Sights in The Murray River
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A
National Holden Museum
One for the rev-heads, this museum is devoted to Australia’s four-wheeled icon. There’s over 40 vehicles, from FJ to Monaro, as well as racing footage and photos.
reviewed
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Pioneer Settlement
Swan Hill’s major attraction, the Pioneer Settlement is an enjoyable re-creation of a paddle-steamer riverside port town. The dusty old-time streets feature shops, an old school and church, vintage car rides, Aboriginal keeping place and the fascinating Kaiser Stereoscope. PS Gem, one of the largest river boats to have served on the Murray, was being renovated at the time of research.
The paddle steamer PS Pyap makes one hour cruises along the Murray. Every night at dusk a 45-minute sound-and-light show brings the historic old town to life.
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Historic Port
The most wonderful thing about Echuca is its Historic Port. Attractions are spread along the waterfront, and you buy a passport at the entrance that admits you to the three main sections: Echuca Wharf, the Star Hotel and the Bridge Hotel. Everything is original – you’re exploring living history as you walk along the pedestrian-only Murray Esplanade. Complimentary (and very entertaining) guided tours with Buster and Rocky the cocky set out from the gift shop.
reviewed
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B
Mildura Arts Centre & Rio Vista
The excellent Mildura Arts Centre & Rio Vista complex combines an art gallery, theatre and historical museum at Rio Vista, a former home of pioneer William B Chaffey. This grand homestead has been beautifully preserved. The interior is set up as a series of displays depicting 19th-century life, with period furnishings, costumes, photos and an interesting collection of memorabilia. The adjacent modern gallery features changing exhibitions.
reviewed
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Old Psyche Bend Pump Station
The Old Psyche Bend Pump Station is where Chaffey set up his system to supply irrigation and drainage over 115 years ago. The system is still used, except the pumps are electric now and placed a bit further up the river. You can walk around the old centrifugal pumps and Chaffey’s triple-expansion steam-engine pump. The old pumps run on special occasions; ask at the visitors centre.
reviewed
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Historic Port of Echuca
Echuca's star attraction is the old port area, where paddle steamers dock and you really feel transported back to the heyday of the river. It's not a theme park – everything here is original.
In the wharf's cargo shed, dioramas depict life on the river boats and restored historic paddle steamers are moored alongside the wharf. Across the road at the Star Hotel (1867) you can escape through the underground tunnel that helped drinkers avoid the police when the pub was a 'sly grog shop'.
At the Bridge Hotel, built by Harry Hopwood in 1859, your ticket admits you to a historic upstairs recreation of a 19th-century home. Downstairs the Bridge is a pub and restaurant.
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Bonegilla Migrant Experience
For 24 years from the end of WWII, Bonegilla, 10km east of Wodonga, was Australia’s first migrant reception centre, providing accommodation and training for some 320,000 migrants. At the Bonegilla Migrant Experience you can visit some of the preserved buildings and see photos and historical references.
reviewed
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C
Langtree Hall Museum
Dating from 1889, the Langtree Hall Museum was the region's first public hall and is an important link in Mildura's Heritage. A hodge-podge of memorabilia is on display here including an impressive collection of dolls, an assortment of toys, old christening gowns and musical instruments.
reviewed
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D
Old Mildura Homestead
Along the river near Rio Vista, this cottage was the first home of William B Chaffey. The heritage park here contains a few other historic log buildings and has picnic and barbecue facilities.
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Olson Pheasant Farm
For one fabulous jaunt, get a map and drive out to Olson Pheasant Farm, where game birds are reared, native birds are on display and peacocks wander around looking gorgeous. Take a picnic or ring ahead if you’d like lunch.
reviewed
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Army Museum Bandiana
The Army Museum Bandiana displays a variety of war weaponry, items from missions, and documents. The old cars are magnificent. There’s Buick and Holden staff cars, Chevrolet and Dodge trucks, carriages, motorbikes.
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Lake Boga Flying Boat Museum
The famous Catalina flying boat A24-30 is on display, outside a secret communications bunker, just 16km away at Lake Boga Flying Boat Museum. Flying boats were repaired at Lake Boga during WWII.
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E
Bridge Hotel
At the Bridge Hotel, built by Harry Hopwood in 1859, your ticket admits you to a historic upstairs re-creation of a 19th-century home. Downstairs the Bridge is a pub, restaurant and coffee shop.
reviewed
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Great Aussie Beer Shed
The Great Aussie Beer Shed is a wall-to-wall shrine to beer cans – mostly Australian – in a huge shed; it’s the result of 30 years of collecting and one dates back to Federation.
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Tyntyndyer Homestead
Tyntyndyer Homestead, 16km north of town, has a small museum and many reminders of the hardships of colonial life, such as the wine cellar! Visit at other times by appointment.
reviewed
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F
Echuca Historical Museum
Classified by the National Trust, Echuca Historical Museum is in the old police station and lock-up. It has a collection of local history items, charts and photos.
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Murray River Gallery
Murray River Gallery, an Aboriginal fine-art gallery, helps you read the message in each piece (art was used for story-telling in the past).
reviewed
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G
Sharp’s Magic Movie House & Penny Arcade
This has authentic penny-arcade machines and free fudge tasting. The movie house shows old movies using original equipment. Your ticket is valid all day.
reviewed
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Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery
The Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery, opposite the Pioneer Settlement Museum, concentrates on the works of contemporary artists.
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Common School Museum
The Common School Museum has an amazing range of weights and measures, local inventions, period pieces and school equipment.
reviewed
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Raverty’s Motor Museum
Car buffs see Raverty’s Motor Museum, where vehicles date from 1900.
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H
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I
Rio Vista & Mildura Arts Centre
Chaffey's grand homestead, the historic Queen Ann–style Rio Vista, has been beautifully preserved and restored with each room set up as a series of historical displays depicting colonial life in the 19th century, with period furnishings, costumes, photos and a collection of letters and memorabilia.
In the same complex, the Mildura Arts Centre and theatre was closed for major redevelopment at the time of writing and due to reopen late in 2011.
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Star Hotel/Theatre
Star Hotel/Theatre was once the centrepiece of Chiltern’s social and cultural life. The grapevine in the courtyard is in the Guinness World Records as the largest in the southern hemisphere – you can sneak a peek down the laneway at the side.
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Lake View Homestead
Lake View Homestead was built in 1870 and overlooks Lake Anderson. It was the home of Henry Handel (Florence Ethel) Richardson, who wrote about life here in the book Ultima Thule (1929), the third part of her trilogy The Fortunes of Richard Mahony (1930).
reviewed
