Explore Corowa

Corowa ~ New South Wales

Corowa is a charming historic town on the banks of the Murray River in New South Wales. It is approximately 600 kilometres from Sydney and 300 kilometres from Melbourne.

Corowa is known as the “Birthplace of Federation” because an important meeting was held there in 1893. During this meeting, leaders agreed that the people should vote to choose representatives to create Australia’s Constitution — a decision that helped lead to the birth of the Australian Commonwealth in 1901.

Today, Corowa is a lovely riverside town with a relaxed country atmosphere, historic buildings, grassy parks and great local food and wine.

During our visit to Corowa, we wandered around the town centre, enjoyed morning tea at the Corowa Distilling Company and visited the Federation Museum. We admired the historic buildings on the heritage walk and visited All Saints Winery.

Corowa Town Centre

Corowa’s town centre has wide streets lined with lovely heritage buildings. 

There is a great selection of cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, and a variety of boutique shops to browse in.

As we wandered past the Memorial Plaza, we discovered some interactive murals that were created by local street artist, Kade Sarte and local high school students. The murals were inspired by the Murray River and feature an echidna, a brush-tailed possum, local birds and a Murray Cod.

On the side of Woolworths is the “Our Place” Mural. This mural is 35 metres long and features an oxidised steel Murray River and colourful artwork created by local school children and other artists.

As we wandered around, we also saw some stunning brolga sculptures on Federation Avenue.

Corowa Distilling Co

Corowa Distilling Co. is housed in the old Corowa Flour Mill, a four-story brick building that was built in the 1920s on Steel Street.

After buying the building for $1.00 from the local council and carrying out extensive renovations, it is now a fantastic distillery, cafe and chocolate factory.

We enjoyed a lovely morning tea in the cafe and then wandered around the distillery, the whisky tasting room and the grounds.

Corowa Distilling Co. is open daily from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm for whiskey tastings, breakfast, coffee and cakes, and lunches.

Corowa Federation Museum

We visited the Corowa Federation Museum to learn more about how this town played a part in shaping Australia’s history. 

Corowa was the site of the influential 1893 conference that laid the groundwork for the creation of the Australian Commonwealth. The museum brings this moment to life with engaging displays, historical documents, and artifacts from the late 19th century, along with exhibits celebrating local heritage, industry, and community life.

Heritage Walk

Corowa was officially proclaimed a town in 1858, and its location along the Murray quickly made it an important port and service centre for surrounding farms.

The Corowa Heritage Walk explores this historic Murray River town and its beautifully preserved 19th-century buildings. There are plaques along Sanger Street that provide interesting information about the buildings.

Globe Hotel

The Globe Hotel was built in 1893 and was the venue for the evening banquet for the 180 delegates and politicians attending the Corowa Federation Conference.

Corowa Post Office

The Corowa Post Office opened in 1881, and this building served as both a postal and telegraph office.

Hotel Australia 

The Hotel Australia was built in 1893, as the Australian Hotel. It underwent extensive renovations in 1930 and now has a lovely Art Deco facade.

Commercial Bank of Sydney

The Commercial Bank of Sydney was built in 1901, and today it is the National Australia Bank. 

Royal Hotel

The Royal Hotel was completed in 1861, and it hosted the official luncheon for the Corowa Federation Conference on the 31st July 1893.

Corowa School of Arts

The Corowa Memorial Hall was originally the Corowa School of Arts Building and was built in 1873.

All Saints Estate

All Saints Estate Winery is 5 kilometres from Corowa and is one of the landmark wineries in the Rutherglen region. It was established in 1864, and the cellar door is located in the stunning heritage-listed castle, which is surrounded by lovely gardens.

Their wines are a mix of table and fortified styles, and they are especially famed for their rare Muscat, Muscadelle, and vintage fortifieds.

The Cellar Door is open every day from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. All Saints Estate has two restaurants, winery tours, wine tastings, and you can wander around and enjoy the beautiful gardens.

Chinese labourers were employed as vineyard hands on the estate in the 1860s and 1870s. And you can see the All Saints Estate’s Chinese Dormitory, which was built over 100 years ago and is the last remaining example of its type in Australia.