town, southeastern Victoria, Australia, situated in the Latrobe Valley of west Gippsland. It was founded in 1861, near the short Morwell River, and gazetted a shire in 1892. After 1916, with the development of the valley's vast open-cut brown-coal deposits, Morwell was transformed from a small rural settlement into an industrial town (one of a series in the valley, including Moe, Yallourn, and Traralgon) producing electrical power and briquettes. Other manufactures include wood pulp, paper, and textiles. The hinterland supports beef, dairy, and sheep farming. The town is connected by rail to Melbourne, 85 mi (137 km) to the northwest, and is the junction of the Midland and Prince's highways. Pop. (2001) urban centre, 13,823.