A view of Noorat. Picture: Supplied
NESTLED next to an extinct volcano is Australia’s forgotten town that technically doesn’t exist.
Noorat, in south west Victoria about 210km from Melbourne, lost its status as a town in 2012 after its population dipped below 200.
According to the 2011 census, the population of the town was only 167 and it was stripped of its town title not long after.
Abandoned shops line the empty streets, but Noorat has more heart than most communities.
Those who live there are fighting to get Noorat back on the map and show people it’s a place worth living.
In Noorat, there’s a cafe, pub, a post office and lonely petrol pump, but locals say that’s all they need.
The Mt Noorat Hotel. Picture: Michael LeoSource:Supplied
Michael Leo, who owns the Mt Noorat Hotel with his partner Richard, chucked in the corporate towel about a year and a half ago.
He was working in PR for Peter Alexander but wanted a simpler life and traded the pink pyjamas for a country flanny.
Richard’s parents lived in Noorat and when the pub came up for sale the men decided it would be a good endeavour.
“There is real community here, it’s an interesting and creative place,” Mr Leo told news.com.au.
His pub sits at the bottom of an extinct volcano, a place that attracts visitors who like to hike to the rim.
The walking track at Mt Noorat. Picture: Michael LeoSource:Supplied
Despite only 190 people now living in the town, Mr Leo said he was still meeting people he hadn’t seen around before.
“But if you do something, people know about it very quickly,” he said.
Mr Leo hoped more people would see the beauty that lies within Noorat, and revive the boarded up stores that have since become workshops and garages.
“I’d love to see them filled with something, I think a little baker or even a little vintage store,” he said.
You’d catch the locals on a Friday night having a yarn over a pot of beer and a slice of pizza or on a Saturday morning sipping coffee at The Shed cafe.
“I do miss Melbourne but I’m so busy it’s not something I can dwell on for very long,” Mr Leo said.
“But for us we never could have had the opportunity in Melbourne to buy a 100-year-old pub.
“We probably do better than some places in Melbourne on the weekend, it’s not uncommon to have a dining room full of 80 people.”
Vicki Marr, who is the Noorat Show secretary, didn’t think the town should have lost its status back in 2012.
“It’s just a number,” she told news.com.au.
“What makes a town a town? According to statisticians yes, it is a number that loses township, but there’s a lot more to a town than a number. It’s the people who live there and it comes back to community spirit.”
As far as Ms Marr is concerned, the town didn’t change after it technically didn’t exist anymore.
“In fact I think it’s gone ahead,” she said.
Ms Marr said cities had its place, but she’s always ready to escape back to the fresh country air and sound of birds.
She never gets caught in traffic, unless of course she finds herself behind a tractor.
She said the people who lived in Noorat were friendly and always willing to help each other out.
“The community spirit is very much alive and everybody gets in and does their bit,” she said.