Charlton

• Summary
• Weather for Charlton

The small, pretty town of Charlton flanks both sides of the Avoca River in Victoria’s fertile central north. Part of the Buloke shire, Charlton is in the heart of wheat country; the grain silos stand tall against the horizon.

The Jaara Aborigines are believed to be the original inhabitants of the area, with European settlement occurring in 1848 by Robert Clay and William Kaye.

With the settlement divided by the river, and another Victorian town already named Charlton, the two halves were originally known as East and West Charlton.

An inn was built in 1863 and a bridge over the Avoca in 1867, allowing the two settlements to grow, and become one. The other Victorian town Charlton was renamed Chute', allowing East and West to become known simply as Charlton.

The 1870s saw the subdivision of larger land holdings, the establishment of the grain industry and the subsequent building of the town’s silos.

These days, Charlton is a prosperous rural town, with grain and wheat crops as the main industry. A complimentary industry of grain-fed beef has flourished and the town is responsible for Victoria’s largest grain fed beef operation. A small part of the local industry is wool and lamb farming.