Toolshed History
An hour and a half drive from Melbourne and 45 minutes to Mount Baw Baw, you will travel through some spectacular lush country to get to Noojee, in West Gippsland. A town twice destroyed by bushfires, in 1928 and 1939. The journey is worth it.
On the banks of the Latrobe River among some of the tallest timber you'll see anywhere is The Toolshed Bar, Bistro and Cabins. Formally known as The Outpost Retreat.
An ama and resourceful country retreat with an interesting story.
The property, set on 145 acres was originally a dairy farm and The Restaurant was the old farmhouse that was built in the early 1900's. The property was purchased by a local family to run some extra cattle and build a house, but were told by council that there was already a house and therefore could not build. They argued there wasn't, but, after much searching. they found the farmhouse under a mass of blackberry bushes.
Picture shows the Hall, extreme left, church and garage in Henty Street. The 'case mill" in the middle and the now
Outpost and Toolshed bar on the hill.
Photos courtesy of Neil Smith.
They then decided to see if they could turn it into a restaurant and a local architect and builder came to look at it. It was a mess, riddled with white ant and rotting timber. With a lot of local help, timber from the property and materials from old clearing sales they put together what we have today.
The Toolshed Bar was originally the old Toolshed/Chookhouse but with the same local help and a lot of innovative thinking over many slabs of beer, they had The Toolshed Bar. Ninety year old pine trees were milled into bar benches and tables that are now part of the famous Toolshed.
​
Paddocks in Background are Evolt Linins Dairy Farm..
Now Known as The Outpost Toolshed Retreat Today