The town is on the Great Alpine Road between Omeo and Ensay, 379 kilometres (235 mi) east of the state capital Melbourne and 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level.

[3] True to this name, mobs of large eastern grey kangaroos still frequent the town, especially at night when they are often seen feeding by the roadside, and on the local football ground and primary school oval.

[4] In the 1870s McLarty's Junction Hotel was established, and a small town with stores, service facilities, and a butter factory slowly grew up around the site.

Around this time, Jack (John Arthur) Ezard built the Swifts Creek sawmill, which provided the stable economy the town needed to move on from its gold mining beginnings.

The Pentarch Group acquired the sawmill in June 2021 and the mill specialises in making wood pallets out of low grade local mountain ash timber.

Besides this, the major employers in town are now the local branch of the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), the Bush Nurses Centre and the government primary and secondary schools.

There are also a number of small retail outlets and services, including a hotel, general store, gallery, cafe, bakery and post office.

The town itself offers limited tourist accommodation, including flats associated with the hotel and a newly renovated caravan park on the Tambo River (book through the IGA store).

The Poet's Walk is a 1.2 km stretch of Crown Land that forms a walkable track beginning at the Police Station off the Great Alpine Road at the northern end of the township and following Swifts Creek to the junction with the Tambo River.

In 2017, a group of local volunteers began the work of reclaiming the track from years of neglect, and it is now an enjoyable walk suitable for most abilities.

The school, in particular the Tambo Campus, caters to students from the surrounding towns of Ensay, Cassilis, Omeo, and Benambra, as well as Swifts Creek itself.

Students who finish Year 12 at the school usually move to nearby Bairnsdale for tertiary education facilities mainly in the TAFE sector, or to Melbourne or other cities, to attend university.

In October 2023, Omeo District Health announced that Swifts Creek would not have a General Practitioner, instead relying Bush Nurse service with an ambulance.

The affiliated Swifts Creek Netball Club also has a long and successful history, and wears a blue top with red skirt.