Tallangatta was founded in the 1870s, the Post Office opening on 15 May 1871. On the arrival of the railway it served as a rail gateway for the Mitta and Upper Murrayvalleys. A considerable amount of gold and tin mining occurred in the late 19th and early 20th century, though, unlike Beechworth, little evidence of this remains. While initially profitable, the mining generally ended because the deeper reefs contained not only gold but other metals, and mining technology at the time was not advanced enough to cope with these and extract the gold profitably. Since that time, Tallangatta has been a service centre for the local farming community, with a butter factory operating throughout much of the 20th century. Improved road transport links finally ended both the dairy and the rail link in the 1970s. The most distinctive aspect of the town's history is that it was moved to the west in the 1950s to a site known as Bolga to allow for the expansion of Lake Hume. Stories of the transition from old town to new town were captured in the 1988 book Slates and Suet Puddings by Carmyl Winkler. On 14 April 1955 the Post Office was renamed Tallangatta East and a new Tallangatta office opened at the new town location. The sign welcoming motorists to town reads "Tallangatta, the town that moved in the 1950s". The grid layout of the streets of Old Tallangatta are clearly visible in Google Earth. The Tallangatta Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.
Population
According to the 2016 Census the population of Tallangatta is 1,082, of which:
83.1% of people were born in Australia. 3.1% of the population was born in England, 1.2% in New Zealand, 0.9% in India, 0.8% in Germany and 0.7% in USA
The most common responses for religion were No Religion 28.1%, Anglican 22.9% Catholic 20.2%, and Uniting 8.4%.
Economy
Beef and dairy cattle farming is the dominant industry, with a small abattoir. In 2016, Tallangatta was declared a "Notable Town", by Heritage Australia. The main street is long for a town of its size and is quite unique. The unique architecture is home to a thriving retail and hospitality sector that contributes to local employment and tourism. Services include a small hospital, and two primary schools, a secondary school and an integrated childcare, library and community centre. A considerable number of residents now commute to work in Albury–Wodonga. The decline of the water frontage of Lake Hume, due to sporadic drought conditions and the privatisation of Australia waterways, has had an impact on the town. Although through new initiatives, such as the Tallangatta Tomorrow project funded by state government, the township is experiencing a new lease on life. There are several successful community focused initiatives operating within the township including The Hub, the Uniting Church Op Shop, Tallangatta Food Swap, Plasticwise Tallangatta, Boomerang Bags Tallangatta, and the Tallangatta Community Theatre Group. The town has a high proportion of retirees, with some elderly people cared for at Bolga Court Hostel. This heritage is celebrated in the popular annual Tallangatta Fifties Festival; however, as of June 2018, has ended due to financial concerns and feedback.
