Explore the Mildura region's unique history.

Explore our region’s unique history including early irrigation settlement of the region, wartime happenings and post war soldier settlement.

Your day at a glance - Day 1 Mildura Visitor Information Centre Open Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm, Weekends 9am-5pm, Closed Christmas Day. T: 1800 039 043 RAAF Memorial and Museum Open: Friday-Sunday 10am-2pm or by appointment. T: 03 5022 7691 Millewa Pioneer Park and Village Open: Daily. T: 0474 724 389 The Shed Café Red Cliffs Open: Monday to Thursday 6am- 2pm, Friday, 6am- 3pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am- 2pm. T: 03 50242491 Big Lizzie Mildura and District Historical Society Open: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 11am- 4pm. T: 03 5022 0172 Feast Street (Langtree Avenue)

Day 1

Start your day at the Mildura Visitor Information Centre (180-190 Deakin Avenue, Mildura) where you will learn about the town and region, from its original inhabitants to contemporary life. Head into the theatrette to learn more about the history and vitality of the Mildura region.

From there, it’s time to take to sky, or the airport in any case, with a visit to the RAAF Memorial and Museum (31 Allan Mathews Drive, Mildura). During World War Two, Mildura Airport was home to the RAAF 2 Operational Training Unit (2OTU) and saw some 1,247 pilots successfully trained here. Join one of the free guided tours to take a walk back through time and gain a unique insight into the experiences of the men and women of 2OTU through the display of authentic memorabilia and photographs.

Head off to the Millewa Pioneer Park and Village (Millewa Road, Meringur), around 90km from Mildura, to discover how our pioneers lived and the challenging circumstances they faced as they built homes and farms. Chat to the guides and explore more than 50 sites of historical buildings with visual hands-on displays of early Millewa District history and lifestyle.

Insider Tips

• For a full immersion in the region’s history, follow The Chaffey Trail (ask for a map at the Mildura Visitor Information Centre). 
• Plan a trip to Red Cliffs on the first Sunday of the month to take in the markets as well as all the heritage sites. 
• Have a family connection to the region? Call into the Mildura and District Genealogical Society (74 Deakin Avenue, Mildura) and the knowledgeable research officers will help you with your search. Open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, 11am-4pm, T: 03 5022 0172

Head back into town via Red Cliffs and stop in at The Shed Café (59 Jacaranda Street, Red Cliffs) for a late lunch. Then it’s on to visit Big Lizzie (Barclay Square, Calder Highway, Red Cliffs), a 45 tonne prime mover tractor, constructed in 1915 to replace camel trains which carried wool and other heavy loads on sandy terrain. Big Lizzy left Melbourne with two trailers in 1916, bound for Broken Hill, and after a long and colourful journey arrived in Mildura where floodwaters prevented it from completing the journey. Its owner Frank Bottrill sought work in the area, and in 1921 commenced clearing scrub to make way for the Red Cliffs irrigation area, a role Big Lizzie carried out until 1924.

Next head to the Mildura and District Historical Society (74 Deakin Avenue, Mildura) housed in the historic Carnegie Centre which was erected in 1908. The Society was formed in 1955 and since then, volunteers have spent hours upon hours collecting, cataloguing and documenting all that is historically significant. Wander through the displays and ask the volunteer staff any historical queries you have. You never know what you’ll find out!

Finish the day with a meal in one of the many eateries in Feast Street (Langtree Avenue, between Seventh and Eighth Streets).

Your day at a glance - Day 2 Shippy’s Café Open: Monday to Friday 7am- 2pm, Saturday and Sunday 7am-3pm. T: 0418 132 175 Mildura Station Homestead & Homestead Cemetery Open: Daily. T: 03 5018 8330   Lock 11 & Mildura Weir Open: Daily   Vista Café Bar Open: Daily 10am- 4pm. T: 03 5018 8330  Rio Vista Historic House Open: Daily 10am-4pm  Mildura Holden Motor Museum Open: Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am-4pm. T: 0408 830 989 Langtree Hall Museum Open: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 11am-4pm. T: 03 5021 3090 Chateau Mildura Winery Open: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm. T: 03 5024 5901  Psyche Pumps Open: Tuesday and Thursday 1pm-4pm, Sunday 10.30am-12.30pm. Pump running days are New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Queens Birthday weekend (Sunday) and the middle Sunday of the Victorian September school holidays. T: 03 5024 5637  Irymple Hotel Open: Daily. Lunch 11.30am- 2.30pm, Dinner 5.30pm- 8.30pm. T: 03 5024 5506

Day 2

Pick up breakfast from Shippy’s Café and head down to the Mildura Station Homestead and Homestead Cemetery (278 Cureton Avenue, Mildura). The precinct is a reconstruction of the property of the first Mildura Station established by the Jamieson brothers in 1847, and purchased later by the Chaffey family. Alongside the homestead grounds is Mildura’s earliest cemetery, which includes graves of some early pioneers and members of the Chaffey family.

Explore another of the Chaffey brothers’ legacies, Lock 11 and Mildura Weir (Hugh King Drive, Mildura). The Chaffey’s shared vision and desire to have water permanently accessible for irrigation and river transport was fulfilled through a series of locks and weirs along the Murray. The Mildura Weir is the only one on the Murray River where the lock and weir are separated by an island. Time your visit so you can see the PS Melbourne pass through the lock (approximately 10.55am, 12.45pm, 1.55pm and 3.45pm on normal schedules).

Stop in at the Vista Café Bar for lunch before taking in the Rio Vista Historic House (199 Cureton Avenue, Mildura). Built in 1890 by W.B. Chaffey as his family home, Rio Vista (which means River View) was designed as a large domestic home in Queen Anne style. It stayed a family home until the 1950s, when it was converted into an art gallery. In more recent times the focus has been on exploring the history of the Chaffey family and the restoration of Rio Vista to the splendour of its earlier years. So wander through, see how the Chaffeys lived and learn about their contribution to our region.

Plan ahead - discover a piece of

the Mallee Track’s colonial past

Kow Plains Homestead & Station

(99 Cowangie Road, Cowangie VIC)

Take a step back in time at Kow Plains Homestead & Station, a beautifully restored drop log construction of the original station at Kow Plains (now known as Cowangie). Make sure you organise a guided tour with Jocelyn and explore what life was like during the 19th century in one of the most remote and hostile parts of Victoria.

Open: Daily. T: 0427 956 285

It’s time for a change of pace as you head just over the George Chaffey Bridge to the Mildura Holden Motor Museum (58 West Road, Buronga, NSW). Here you’ll find a collection of more than 30 Holden vehicles dating from the first 48-215 model right through to modern day examples. It all began when the late Ron Morello demolished a shed containing an FX Holden, which was in pristine condition, on the instructions of a client of his earthmoving business. Full of guilt, he acquired and restored an FX and the obsession with procuring and restoring Holden vehicles began. The museum is a legacy that is now available for car lovers to view and appreciate this fine collection.

Back in Mildura, discover the Langtree Hall Museum (79 Walnut Avenue, Mildura), the town’s first public hall which built in 1889. Browse the extensive display of historical memorabilia, collection of international dolls, christening gowns, toys, clothing, embroideries and an old musical instrument collection. Reminisce about past, or come and discover it!

Continue your tour with a visit to the Chateau Mildura Winery (191 Belar Avenue, Irymple). The founders of the Mildura and Renmark Irrigation Colonies, the Chaffey brothers, planted 150 acres of wine grapes and established Chateau Mildura, giving birth to an industry that in the Sunraysia and Riverland areas has grown to produce more than 50% of Australia’s wine grapes. Tour the museum and taste the boutique range of wines made on a small scale from with varieties of grapes from the Mildura region. They employ a unique mix of both old and modern techniques and technology in the winemaking operation.

The final stop for the day is the Psyche Pumps (Psyche Bend Road, Kings Billabong) which was built in 1891 by the Chaffey brothers to meet the needs of the irrigation settlement. The need to raise water from the Murray to land approximately 28 metres above river level challenged George Chaffey to design his ‘billabong system’, which elevated water in four lifts by pumping water from the Murray River into Kings Billabong and then lifting water via a number of pumps. The system supplied an area of approximately 20,000 hectares. See the pumps and explore the history behind them.

Finish your day with a cold drink and bite to eat at the Irymple Hotel (2105 Fifteenth Street, Irymple).

More information:
Mildura Visitor Information & Booking Centre, 180-190 Deakin Avenue, Mildura. T: 03 5018 8380.

Image courtesy of Hawkeye Photography - Aaron Hawkins: Photographic Artist & Leanne Cole Photography.