Yarrawonga
A first holiday to the Murray River border town of Yarrawonga was made in the 1948 September school holidays.
This trip, also included visiting Albury NSW, and other parts of the North East Victoria district . The route is shown on the hand-drawn map near the end of this website as a black dotted line.
Snapshots taken during the first trip are shown below. There are also a few photos taken in subsequent years into the late 1950s.
This trip, also included visiting Albury NSW, and other parts of the North East Victoria district . The route is shown on the hand-drawn map near the end of this website as a black dotted line.
Snapshots taken during the first trip are shown below. There are also a few photos taken in subsequent years into the late 1950s.
Yarrawonga-Mulwala Bridge.
For the story behind the unusual design of the road bridge across Lake Mulwala, click here.
For the story behind the unusual design of the road bridge across Lake Mulwala, click here.
Our Hosts on several visits to Yarrawonga: John and Laura Houghton
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Gorman Park
A great lake for swimming
Lake Mulwala, Yarrawonga
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Yarrawonga Bird's Eye View 1949
Pictures taken from top of Grant & Wilson Flour Mill silos
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Souvenir Purchased Pics
January 1949
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The Yarrawonga Weir
This postcard view was apparently taken not long after the weir was completed. At left is the railway bridge, with the weir and the road across the top of the weir at right. On the horizon from left can be seen water tower,shire hall tower, and at right the Flour Mill and railway station silos. Postcard out of copyright, from Trove.
Yarrawonga Weir is located on the Murray River near the towns of Yarrawonga in Victoria and Mulwala in NSW. The Weir is approximately 1,992 km from the Murray mouth in South Australia.
Construction of the weir and its irrigation channels began early in 1935 and was completed in 1939. The water impounded by the Yarrawonga Weir forms Lake Mulwala.
A hydro-electric generation facility at Yarrawonga Weir was commissioned in June 1994.
Yarrawonga Weir raises the water level of the River Murray to allow diversions of water under gravity. An average of 17% of the river's annual flow is diverted annually to the Yarrawonga Main Channel and the Mulwala Canal.
The Yarrawonga Main Channel services the Murray Valley Irrigation Area of Victoria, which extends from Yarrawonga to Barmah and south to the Broken and Nine Mile Creek systems.
The Mulwala Canal is a much larger structure. Water diverted through the Mulwala Canal supplies the Berriquin, Denimein, Deniboota and Wakool irrigation districts in southern New South Wales.
A secondary use of Yarrawonga Weir is flood mitigation. Releases can be made before the arrival of flood waters to help level out the flood peak and reduce the flood effects downstream.
A unique feature at Yarrawonga Weir is the fish lift located adjacent to the power station. Constructed in 1994, the lift provided the first opportunity in 60 years for fish to travel upstream of the weir.
Construction of the weir and its irrigation channels began early in 1935 and was completed in 1939. The water impounded by the Yarrawonga Weir forms Lake Mulwala.
A hydro-electric generation facility at Yarrawonga Weir was commissioned in June 1994.
Yarrawonga Weir raises the water level of the River Murray to allow diversions of water under gravity. An average of 17% of the river's annual flow is diverted annually to the Yarrawonga Main Channel and the Mulwala Canal.
The Yarrawonga Main Channel services the Murray Valley Irrigation Area of Victoria, which extends from Yarrawonga to Barmah and south to the Broken and Nine Mile Creek systems.
The Mulwala Canal is a much larger structure. Water diverted through the Mulwala Canal supplies the Berriquin, Denimein, Deniboota and Wakool irrigation districts in southern New South Wales.
A secondary use of Yarrawonga Weir is flood mitigation. Releases can be made before the arrival of flood waters to help level out the flood peak and reduce the flood effects downstream.
A unique feature at Yarrawonga Weir is the fish lift located adjacent to the power station. Constructed in 1994, the lift provided the first opportunity in 60 years for fish to travel upstream of the weir.
Yarrawonga Railway Station
A Petrol Electric Rail Motor (PERM) with a trailer car at the Yarrawonga Railway Station in September 1948.
The first PERM was built by the St. Louis Car Company in the USA and shipped to Australia where the Victorian Railways built a further 9 copies of it.
They were the longest-lived railmotor on the Victorian Railways, with the first entering service in 1928 and the last being withdrawn in 1991.
The railcars were called DERMs after conversion from petrol to diesel engines in 1951 - 1953.
Yarrawonga was linked to Melbourne by railway in 1886.
The line was extended across the Murray River to Mulwala NSW, after the completion of a wooden railway bridge which was started in 1927. The service was extended another 60 kilometres to Oaklands in 1932.
The wooden bridge was partly replaced by an earthen embankment in 1975, and the last section of the wooden bridge was replaced with a concrete and steel bridge in 1989.
The line was extended across the Murray River to Mulwala NSW, after the completion of a wooden railway bridge which was started in 1927. The service was extended another 60 kilometres to Oaklands in 1932.
The wooden bridge was partly replaced by an earthen embankment in 1975, and the last section of the wooden bridge was replaced with a concrete and steel bridge in 1989.
Lots to do in Yarrawonga
At the end of the Victorian Alps trip, five days were spent in the Yarrawonga district.
Among the activities enjoyed during this time were visits to Gorman Park, The Grove, Alexandra Park, swimming in Lake Mulwala at the Foreshore, trips over the border to Mulwala,visits to the Chappell family farm at Telford and several games of tennis.
An interesting time was had on a guided tour of the Grant and Wilson Flour Mill.
The Yarrawonga district was renowned for the quality of its wheat crops, and much of the wheat was processed into flour at the mill.
Most towns in wheat growing districts of south east Australia, such as Yarrawonga, had at least one local flour mill until after World War Two.
The Grant and Wilson mill opened in 1932/33 and operated for 50 years. It produced bulk flour and small packs as well as stock feed.
The mill employed about 30 people at any one time.
Small family-owned mills began to feel the pinch after the War, with competition from overseas mills and the centralization of milling in the big cities by major players in the industry.
The 1960s and 70s saw an accelerating closure of the small Australian flour mills, which were not able to match the finances of the larger companies in upgrading equipment and operating efficiencies.
The Grant and Wilson mill at Yarrawonga was sold to
the multi-national agriculture and food giant Bunge in1972.
There were plans to continue making stock feed at Yarrawonga, but these did not eventuate and operations were moved to Corowa.
All of the mill's activities ceased from that time.
Among the activities enjoyed during this time were visits to Gorman Park, The Grove, Alexandra Park, swimming in Lake Mulwala at the Foreshore, trips over the border to Mulwala,visits to the Chappell family farm at Telford and several games of tennis.
An interesting time was had on a guided tour of the Grant and Wilson Flour Mill.
The Yarrawonga district was renowned for the quality of its wheat crops, and much of the wheat was processed into flour at the mill.
Most towns in wheat growing districts of south east Australia, such as Yarrawonga, had at least one local flour mill until after World War Two.
The Grant and Wilson mill opened in 1932/33 and operated for 50 years. It produced bulk flour and small packs as well as stock feed.
The mill employed about 30 people at any one time.
Small family-owned mills began to feel the pinch after the War, with competition from overseas mills and the centralization of milling in the big cities by major players in the industry.
The 1960s and 70s saw an accelerating closure of the small Australian flour mills, which were not able to match the finances of the larger companies in upgrading equipment and operating efficiencies.
The Grant and Wilson mill at Yarrawonga was sold to
the multi-national agriculture and food giant Bunge in1972.
There were plans to continue making stock feed at Yarrawonga, but these did not eventuate and operations were moved to Corowa.
All of the mill's activities ceased from that time.
The Grant and Wilson Pty Ltd Flour Mill was in full swing in January 1949, when the Bird's Eye Views of Yarrawonga (earlier on this page) were taken from the top of the silos. This photo from Google Maps shows the site of the mill in McNally Street as it is today. The silos are all that is left of the mill.
Goulburn Weir, Nagambie
Goulburn Weir, Nagambie, Vic. This photo taken 30 December 1949 on first day of trip to Sydney, via Yarrawonga.
Located 12 kilometres north of Nagambie, the weir was constructed between 1887 and 1890, resulting in the expansive waterway of Lake Nagambie. However the weir put an end to the paddle steamer trade which had served towns along the river for many years.
Tortoises/Turtles
While the photos below were not taken in Yarrawonga, they are connected to the town by way of two Murray River Long-Neck Tortoises, which were found near the banks of the Murray River. Nowdays they are generally called turtles.
One was rescued from the bottom of a deep cement pit on a local shooting range.
The two tortioses were named Wonga ( for obvious reasons) and the larger of the two was named Alexander, after the park in Yarrawonga where he was found.
On being relocated to the Melbourne suburb of Ormond, the tortoises were cared for in a large purpose-built enclosure with shelter and a pond.
They were fed on raw mince-meat and insects, and slaters, (picture below).
The tortoises answered to their names and came out of their shelter when called for food. They lived as pets from 1948 and 1950 respectively, until they were donated to the Melbvourne Zoo in 1954.
Some state environment departments allow native tortoises to be kept as pets.
Very small ones are apparently sold in pet shops.
But this website author now regrets having removed Wonga and Alexander from their native habitat. Returning them to the Murray River would have been a better decision.
One was rescued from the bottom of a deep cement pit on a local shooting range.
The two tortioses were named Wonga ( for obvious reasons) and the larger of the two was named Alexander, after the park in Yarrawonga where he was found.
On being relocated to the Melbourne suburb of Ormond, the tortoises were cared for in a large purpose-built enclosure with shelter and a pond.
They were fed on raw mince-meat and insects, and slaters, (picture below).
The tortoises answered to their names and came out of their shelter when called for food. They lived as pets from 1948 and 1950 respectively, until they were donated to the Melbvourne Zoo in 1954.
Some state environment departments allow native tortoises to be kept as pets.
Very small ones are apparently sold in pet shops.
But this website author now regrets having removed Wonga and Alexander from their native habitat. Returning them to the Murray River would have been a better decision.
There was always a ready supply of Garden Slaters which we fed to the tortoises. The creatures are crustaceans like lobsters and crabs. But, there are references to slaters having an unpleasant taste similar to "strong urine".However, the tortoises seemed to relish them as food.
Fresh water turtles are air-breathing reptiles with clawed, webbed feet.
There are about 250 species of turtles in the world, of which 26 occur in Australia.
There are about 250 species of turtles in the world, of which 26 occur in Australia.