Michelago is a locality in the Monaro region of
New South Wales, Australia. The locality is in the
Snowy Monaro Regional Council local
government area, 54 kilometres (34 mi) south
of Canberra on the Monaro Highway.
Michelago was founded in the 1820s, on the
main route from Sydney to the Snowy
Mountains. At the 2006 census, Michelago had
a population of 795.
Michelago is situated in a valley between two
mountain ranges, the Tinderry Range to the
East and the Clear Range to the west. A road
crosses the Tinderrys from Michelago, leading
ultimately to the 1950s silver mining settlement
Captains Flat. The highest peaks in the
picturesque Tinderry Range reach
approximately 1600m above sea level, while
Michelago itself has an elevation of around
800m. The Murrumbidgee River separates the
village from the Clear Range. The Michelago
Creek passes through the village, and is a
source of water for the residents. Its catchment
area is in the Tinderry Range, and after passing
the town the creek flows into the
Murrumbidgee River. It has been claimed that
Michelago represents the territorial divide
between white-backed and black-backed
magpies on the Monaro Highway from
Canberra to Cooma.