Swan Hill, Victoria: Travel guide and things to do

Jan 23 2015 at 1:14 PM

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Swan Hill is a well laid out city of some 10 000 people with a pleasant, garden-like main street, located at the eastern edge of the Mallee area in north-western Victoria. Here the Murray River meets the Little Murray River. Together they denote the eastern boundary of the settlement. The Murray proper forms the border with NSW and, as the town's Giant Murray Cod indicates, the river provides good opportunities for fishing, as well as boating and water sports. In all it extends 2530 km from north-eastern Victoria to the coast of South Australia, making it one of the longest navigable rivers in the world with a catchment area covering 14 per cent of the continent.

Swan Hill is 344 km north-west of Melbourne on the Murray Valley Highway and 70 m above sea-level. Its large saleyards indicate its role as a market centre for part of NSW's Riverina district, although irrigation has also led to the production, in the shire, of wheat, wool, citrus fruits, grapes, wine, dairy products, fat stock, fodder crops and maize. Local manufacturing centres on farm machinery.

Prior to European settlement the area is thought to have been occupied by the Wemba-wemba Aboriginal people. Surveyor and explorer, Thomas Mitchell, camped here in 1836 and gave the site its current European name. In his journal he writes of a 'shallow lagoon, where swans and other wild fowl so abounded that, although half a mile from our camp, their noise disturbed us through the night. I, therefore, named this somewhat remarkable and isolated feature, Swan-hill'. The Beveridge brothers established 'Tyntynder', the first European property in the district, around 1846.

A punt began operating at Swan Hill in 1847. It was the only point at which the Murray could be crossed within 160 km and this would remain the case until the 1930s. When the first punt sank the wood was salvaged and used to build the town's first hotel.

In 1853 Swan Hill was visited by Francis Cadell who here concluded a rather famous steamship voyage from the mouth of the Murray. Despite popular claim it was not the first such voyage but it did herald the start of the inland river trade and Swan Hill became the first major inland port. A wharf was built and remained in use until the 1920s (the remnants can still be seen on the riverbank along with a photograph and explanation plaque).

Swan Hill became a municipality in 1871. The river trade declined with the growth of the railways but the town received a new lease of life when the Mallee was cleared and developed for agricultural purposes. It became a borough in 1939 and a city in 1965.

The town hosts the Red Gum Festival in March, the Racing Cup Carnival in June, the Italian Fiesta and Fireworks in mid-July, the Inland Irrigated Wine Show in October and the Swan Hill Agricultural and Pastoral Show on the first Friday and Saturday of October.

Tourist Information Visitors can garner local information at the Swan Hill Development and Information Centre at 306 Campbell St which is open weekdays from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and on Saturday from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., tel: (03) 5032 3033, or, toll-free, 1800 625 373.

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Swan Hill, Victoria: Travel guide and things to do