Week 6 - Crossing the Mighty Murray River

The rain continued over night and the next day, so we didn't go the little roads to the see the other murals – hopefully next time. Despite the rain we made good time and easily found the camp for the next two days, only to find it was already full and there was no room for us. We looked at a few other camps along the river but decided because of the rain and the fact we did need to do some washing, we decided to stay in a caravan park. There were a number to choose from in the area, and we chose Ball Park at Corowa– right on the Murray River. We did get a site overlooking the river, but it was very muddy with little grass. On the other hand, there is no one either side of us, and we are very close to the amenities. After lunch we headed to the Corowa Whisky and Chocolate Factory to meet a FB friend. It was great to finally met Nicole after all these years on FB. Nicole told us a history of the distillery and places to go to, especially the lovely wineries. The Corowa Whisky and Chocolate Factory is located in an old flour mill built in 1920/21 and operated up until 1969. It lay empty until 2010 when cleaning and renovations began to make this attraction what it is. The chocolate is actually made in Junee and toppings and flavours are added here. The whisky is made on site, and we didn't get a taste of it, probably due to the lateness of the time of day. The whisky is sourced from local barley and is apparently a lighter, fruity whisky. There is also The Mill Cafe on site, and we enjoyed coffee and moscato. A place to come back to.

Corowa is known as the 'Birthplace of Federation' – so that makes three birthplaces of Federation now: Tenterfield; Parkes; and now Corowa! Apparently it was at a conference held in Corowa in 1893 by the Federation League of Australia. It was at this conference that a motion was accepted that all future conference delegates should be elected by the people, in stead of the governments, and a constitution should be drawn up to submit to the people. Now, if only we could get away from

preferential voting!!!! (My opinion!!) This is also the place where at another conference took place in 1902, and the River Murray Commission was set up.

The area was originally inhabited by the Bangerang people, and Europeans settled in the 1850's. Charles Sturt is believed to have been one of the early settlers. The first sizable property in the area was a run known as Wahgunyah Run, and was owned by John Foord. The Victorian side of the Murray is known as Wahgunyah, and Corowa was originally known as North Wahgunyah as it was on the New South Wales side. As a port town on the Murray, the growth of the town can be attributed to the discovery of gold in Beechworth in 1852, and then Rutherglen goldfields in 1859, and the need for food and supplies for the goldfields. A toll bridge was constructed near the present 'new' bridge, and later demolished in 1892. The 'old' iron bridge, built in 1892, still stands and is one lane traffic regulated by traffic lights. Nicole told us the famous Australian painting, Shearing the Rams was painted by Tom Roberts in 1889-90 in Corowa.

From Corowa one can do many day trips. We left Jonnie happy in the van playing his playstation, and we headed off to Rutherglen. Our plan was to visit the town, the cemetery, some wineries and some free camps. First stop was the information centre located in an old building. They had cemetery records there and we could find no Lynn family, so we crossed off the cemetery visit. I did find Matthew Lynn in the electoral roll for Rutherglen, so I hope to find some other information once I'm home.

We picked up a free card to the State Gold Battery. I wasn't aware we were still in the Victorian Goldfields, but we were. During mid 1860 the town of Rutherglen swelled to over 30,000 and like many other gold towns there were many hotels. After the gold rush and when gold was dwindling the area became the wine growing area of Victoria, with the earliest vines being planted in the 1850's. At the Gold Battery we watched an informative video and could see the actual equipment through a clear window. The battery was built in 1908 to help smaller gold miners crush the quartz to find the gold. Maybe my ancestor was one of the miners using this battery. The battery ran from 1908 to 1994, and was restored in 2010 for the 150^th Anniversary of discovery of gold.

We headed back to the Murray River to look at the free camps along the river, some were very lovely, like the Police Paddocks, and the others were ok. There were already campers setting up big areas in readiness for Easter weekend. From there we went to All Saints Estate, as recommended by Nicole. Wow, a castle, and such lovely rose gardens. All Saints Estate was established in 1864 and I believe is still family run. One section of the winery building is dedicated to the history of the family and the vineyard. We hadn't planned wine tasting, but we did enjoy it. Lovely fortified wines.

We went back to Corowa and got some groceries from Woolies, and back to the van for a lovely 'Peter' roast chicken dinner.

The next day we had a lovely drive along the NSW side of the Murray River to Albury. We drove through the centre of Albury, which we have not done before. It looks lovely, so it is on our list to visit again and spend more time. Not to far north of Albury is Table Top and Ettamogah Pub. We had planned on staying here and having dinner in the pub, but it does not serve meals Monday or Tuesday, so we showed Jonnie around – it really is interesting, a great overnighter, and must see – and thought we would have a coffee and hot chocolates. Well, they had run out of coffee and the young fellow working wasn't sure how to make hot chocolate, so we didn't bother.

We were not sure where we would stay, and ended up in Junee at the Golf Club. We arrived about 2.30 and luckily they were serving lunch as there was a function on – bonus, as normally the kitchen is closed Monday and Tuesday. We had a lovely meal and settled in to watch the sunset, with campers we had met in Benalla. Peter and Jonnie went for a bike ride into town and I did some sewing. This is a great camp, it has toilets with a code for when the club is closed and it is lovely and quiet. I think 2-3 nights are allowed at $10 a night, and power is available for extra $'s.

The next morning we headed off north, again not knowing where we would be staying, but having a number of places picked out. We did pass some lovely spots, which we may or may not come back to, and ended up in Lyndhurst Recreation Grounds. What a great spot. There is room for 8 vans, and sites have been marked out. There was already one van there and another came a couple of hours after us. We decided that because it was Easter the following weekend, that we would stay here or Easter and do some day trips. This is a donation camp and has a tennis court with racquets and balls; cricket nets, and oval, an old gas BBQ hut that is not working - but money has been raised to build a new one, and there is a keep fit exercise area. Great place for overnight, or longer. We are hoping for some footie on the oval on the weekend to watch. That never happened.

The following days we drove through some beautiful little villages, starting with the one we are staying in. Lyndhurst was established in 1861, and was proclaimed a village in 1885. It is famous for the discovery of gold at Junction Reefs; and also for being on the list of ten towns considered for the national capital – before Canberra was chosen.

Only three short kilometres is the village of Mandurama. The name Mandurama means 'water hole' in Wiradjuri, and it was established in 1876 as a village for the workers of the Icely family. The first settler to the area was Thomas Icely. His property, Coombing Park, was established in 1825 and in 1827 he took possession of further properties and with the assistance of about 62 convicts the property, which still remains, was completed. Thomas left the property to his son in 1862, as he was concerned about bushrangers in the area. He moved to 'Elizabeth Farm' (Parramatta?). In 1863, bushranger Ben Hall did attack the property and stole a thoroughbred horse and shot a stable hand. William Whitney, a partner in Cobb and Co coaches purchased Coombing Park in 1881. Today it is still preserved and a private homestead. All the streets in Mandurama are named after some of the original orchards: Cherry, Loquat, Olive, and Peach Streets, and to reflect the early mining in the area – Gold, Silver, and Copper Streets. There are a few older building and a couple of churches in the few back streets, but the main street – Mid Western Hwy – has many old and what looks like abandoned buildings.

Next town along the highway was Carcoar. Well, I can say it rivals Gulgong and Walhalla as a preserved old (and also gold mining) town. It was established in 1839 and is the third oldest town west of the Blue Mountains, and is classified by the National Trust. It was first settled in 1821 and had much land owed by Thomas Icely. It was established on the Belubula River and one of the main streets is Belubula. Belubula mens 'stoney river in Wiradjuri. We walked the heritage walk and it was so worthwhile. Maps can be obtained from the PO Mon – Fri. Carcoar was the scene of the first ever daylight bank robbery in Australia. In 1863, bushrangers Gilbert and O'Meally - believed to be part of Ben Hall's gang - attempted to rob the Commercial Bank.

There is also a free camp at the old railway station, established in 1876. There is a lovely park at the end of Belubula Street, 'Kurt Fearnly Park', named after Paralympian and marathon gold medallist, who grew up in Carcoar. Near the park on the street is a shelter that has Everything about the town is old. There is one (soon to be two) coffee shops and a pub, and some interesting shops in Belubula street. The churches and cemetery at the top of the hill are well worth a visit. Across the bridge is another coffee shop and a museum as well as the old railway station (free camp) and some old building including a hospital museum, that campers near us said was very worthwhile, and the tour included an in-depth report of the autopsy of bushranger Ben Hall. Will have to Google that when we have more data!! There are many museums in Carcoar, and we saw the Toy Museum, Courthouse Museum, Hospital Museum, and there is also the Stoke Stable Museum, and Military Museum. Carcoar has been the site of many movies and television shows, including the Tenterfield Saddler – and the blacksmith's did look like the real one in Tenterfield.

The largest town in the area is Blayney. Established in 1843, it flourished with the discovery of gold. It is not known how the name Blayney came about. One theory is it was named after an Irish shepherd named Blayney who looked after a station near Kings Plains. Another is that it was named after Blayney Castle in Ireland. Another is that Lord Blayney's death had just been announced when the village was being surveyed. The town has an IGA and is spread out. Pick up a heritage walk brochure from the information centre. The buildings range from 1862.

Millthorpe was only a short drive from Blayney so we decided to visit there. This is another town caught in time. Makes me wonder how many of these towns are in Australia. Millthorpe is in a heritage conservation area and has been relatively unchanged since the early 1900's. Established in 1867, and originally known as Spring Grove, it was renamed Millthorpe by 1884. Our fist stop was the old railway station, established in 1886, and helped to build the town. Many warehouses were built around the station to house the large amount of produce to be sent to Sydney by train. These warehouses along with the mill, which the town was named after (village with a mill), are no longer there. The railway station is now a cafe and craft shop. Another heritage-listed conservation area, the town is lost in time and well worth a visit. John Lister, the discoverer of the first gold field in Australia, is buried in Millthorpe cemetery.

On the way back to Lyndhurst we did a detour to Carcoar Dam and Wind Farm. Carcoar Dam is another free camp site. The sites are not level, but the view is lovely. There is one amenities block, and boating and swimming are allowed in the dam. We will be trying this one at some stage.

One of the days we went for a drive to some other lake side camps – very primitive, and at a cost of $10 per person we don't think we would ever stay there. However, the view from the lookout where we had lunch was great.

The rest of the time we spent in the camp relaxing.

Homeward Bound

After spending time with our family, Day 16 of our trip saw us heading to the Macedon Ranges and the town of Kyneton, to visit some more family. We found the free camp, Mineral Springs, north of the town. It was lovely and situated in a park beside the Campaspe River. There are toilets and a dump point, although it was overflowing when we were there. It is only a short walk from one end of the park to the other, and there are two mineral spring pumps where one can fill up their drink bottles. We didn't, although I tasted the water and it tasted 'different'. There are limited RV parking sites, so one needs to get there early. We got there about 4pm and an hour later all the sites were taken.

The town of Kyneton is historic and was established in the 1830's as a traveller's stop, and came into prominence during the 1850's Gold Rush, as it is on the way to the gold fields at Castlemaine and Bendigo. Kyneton also became the center for agriculture with the establishment of many flour mills.

The next morning we left our lovely camp at Kyneton Mineral Springs and had a wonderful visit with family before heading north via Castlemaine. We didn't spend a lot of time walking around Kyneton, but will go back when it is warmer and spend more time there. There appears to be two main streets that are filled with many historic buildings. It is also not far from the famous Hanging Rock.

We only had a quick drive around Bendigo, and topped up with fuel. We had intended staying north of Bendigo, however when we arrived at Huntly Lion Park there was not a lot of room left, so we decided to drive a further 78 km to Echuca. At Echuca we stayed at the Rotary Park on the banks of the Campaspe River.

This is a donation park – suggested $5 – and has town water for filling up water tanks. It has a lot of historic buildings around the outside of the oval and plenty of self-contained caravan parking.

It was so lovely, and we had never been to Echuca before so we decided to stay an extra night and do some exploring.

Echuca is situated on the Murray River. The Murray is 2,560km long and forms much of the border between N.S.W. And Victoria. Echuca and Moama were founded by ex-convicts. In 1845 James Maiden established a punt crossing and inn on the northern side of the Murray. The area became known as Maiden's Punt. In 1851 the area became known as Moama, meaning 'place of the dead'. Henry Hopwood arrived on the southern side of the river in 1850 and set up a rival punt and inn in 1853. The area became known as Echuca, meaning 'meeting of the waters', in 1854. It was Hopwood who suggested a river port to aid river trade, and by 1891 Echuca was the largest inland port. A ship building industry was soon established and was supported by many sawmills. It was not until the establishment and expansion of the railways that the paddle-steamers started to decline.

Our first stop the next morning was to the historic wharf area. There was plenty of parking, and we had a look at the choice of paddle-steamer cruises and chose the PS Alexander Arbuthnot. The ship is named after the former owner of Arbuthnot Sawmills, where the ship was built, Alexander James Cooke Arbuthnot. It was built in 1916 and served as a barge, moving logs. In 1923 she was fitted with an engine, boiler and super structure and started life as a working steamer. She worked until the 1940's. Today she cruises daily and is only one of two original paddle steamers at Echuca. The cruise was good. We sat up the front, which we thought was the best place, as Peter chatted to the ship's captain. The commentary included the history of many of the paddle-steamers that were moored along the banks. What was really interesting with this cruise was the fact that one walks along the length of the original wharf and actually walk through a section of restored original wharf. The other cruises leave from jetty's further up stream. PS Arbuthnot was well worth the $25 ($22 for seniors).

Port of Echuca Discovery Centre is also well worth a visit. One can combine the PS Arbuthnot and PS Pevensey (used in the TV Series 'All the Rivers Run) cruises with entry to the Discovery Centre and safe about $4. There are interactive displays, a working steam engine, saw mill display, the old wharf and railway station. Guided tours are also available.

We walked along High St and marveled at the number of restored historic buildings. Most had information plaques attached to the buildings. This restoration and public information boards has made Echuca a tourist town today. Kelly's Fine Furniture started life as an office for J. Shacknell. Shacknell came to Echuca in 1863 and build this building in 1879. His company occupied the building until 1935. Shacknell proved a challenge for Hopwood's businesses and set up many opposition businesses. 

Next door, the lower floor was also built by Shacknell in 1866. It was used as a store. The upper floor was added in 1872. A Heritage Walk pamphlet can be obtained from the Visitor Information Centre, and information boards are attached to the historic buildings.

In the afternoon we drove to some free camps along the Victorian side of the river. The views were perfect, but we wouldn't take our van there. We would much rather pay the $5 a night at the Rotary Park. Echuca is a place we will come back to - probably many times.