First exploration of the Cohuna district was made by Major Mitchell in 1836.
One tree marked on the expedition is still in existence on the Barr Creek at Koroop, and his camping place at Wee Wee Rup is now a picnic area, accessible from the Murray Valley Highway.

He was followed by over-landers taking cattle from Sydney to South Australia, and in the early 1840’s squatters were able to take up leases in the area.
The two main stations in the Cohuna District were Gannawarra and Gunbower.

In 1874, many of these leases were thrown open for selection in 320 acre blocks, and in 1875 the village of Cohuna was gazetted. It began with a hotel, blacksmith’s shop, post office and by 1900 only a couple of stores and a creamery had been added.

The name ‘Cohuna’ is on aboriginal word meaning “Native Companion (Brolga)”. It has a population of 2,200 people (4,319 in the whole shire) and is 270 Kms from Melbourne and 80.5 m above sea level.

The township of Leitchville was one of the last to be established in the area, it was named after Duncan Leitch, one time manager of Gunbower Station. The site was gazetted until 1927.

In the early 1900’s the coming of closer settlers to small farming blocks in the surrounding district, due to irrigation, gave the town of Cohuna a new impetus.
Many new shops were built to meet the needs of these new settlers.
In 1915 the railway reached the town, and in 1922 Cohuna become a separate Shire, previously it had formed a part of the Shire of Kerang.

Cohuna is the centre of a mainly dairying area, with beef, fat lamb and pig production carried on as well.
Mechanisation has made milking much simpler and this district has several 50 unit rotary cow sheds, milking over 400 cows each.

For more information on the history of the Cohuna district please contact the Cohuna Historical Society on (03)5456 2713 or view their website by clicking here.