Pomonal

• Summary
• Weather for Pomonal

Pomonal is a picturesque rural village in the Grampians National Park area, on the eastern slopes of the Mt William Range. The first Europeans to traverse the area were the exploratory party of Thomas Mitchell in 1836 that camped near the present-day site of Pomonal before climbing Mt William.

Squatters soon followed him into the area (see entry on Halls Gap) and goldmining commenced at Stawell, Ararat and other local sites in the 1850s. In the early days of the village, fruit growing was the major local industry. Indeed, by the early 20th century Pomonal was one of the state's major apple-growing districts. The orchards were later superseded by tobacco. Today it is mainly a grazing district although one commercial orchard is in operation.

As this area is noted for its native wildflowers and orchids there are numerous nurseries selling these items. Indoor markets occur on the last Sunday of the month at the Pomonal Hall from 10am.

Major local events include the Pomonal Art Show, which has been in operation by the parents of the Local Primary school for 15 year and features art from a diverse range of local artists. Each year feature Artists exhibit offering visitors a chance to discover the range of talents available in the area. Art is available for visitors to purchase. Guests can also enjoy a tea or coffee and cakes in front of the fire at the exhibition. The exhibition is held on the Long weekend in June.

The Pomonal Garden Show - Run by the Grampians chapter of the Australian Plant Society, this Garden show features an exhibition of the diverse range of plants grown in Gardens in the Pomonal area. Plants range from indigenous species to WA varieties and local enthusiasts are available throughout the show to talk to visitors about growing these fantastic plants. Over 1000 species are usually on exhibition. In addition to this, many of the local Gardens are open for inspection to enable visitors to experience the fantastic gardens in the Pomonal area. Nurseries in Pomonal also open to enable visitors to purchase many of the plants viewed. Operates 1st weekend of October annually.