Explore Swan Hill

Swan Hill ~ Victoria

Swan Hill is a vibrant regional city on the banks of the Murray River in north-west Victoria, approximately 340 kilometres from Melbourne.

It has an interesting pioneer history, an iconic paddle steamer, a wonderful Pioneer Village, and is a great place to base yourself while exploring the Murray region.

When we visited Swan Hill, we wandered around the Pioneer Settlement, saw the PS Pyap paddlesteamer and enjoyed the laser light show. We also wandered around Swan Hill City Centre and the River banks and saw the town’s famous Giant Murray Cod. We drove out to Lake Boga to visit the Flying Boat Museum and see the silo art.

The Pioneer Settlement

A highlight of our visit to Swan Hill was the Pioneer Settlement. It opened in 1966 and was Australia’s first open-air museum. It is open daily from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm, and your ticket is valid for two full days.

We wandered along the streets of the recreated 1800s Mallee township and looked in all the shops and exhibits.

We enjoyed a ride around the settlement in a restored 1920s Dodge. The car rides are free with your entry ticket and start from outside the Print Shop.

Then we popped into the Music Shop on the main street, where one of the lovely volunteers was playing the 19th-century Pianola. I was lucky enough to be able to play the pianola as well.

At the Echo Print Shop, you can see a fully functioning printing shop using the original Chandler and Price treadle press. You can also get your own wanted poster printed.

You can also take a leisurely horse and carriage ride around the township. Rides are free with your entry ticket, and you will find them under the Peppercorn tree outside the Saddlers' shop.

The Pioneer Settlement blacksmith shop was originally built in 1896, and today you can watch the blacksmiths operate the forge, using fire and physical strength to create things from iron.

We also saw the Paddlesteamer The Gem, which was built in Moama in 1876, and enjoyed wandering around the settlement, looking through the 1800s cottages and gardens.

PS Pyap Paddlesteamer

One-hour cruises on the PS Pyap Paddlesteamer depart from Horseshoe Bend Wharf at the Pioneer Settlement. 

The cruise departs at 2:30 pm Monday through Friday. On weekends and school holidays, the cruises depart at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the settlement office.

The Pyap was built as a barge in Mannum in South Australia in 1896 and was converted to a paddlesteamer in 1897. She originally operated as a floating general store and travelled along the lower Murray River, selling goods to remote settlements.

In 1970, the PS Pyap was relocated to the Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill, where it underwent a refit with a diesel engine.  The PS Pyap is almost 30 metres long and 4.8 metres wide and has a very shallow draft, which means she can float in less than a metre of water.

Laser Light Show

There is a purpose-built undercover seating area on the banks of the river to sit and watch the laser light shows.

At night, the Pioneer Settlement takes on a magical ambience with its stunning laser light shows.

Showing on alternate nights, the Heartbeat of the Murray or the new Legends of the Mallee laser light spectaculars are shows with brilliant colours, water, light, lasers, special effects, and booming sound! 

We saw the Legends of the Mallee, which was an immersive journey through the region’s history and included insights from the local Wamba Wamba and Wadi Wadi people. As well as the Burke and Wills expedition and Lake Boga’s wartime significance.

This state-of-the-art show was the first of its kind in the world to use a natural river environment and setting as its background, and you really need to see it in person.

Swan Hill City Centre and Riverfront

Swan Hill’s tree-lined city centre has great cafes, pubs, restaurants, supermarkets and boutique shops to browse in. The Town Hall is a lovely Art Deco building that opened in 1936.

The Giant Murray Cod is located near the train station and is 15 metres long, 5 metres high, and 3 metres wide. It was originally built as a prop for the movie Eight Ball and then donated to Swan Hill.

Along the riverfront is a great walking trail with several playgrounds, points of interest and great picnic spots.

The Swan Hill Bridge is a heritage-listed timber truss and steel centre lift-span bridge over the Murray River that was built in 1896.  It was the first lift-span bridge to be built across the Murray River, and the central span lifted to allow paddle steamers to pass.

Near the bridge, you can see the heritage Water Tower that was built in 1883 for the town’s first water supply.

You can also see the Burke and Wills Tree near the Commercial Hotel. This huge Moreton Bay Fig tree is said to have been planted when Burke and Wills passed through the town in 1860 on their journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Lake Boga Flying Boat Museum

Lake Boga is 15 minutes south of Swan Hill and is a popular holiday camping spot. The lake is 3 kilometres across and you can swim, kayak, fish and waterski here.

On the shores of Lake Boga, you will also find the flying boat museum.

The museum is home to the historic Catalina flying boat and is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The museum holds more than 500 artefacts relating to Lake Boga's World War II history.

On display is a Catalina PBY5, A24-30, they were used as patrol bombers during World War II and was built in the USA by the Consolidated Aircraft Company.

You can also explore the underground bunker. The underground bunker was part of the No. 1 Flying Boat Repair Depot and served as a communications centre during the war. 

The bunker is now part of the museum and has been restored to resemble its wartime condition, with interesting displays about the base's history. 

Lake Boga Silo Art

On Station Street, we saw the wonderful silo art created by Tim Bowtell. His colourful mural portrays the historic Catalina aircraft and renowned aviator George Urquhart "Scotty" Allan against the stunning backdrop of a Lake Boga sunset.