▁that ▁the ▁Ab original s ▁described ▁the ▁bay ▁as ▁Dj ill ong ▁and ▁land ▁as ▁Cor ay o , ▁suggesting ▁orig ins ▁for ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁Ge el ong ▁and ▁Cor io . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁was ▁originally ▁named ▁Kennedy ' s ▁Creek ▁but ▁was ▁also ▁given ▁several ▁different ▁names ▁including ▁D uck ▁P onds , ▁H ov ell ' s ▁Creek , ▁Ch ed dar , ▁Sw ind on ▁and ▁L ara ▁Lake . ▁The ▁area ▁of ▁L ara ▁was ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁few ▁far ms ▁at ▁this ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁railway ▁through ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 7 ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁local ▁railway ▁station , ▁with ▁several ▁sub div isions ▁then ▁announced . ▁A ▁Post ▁Office ▁opened ▁on ▁ 1 ▁March ▁ 1 8 5 8 ▁as ▁D uck ▁P onds , ▁renamed ▁H ov ell ' s ▁Creek ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁and ▁finally ▁L ara ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 . ▁The ▁population ▁grew ▁to ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁by ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁and ▁several ▁facilities ▁like ▁schools ▁and ▁churches ▁were ▁built , ▁but ▁a ▁municipal ▁water ▁supply ▁was ▁not ▁completed ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁ 1 7 ▁people ▁were ▁killed ▁in ▁bush f ires ▁which ▁rav aged ▁L ara . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁vict ims ▁were ▁tra pped ▁by ▁the ▁fast - mov ing ▁grass ▁fire ▁while ▁trav elling ▁on ▁the ▁Prin ces ▁Highway