Little Michelago in the Monaro, NSW, has seen its population boom as people seek a quiet, community-focused life.
Story + Photos Graham Gittins
With a population of 600, Michelago is located 800 metres above sea level in a valley between the Tinderry and Clear ranges, on the Monaro Highway between Canberra and Cooma. The school has two teachers and 38 students, and principal Clare Plummer says a third classroom and teacher may be needed soon to cope with growing student numbers.
The school began in 1868, a time when bushranger brothers Thomas and John Clarke terrorised Monaro farmers, traders, and residents by raiding mail coaches and local businesses. They held up the town’s Hibernian Hotel and, with other gang members, drank the village dry before riding off to their hide-out in the Tinderry ranges.
This story excerpt is from Issue #120
Outback Magazine: August/September 2018
