Tarpeena is a town and a locality on the Riddoch Highway between Penola and Mount Gambier in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia.

The town was named by Governor MacDonnell, after the aboriginal words tart pena which means red gum tree.

[1] Pastoralists entered the area in the 1840s and soon established sheep stations for wool.

[6] With the improvement in transport and the road system Tarpeena has become largely a dormitory suburb of the regional centre of Mount Gambier but the timber mill is still a valuable part of the infrastructure and helps the post office remain viable with the trade generated from over 700 employees.

[4][3][1] After 106 years, the primary school in Tarpeena closed in 2011 due to diminished enrolment.