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58-530: Swifts Creek is a town in the Tambo Valley of East Gippsland , Victoria , Australia. The town is on the Great Alpine Road between Omeo and Ensay , 379 kilometres (235 mi) east of the state capital Melbourne and 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level. The area was originally settled by Europeans in the gold rushes of the mid-1800s. At the 2011 census , Swifts Creek and the surrounding area had

116-470: A lawn bowls green, changing rooms, and club rooms. The town also has a half-Olympic-length six-lane outdoor swimming pool located beside the school, and publicly accessible squash courts located within the grounds of the P-12 school's Tambo Campus. Around two kilometres north of town is the privately owned Tambo Valley Racecourse, where an annual Country Racing Victoria sanctioned picnic horse racing carnival

174-420: A 1,200 place secondary (practical specialism). and 1,850 place secondary school. The ideal size for a typical comprehensive high school is large enough to offer a variety of classes, but small enough that students develop a sense of community. Research has suggested that academic achievement is best when there are about 150 to 250 students in each grade level, and that above a total school size of 2,000 for

232-628: A greater variety of classes, or sponsoring a greater number of extra-curricular activities . (Some of these benefits can also be achieved through smaller but specialized schools, such as a dedicated special school for students with disabilities or a magnet school for students with a particular subject-matter interest.) In terms of structure, organization, and relationships, larger schools tend to be more hierarchical and bureaucratic , with fewer and weaker personal connections and more rigidly defined, unvarying roles for all staff. Teachers find that large schools result in more information to process in

290-711: A number of significant tributaries, with the two largest being the Little River which enters the Tambo from the north at Ensay, and the Timbarra River which enters the Tambo from the east, south-east of Tambo Crossing. The Tambo River South Branch, which originates on the Nunniong Plains in the hills east of Bindi, flows north to join the main river near its origin. The Tambo also has a number of more seasonal creeks entering along its length, including Swifts Creek which enters from

348-424: A population of 419, with a median age of 47. The Aboriginal name for the site of Swifts Creek was Bun Jirrah Gingee Munjie , which translates as 'big kangaroos go to that place'. True to this name, mobs of large eastern grey kangaroos still frequent the town, especially at night when they are often seen feeding by the roadside, and on the local football ground and primary school oval. The town of Swifts Creek

406-422: A secondary school may have a canteen, serving a set of foods to students, and storage where the equipment of a school is kept. Government accountants having read the advice then publish minimum guidelines on schools. These enable environmental modelling and establishing building costs. Future design plans are audited to ensure that these standards are met but not exceeded. Government ministries continue to press for

464-432: A secondary school, academic achievement and the sense of school community decline substantially. Arguments in favor of smaller schools include having a shared experience of school (e.g., everyone takes the same classes, because the school is too small to offer alternatives), higher average academic achievement, and lower inequality . Arguments in favor of larger schools tend to focus on economy of scale . For example,

522-561: A single basketball court could serve a school with 200 students just as well as a school with 500 students, so construction and maintenance costs, on a per-student basis, can be lower for larger schools. However, cost savings from larger schools have generally not materialized, as larger schools require more administrative support staff, and rural areas see the potential savings offset by increased transportation costs. Larger schools can also support more specialization, such as splitting students into advanced, average, and basic tracks , offering

580-525: A strict legal framework where they may be answerable to their government through local authorities and their stakeholders. In England (but necessarily in other parts of the United Kingdom) there are six general types of state-funded schools running in parallel to the private sector. The state takes an interest in safeguarding issues in all schools. All state-funded schools in England are legally required to have

638-618: A website where they must publish details of their governance, finance, curriculum intent and staff and pupil protection policies to comply with The School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 and 2016 . Ofsted monitors these. School building design does not happen in isolation. The building or school campus needs to accommodate: Each country will have a different education system and priorities. Schools need to accommodate students, staff, storage, mechanical and electrical systems, support staff, ancillary staff and administration. The number of rooms required can be determined from

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696-520: A week in good weather to travel the distance (now approximately an hour by car). Around this time, Ian Ezard built the Swifts Creek sawmill , which provided the stable economy the town needed to move on from its gold mining beginnings. In contrast, the surrounding towns of Cassilis and Tongio West collapsed, as the area lost its potential for gold mining. The primary industries today are timber and farming of sheep and cattle. The Pentarch Group acquired

754-589: Is a target area for cyclists, hikers, anglers, walkers, photographers, painters and hunters. The Great Alpine Gallery on the Great Alpine Road, Swifts Creek, was founded in 1998 as a non-profit community art-space operated entirely by volunteers. The Gallery is open five days a week, Thursdays to Mondays. Entry to the Gallery is free for all visitors, and everyone is welcome. The gallery promotes and sells arts and crafts by local artists, and has regular events such as

812-541: Is held on Easter Sunday each year, including the Swifts Creek Cup . The town's public golf course , the Tambo Valley Golf Club, is located about thirteen kilometres north of town in the locality of Bindi. Despite its small population, Swifts Creek boasts a number of sporting clubs. The Swifts Creek Demons Australian Rules Football team has been in existence for over 100 years. They currently compete in

870-525: Is located at the confluence of Swifts Creek and the Tambo River . The creek was reputedly named after an otherwise unknown gold prospector named Swift who worked the creek panning for alluvial gold in the 1850s. The townsite itself was originally known as "Swifts Creek Junction", as it was at the road junction alongside Swifts Creek. Swift's Creek Post Office opened on 1 January 1867 and closed in 1879. Swift's Creek Junction Post Office opened on 1 May 1874 and

928-425: Is no longer in existence, however Factory Lane just past the creek at the northern end of town marks its former location. A flour mill was also planned, but was instead installed in the nearby town of Ensay in 1913. These factories were constructed as a result of local demand for flour , milk , butter and cream . The cost of transporting goods was high as wagons from the nearest large town of Bairnsdale took

986-599: Is of uncertain origin, but is thought to be an Aboriginal Ngarigo word meaning "fish". Reverend Friedrich Hagenauer recorded the Gunai name for the river to be Berrawan . Alternative traditional names for the river include Bindi-memial or Jillun , meaning "the stomach" in the Brabralung language ; Tonggio-pannerer or Tongio-memial , with no defined meanings in the Dhudhuroa language ; Gwannung-bourn , meaning "pelican" in

1044-560: Is usually compulsory for students at least until age 16. The organisations, buildings, and terminology are more or less unique in each country. In the ISCED 2014 education scale, levels 2 and 3 correspond to secondary education which are as follows: Within the English-speaking world, there are three widely used systems to describe the age of the child. The first is the 'equivalent ages'; then countries that base their education systems on

1102-774: The Little and Timbarra rivers, before reaching its mouth and emptying into Lake King, one of the main lakes in the extensive Gippsland Lakes system. Within the lake, the Tambo River forms confluence with the Mitchell River , west of the village of Metung , with the Mitchell River draining into Bass Strait southwest of Lakes Entrance , in the Shire of East Gippsland . The river descends 1,060 metres (3,480 ft) over its 186-kilometre (116 mi) course . Along its route it passes by

1160-570: The Omeo & District Football League (ODFL), and have won 25 premierships including several in recent years. The team wears a blue jumper with a red vee, the traditional strip of the Melbourne Football Club AFL team. The affiliated Swifts Creek Netball Club also has a long and successful history, and wears a blue top with red skirt. Both football and netball clubs also have junior teams. The former Swifts Creek Tennis Club has competed in

1218-483: The Omeo District Tennis Association (ODTA) since the association's inception in 1955, and has won 28 premierships in that time, by far the most successful club in the competition. The lawn bowling club competes in local competition, the former cricket club takes part in regional competitions in irregular seasons, and the golf club is involved in regular tournaments. Local schools also strongly support

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1276-551: The TAFE sector, or to Melbourne or other cities, to attend university. Among alumni of Swift's P-12 school is the AFLW star Josie Gallagher. In October 2023, Omeo District Health announced that Swifts Creek would not have a General Practitioner , instead relying Bush Nurse service with an ambulance . The town's sporting facilities include a recreation reserve consisting of a football / cricket oval, netball courts, four tennis courts ,

1334-586: The Tatungalung language ; Ber'rawan , with no defined meaning or language group; and Kookoondalook , meaning "wasps in the trees" in the Krauatungalung language . The first Europeans to follow the course of the river are thought to be a party led by Walter Mitchell in early 1839, who were guided by Aborigines along a route from the north through the Tongio Gap south of Omeo , down the valley to Bruthen and

1392-611: The sawmill in June 2021 and the mill specialises in making wood pallets out of low grade local mountain ash timber. It uses an advanced system designed in France which aims at utilising the entire log, and thus making the process economical. Besides this, the major employers in town are now the local branch of the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), the Bush Nurses Centre and

1450-458: The 'English model' use one of two methods to identify the year group, while countries that base their systems on the 'American K–12 model' refer to their year groups as 'grades'. The Irish model is structured similarly to the English model, but differs significantly in terms of labels. This terminology extends into the research literature. Below is a comparison of some countries: Schools exist within

1508-409: The 'minimum' space and cost standards to be reduced. The UK government published this downwardly revised space formula in 2014. It said the floor area should be 1050 m (+ 350 m if there is a sixth form) + 6.3 m /pupil place for 11- to 16-year-olds + 7 m /pupil place for post-16s. The external finishes were to be downgraded to meet a build cost of £1113/m . A secondary school locally may be called

1566-633: The 1970s by some say a Bairnsdale boy by the name of Michael Weston accompanied by Daniel Redenbach and Tom Alvin during a local festival. Today the diving block is believed to be in Dunkeld buried by a local Dunkeld boy. Swifts Creek resident Tony Skelton is said to know the precise location of the Diving Block in Dunkeld. If this legend is correct, then Swifts Creek has an important piece of Australian sporting history in everyday use, but largely unknown to most of

1624-807: The East Gippsland drainage basin , extending from the steep forested southern slopes of the Victorian Alps through forest and farmland to the Gippsland Lakes . The Tambo River rises in the Bowen Mountains, below Mount Leinster in the Victorian Alps, part of the Great Dividing Range , about 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Benambra . The river flows generally south by south southeast by south southwest, joined by sixteen tributaries including

1682-525: The Gippsland Lakes, and then back along the same route. An agricultural station was set up around the same time at Tongio by the Buckleys. Late in 1839 Angus McMillan established a station further south near present-day Ensay , and also used Aboriginal guides on his explorations further south along the valley and into other parts of Gippsland soon thereafter. The early explorers of Australia noted that

1740-541: The Great Alpine Arts Trail, workshops and open studios, as well as a regular exhibition and three special exhibitions per year. The Poet's Walk is a 1.2 km stretch of Crown Land that forms a walkable track beginning at the Police Station off the Great Alpine Road at the northern end of the township and following Swifts Creek to the junction with the Tambo River. In 2017, a group of local volunteers began

1798-619: The Olympics, such as this distant photo of a race showing the blocks front on, and especially this close-up photo of block four at a similar angle to that shown here (both historical photos are from the National Library of Australia collection). It can be seen from the photos that the blocks in Swifts Creek are identical in size and structure to those used at the Melbourne Olympics, and would only have had to be repainted to account for

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1856-494: The Swifts Creek/Ensay region is largely grass and willows , with little erosion of the banks or sedimentation present. The riparian vegetation in the steep forest sections between Ensay and Bruthen is more natural, with wattles , eucalypts and other native species , while introduced species only become more prevalent again nearer to Bruthen. The nationally vulnerable Australian greyling has significant populations in

1914-541: The Tambo Campus, caters to students from the surrounding towns of Ensay , Cassilis , Omeo , and Benambra , as well as Swifts Creek itself. The school has an enrolment of around 130 students making it amongst the smallest in the state. Residents who wish to undertake tertiary education must either do so via distance education , or move away from the town. Students who finish Year 12 at the school usually move to nearby Bairnsdale for tertiary education facilities mainly in

1972-737: The Tambo River. It is also a noted fishery for black bream . Low river flows that have been typical for a number of years have impacted on these species. The estuary perch is also common in the Tambo. Other fish that may be found in the river include native species such as the Australian bass , short-finned eel , long-finned eel , gudgeons , and the river blackfish , and introduced species such as brown trout and carp . The health of river has been impacted to various extents in its different sections by sediment run-off, and introduced weeds such as willows, blackberry and blue periwinkle . Algal blooms related to sediment run-off have been seen in

2030-597: The Tambo stretched across the lands of at least two Aboriginal nations. The Jaitmathang people from the Upper Murray areas occupied the upper reaches of the river, while the Brabiralung of the Gunai/Kurnai nation occupied the lower southern reaches. According to Alfred Howitt the border between these two nations was around Tongio, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of present-day Swifts Creek . The name tambo

2088-470: The channel width is up to 20 metres (66 ft), with a varying substrate of bedrock , boulders , rubble, sand and mud . Between Bruthen and Tambo Upper there is extensive sedimentation with channel width exceeding 25 metres (82 ft), but a summer depth typically less than 50 centimetres (20 in). Substrate in this section is all sand. The river narrows around Tambo Upper and the substrate becomes mainly mud beyond this point. The Tambo River has

2146-472: The development of youth sport, and regularly compete above their weight in interschool competition in swimming, athletics, and a wide variety of team sports. Local legend holds that the diving blocks currently in use at the Swifts Creek Pool were those used in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games . Considerable weight is added to this story by careful comparison between these blocks and historical photos from

2204-450: The different colouration and style of the block numbers. Furthermore, the legend states that one of the missing blocks was given to Australian swimming icon Dawn Fraser as a souvenir of her success at the Games (there were eight blocks for the Olympics, but only six survive in Swifts Creek now). However, there has been an alternative local legend circulating how one diving block was stolen during

2262-442: The education has to fulfill the needs of: students, teachers, non-teaching support staff, administrators and the community. It has to meet general government building guidelines, health requirements, minimal functional requirements for classrooms, toilets and showers, electricity and services, preparation and storage of textbooks and basic teaching aids. An optimum secondary school will meet the minimum conditions and will have: Also,

2320-571: The fish spreading, it is thought natural chemical discharges from some springs contaminating the river may affect some fish populations such as the trout. Another reason could be high water temperatures during summer, as small numbers of trout in the main river section have been found in cooler months. The Tambo River catchment area is managed by the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority . The East Gippsland Region Water Authority manages urban water diversion from

2378-465: The government primary and secondary schools. There are also a number of small retail outlets and services, including a hotel, general store, gallery, cafe, bakery and post office. There is also a community centre, and a community hall. The district is also increasing in popularity as a tourist destination due to its central location in an area of outstanding natural beauty. The town itself offers limited tourist accommodation, including flats associated with

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2436-531: The hotel and a newly renovated caravan park on the Tambo River (book through the IGA store). But there is plenty of accommodation in the district including cottage style accommodation approximately five kilometres from town heading towards Cassilis and many houses available for holiday rental on accommodation websites. The township is regarded as a gateway destination to the Alpine area, and the snow fields of Mt Hotham, but also

2494-410: The larger environment (e.g., announcements about 100 programs instead of just 10) and that as individuals they form fewer relationships with teachers outside of their primary subject area. Smaller schools have less social isolation and more engagement. These effects cannot be entirely overcome through implementation of a house system or " school within a school " programs. The building providing

2552-526: The late John Butler's poem, The River. Another cairn also marks the height of the 1998 flood. Swifts Creek P-12 School was formed from the merger of Swifts Creek Secondary College and Swifts Creek Primary School in 2010. The Tambo Campus is the Omeo region's only Secondary College , while the Flagstaff Campus is the town's Primary School . The town also has a separate Kindergarten . The school, in particular

2610-549: The lower Tambo system and the Gippsland Lakes. Recreational boating and fishing have resulted in river bank erosion in the lower reaches. The Lower Tambo Landcare Group was formed in 1998 and covers an area of 10,965 hectares (27,100 acres) on the lower parts of the river. The group aims to help re-establish Australian native vegetation on the river banks, wetlands and roadsides, to encourage landowners to fence off sensitive areas to help preserve them for native species, and to control and manage pest species . Due to its length,

2668-515: The population. [REDACTED] Media related to Swifts Creek, Victoria at Wikimedia Commons Tambo Valley The Tambo River or Berrawan is a perennial river of the Mitchell River catchment, located in the East Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria . With a total length in excess of 186 kilometres (116 mi), the Tambo River is one of the longest rivers in

2726-484: The predicted roll of the school and the area needed. According to standards used in the United Kingdom, a general classroom for 30 students needs to be 55 m , or more generously 62 m . A general art room for 30 students needs to be 83 m , but 104 m for 3D textile work. A drama studio or a specialist science laboratory for 30 needs to be 90 m . Examples are given on how this can be configured for

2784-458: The river for much of the distance through the Tambo Valley south of this point. The valley from Bindi to just south of Ensay is relatively open and flat and is settled as farmland , however it again closes in to become steep forested mountain beyond Ensay. From just north of Bruthen the valley opens out into fertile river flats for the remainder of the river's journey to Lake King. At Swan Reach,

2842-489: The river is traversed by the Princes Highway . The river flats support cropping, dairy and beef cattle grazing . Around Bindi the river channel is about 5 metres (16 ft) in width. By the Swifts Creek and Ensay region the river is up to 12 metres (39 ft) wide, with deep pools of up to 140 centimetres (55 in), and a substrate of rubble and gravel . In the steep forest sections between Ensay and Bruthen

2900-579: The river, while the Gippsland & Southern Rural Water Authority manages rural diversion and irrigation. Fisheries Victoria, a section of the Department of Primary Industries , manages the fish stocking and fisheries policy. Water is diverted from the river to be used as the main water supply for the town of Swifts Creek. It is also pumped from the river for town use in Bruthen, as well by private water users along

2958-664: The river. Secondary college In the United States , most local secondary education systems have separate middle schools and high schools . In the United Kingdom , most state schools and privately funded schools accommodate pupils between the ages of 11 and 16 or between 11 and 18; some UK private schools, i.e. public schools , admit pupils between the ages of 13 and 18. Secondary schools follow on from primary schools and prepare for vocational or tertiary education . In high and middle income countries, attendance

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3016-455: The routes along the river and valley were well used Aboriginal trails, although in places such as the section between Tambo Crossing and Bruthen, where the river is less accessible, the trails diverted through the mountains in a similar way to the current main road through this area. The lower reaches of the Tambo River around the estuary are popular for recreational boating, however the higher reaches are of limited use for this activity due to

3074-510: The significant tributary the Timbarra River typically get higher rainfalls. The Tambo and Timbarra have relatively reliable flows. There are some significant wetlands in the basin of the Tambo/ Nicholson River systems. The upper areas of the rivers include tall eucalyptus ash forests and alpine / subalpine vegetation, with the middle and lower reaches having a more low growing mixed species forest. The riparian vegetation in

3132-483: The terrain and the restricted river depth and width. Sections of the river, particularly around the estuary, are used for recreational fishing, however it considered to be of limited angling value for most of its length because of the scarcity of angling species. While some of the river's tributaries carry self-supporting populations of brown trout, the Tambo itself carries few trout south of Bindi, even despite extensive stocking up to 1974. With no physical barriers to

3190-492: The towns or localities of Bindi, Tongio, Swifts Creek , Ensay , Tambo Crossing , Bruthen , Tambo Upper, Swan Reach , and Johnsonville . The river leaves the mountains and the Mount Tambo Scenic Reserve forming its headwaters near the locality of Bindi, north of Swifts Creek, and from Bindi flows through the Tambo Valley to Bruthen. The Great Alpine Road picks up the route of the river at Tongio and follows

3248-428: The west at the town of the same name, Haunted Stream which enters from the west to the north of Tambo Crossing, with other minor tributaries including Junction Creek and Deep Creek. The central Tambo River area around Ensay and Swifts Creek have a mean annual rainfall of 500–700 millimetres (20–28 in), with the lower section of the basin around Bruthen getting 700–1,000 millimetres (28–39 in). Upper reaches of

3306-459: The work of reclaiming the track from years of neglect, and it is now an enjoyable walk suitable for most abilities. New specialised areas are being introduced, including a rain forest section, as well as craft resources, with an Indigenous section due shortly. Park benches and seating is being installed in August 2020, as well as a laid track. There are also six new stone cairns with a verse on each from

3364-476: Was renamed Swift's Creek in 1926. In the 1870s McLarty's Junction Hotel was established, and a small town with stores, service facilities, and a butter factory slowly grew up around the site. The butter factory was constructed in 1907 and eventually produced 50 tonnes per annum, with the majority being sent for sale in Melbourne. Due to unreliable seasons, the factory eventually closed down in 1946. The building

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