Explore Tocumwal

Tocumwal ~ NSW

Tocumwal is a lovely little town on the banks of the Murray River, in New South Wales. It is located 681 kilometres south-west of Sydney and 270 kilometres north of Melbourne.

Tocumwal has a big cod, lovely cafes, heritage buildings and fascinating museums.

During our time in Tocumwal, we wandered around the Tocumwal Town Centre, saw the Big Murray Cod and enjoyed a lovely morning tea. We visited the Aviation Museum and the Big Strawberry, and saw the Heritage Bridge and Railway Station. We also wandered along the Mural trail by the river to Tocumwal Town Beach and visited Chrysties Museum.

Tocumwal Town Centre and Foreshore

Tocumwal was officially proclaimed a town in 1862, and the main street has lovely historic building facades that date back to the 1860s.

The Town Centre has an IGA Supermarket, several cafes, restaurants and hotels, an ice-cream shop and specialty shops to browse in.

Just behind the main street is the Murray River with a lovely grassy foreshore area with picnic tables and playgrounds.

Here we found the Big Murray Cod, a big fish sculpture that was built in 1967 to celebrate the town’s connection to the river and its fishing heritage. It’s a popular spot to stop for a photo.

We wandered into the Tocumwal Antiques and Tea Rooms, this lovely shop has a huge selection of new and antique homewares, gifts and novelties. It is open daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. After browsing around the shop, we enjoyed sitting on the verandah, drinking our coffees.

Tocumwal Aviation Museum

In 1942, one of the largest RAAF bases in the Southern Hemisphere was built at Tocumwal.  This huge wartime aerodrome played a key role in training and operations during World War II.

And you can learn more about it at the Tocumwal Aviation Museum. The Museum is located on the outskirts of town and is open daily from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

Inside the Museum building is the Drome Cafe that provides morning and afternoon teas, and light lunches.

We wandered through the exhibition gallery that has a chronological history of aviation at Tocumwal.

Then we explored the display hangar that contains a selection of historic and vintage aircraft that have relevance to Tocumwal’s aviation past or present.

There is also a Memorial Hall and the Bob Brown Theatre, a 27-seat cinema that features a series of historic films and news clips.

Then we drove 10 kilometres from Tocumwal to the Big Strawberry.

The Big Strawberry

The Big Strawberry is a strawberry farm and cafe, 10 kilometres from Tocumwal at Koonoomoo on the Victorian side of the river.

The Big Strawberry is open daily from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm and has a large cafe.

There is a huge range of strawberry and other products, including homemade jams, relishes, chutneys, wines and liquers. You can also pick your own strawberries when they are in season. There are two strawberry seasons in Victoria, and they are from April to July and October to January.

You can also browse through the man cave, which has an assortment of old memorabilia.

Tocumwal Heritage Bridge and Railway

The Tocumwal heritage bridge was built in 1895 as a road bridge across the Murray River. It was designed to be able to lift its central span to allow river traffic, such as paddle steamers, to pass underneath.

It was strengthened and converted to a road and rail bridge in 1908, and then used only for rail when the Edward Hillson Bridge opened in 1987.

The Tocumwal railway line opened in 1908, and the Railway Station was built in 1909. This lovely heritage-listed building now houses the Tocumwal Railway Heritage Museum.

Mural Walk and Town Beach

The Mural Walk meanders along the banks of the Murray River from the Foreshore near the town centre to Town Beach. Along the way, we learnt about the local birds and flora in the region from the informative signs and enjoyed stunning views along the Murray River.

Tocumwal Town Beach is a great camping spot along the Murray River and is a popular place for swimming, fishing, and just relaxing by the river.

For more information about camping at Tocumwal Town Beach:

Click Here for our Campsite Review.

Chrysties Classics & Collectibles Museum

On the outskirts of Tocumwal, we discovered Chrysties Classics and Collectibles Museum.

This is a private museum and features one man’s lifetime collection of vintage vehicles, classic cars and memorabilia.

We enjoyed wandering around and seeing the rare classic cars, logging trucks, caravans and farm gear.

There is also farm machinery, household memorabilia and antiques. It’s a step back in time that celebrates Tocumwal’s rural heritage.