The King Valley 

Stunning mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes are perfect places for adventure and relaxation, year-round. 

The King Valley is a wine-producing and agricultural region centred on the King River, between Wangaratta and the Alpine National Park in North East Victoria.

The fertile Valley area has been used since the 1880s to grow a variety of crops including hops and tobacco. A narrow-gauge railway was built between Wangaratta and Whitfield in 1889 and a government tobacco research farm was established in Edi and moved to Whitfield in 1902. Following the end of the World War II, a large number of Italian, Yugoslav and Spanish migrants settled in the area and established tobacco farms. Following the decline in the tobacco industry in the 1970s, local farmers branched out into other crops such as chestnuts, hops and berries and a number of vineyards were established.

History

The King Valley has a history which includes bushrangers, Chinese and Italian immigration. The Chinese came from the Goldfields in the mid-19th century and brought with them a rich heritage as market gardeners, tobacco growers and merchants. Italian migrants came to the region in the 1940s and 1950s following the Chinese grew tobacco but it was not long before they realized the enormous potential of the region to produce European wine varietals. The Valley has a reputation as a unique wine region for sangiovese, nebbiolo and barbera amongst others. Visit the King Valley and names such as Pizzini, Dal Zotto, Corsini, Sartori, Ciccone and Politini are prominent for their hospitality. Some of the highest altitude vineyards in Australia are around 800 meters (2,600 ft) on the Whitlands Plateau at the southern end of the region. Milawa is at the northern end with an altitude of 155 meters (509 ft).

A Journey Through Time

* Before the arrival of Europeans, the area was home to the Waveroo Aboriginal people.

* Pastoral runs had been established in the area by the 1840s.

* In 1860, the bushranger 'Mad Dog' Morgan stole a horse from Evans Station near Whitfield.

* In the 1860s, the bushranger, Harry Powers, was operating in the area.

* In 1869, Ned Kelly, aged only 13 at the time, joined Powers gang.

* Power was captured in 1870 and sentenced to 15 years at Pentridge prison. 

* The population of the region began to grow in the 1870s.

* A Post Office opened on 1 May 1874.

* In 1887, the first church in the town was opened.

* The Post Office, named Upper King River, was renamed Whitfield in 1889.

* In 1899, a narrow-gauge railway from Wangaratta was established. It was the first narrow-gauge railway in Victoria.

* The local Mechanics Hall was opened in 1902. 

* By 1910, the Government had built an experimental farm and was growing hops and tobacco.

* After 1945, tobacco was grown in the area by Italian, Yugoslav and Spanish migrant farmers.

* In King Valley, ten kilometres north of Whitfield, 82% of the farms were owned by Italians in 1978.

* The town's General Store was destroyed by fire in 2013.

* In recent times, Brown Brothers, Milawa, have expanded their vineyards to King Valley and Whitlands. 

* Today, tobacco is no longer grown, and the farmers have diversified into chestnuts, hops, berries, timber-veneer trees and grazing.