[Major Towns] Bairnsdale [Population] 13,240 [Key facts] Bairnsdale is the gateway to two of Victoria's most rugged and untouched regions: the Victorian High Country, and the vast Gippsland Lakes. The town is the main commercial centre for the region's wool, dairy, agriculture and timber industries.
The major vegetable growing area of the Mitchell Valley and the surrounding sheep, cattle and dairying districts. Timber is also an important industry in the area. Retail, hospitality, tourism and service industries and education are major employer sectors in Bairnsdale.