recreates a coal-mining village. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

The idea is that you can nosy around the likes of the Korumburra Courthouse, Kowera Church and Jeetho School House, discovering something new in each one. There are 53 heritage buildings at the Coal Creek Community Park and Museum, a collection that has been gradually added to since opening in 1974.

The vision of Coal Creek is to recreate a coal mining village in the heart of the South Gippsland countryside. The rough timeframe the museum is mimicking is from 1870 to 1920. It’s a similar concept to the Beamish Museum in County Durham, England.

The whole recreated village thing happens elsewhere in Victoria, however. And arguably better, too. Sovereign Hill in Ballarat is genuinely superb, while Flagstaff Village in Warrnambool and the Pioneer Village in Swan Hill are worth visiting too.

Where is Korumburra?

If you’re passing through South Gippsland on the way to Leongatha and Wilsons Promontory, however, Coal Creek in Korumburra is worth a look. You can book via the museum website. Coal Creek is at the southern edge of Korumburra. The drive from Melbourne to Korumburra is 122km long, with a Melbourne to Korumburra driving time of around 90 minutes. Korumburra is also 44km south of Warragul in West Gippsland.