Sale is a town of 13,350 people situated 214km east of Melbourne. The town is located at the head of the Thomson River, above the junction with the Latrobe River, and is the gateway to the Gippsland Lakes. The town has a modern shopping centre and a growing economy as a result of the Longford Oil/Gas installation and the associated Bass Strait Oil fields. Industries in Sale include the BTR Nylex factory, the West Sale Aviation facility and the RAAF military base at East Sale. Grazing, dairying, agriculture and fruit growing are still important local industries and give the town its special rural character.