NSWFarming
Tumut
A river-valley town reshaped by gold traffic and timber.
1848Town surveyed · valley service centre
WHAT STARTED IT
Pastoral settlement in the fertile Tumut Valley created demand for stores, inns and government services. The town was surveyed near the river to serve scattered stations and farms.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
The 1848 survey was followed by a move to higher ground after the 1852 flood. Gold rushes at Adelong and Kiandra sent heavy traffic through Tumut; rail arrived in 1903. Forestry, the Snowy scheme and a pulp mill later broadened its economy. The largest Snowy Scheme modernisation package, at nearby Tumut 3, reached completion in 2012.
TURNING POINTS
1848Town surveyed.
1852Flood encourages rebuilding on higher ground.
1903Railway reaches Tumut.
2012The major Tumut 3 Power Station upgrade was completed.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A regional centre for timber, farming, paper production and mountain tourism, with the river and surrounding high country central to daily life.