CORRYONG
Corryong - Home of the Man From Snowy River Bush Festival
Corryong is the largest township in the Upper Murray. Located on the Murray Valley Highway, Corryong is nestled at the foot of the surrounding mountain ranges and offers an incredibly beautiful and peaceful setting. Corryong has a population of approximately 1,200 people. Corryong has a high quality of services on offer, including a comprehensive health service, police and ambulance services, a 9 hole golf course, playgrounds, a skate park, swimming pool, bowling club, gym, newsagency, bakery and supermarket, as well as a range of boutique shops.
The Man from Snowy River Museum offers interesting insight into the history of the area and tells the story of the early settlement of the Upper Murray. One of the most popular exhibits is Jim Simpson's Rug, not to be missed during your visit. Between Corryong and the Colac Colac Caravan Park (approximately 8km) is a beautiful, well tended rail trail to ride your bike, walk or run along.
There are many lookouts that are only a short drive from town which offer some fantastic views of Corryong and its surrounding valleys including the magnificent Farran's Lookout, widely held to provide one of the best landscape photographic vantage points in Australia.
Corryong offers a vast array of accommodation options; including home-style B&B's, motels, caravan parks, historic country hotels and luxurious self-catering accommodation, all of which offer beautiful views and country hospitality. The town also boasts a range of cafes and restaurants offering meals utilising fresh local produce. Boutique shops can be found right along the main street of Corryong, Hanson Street and offer locally made goods as well as homewares, giftware, clothing and footwear.
A short drive from Corryong, the Murray River provides opportunities for fishing, camping, kayaking, swimming and lazing by the river. Corryong is the perfect location to base yourself while exploring the Upper Murray, with towns and villages, snowfields, National and State parks including the Kosciusko National Park all within easy driving distance.
Iconic Australian bush poet, Banjo Paterson, wrote "The Man From Snowy River" which captured the heart of the nation. The inspiration for the title character is believed to be local stockman Jack Riley, whose grave can be found in Corryong's cemetery. A memorial service to Jack Riley and reinactment of A.B "Banjo" Patterson's poem are conducted annually during the "Man from Snowy River Bush Festival", which brings tens of thousands of people from all over Australia to Corryong. The festival has been running for over twenty years and is usually held in the first weekend of April. The festival shows an incredible display of horsemanship, bush poetry, art, music, traditions and bush skills, celebrating the traditional Australian bush spirit.
Corryong is home to an iconic statue in honour of the Man From Snowy River, Jack Riley. This large bronze statue stands proudly at the entrance to Corryong's Attree Park, next to the front of the Visitor Information Centre. A spirited recording of the Man From Snowy River poem can be heard by visiting the interactive sign located adjacent to the statue.
For a detailed Corryong town map click here.
EXPLORE CORRYONG
SHOP IN CORRYONG
STAY, EAT & DRINK IN CORRYONG
The Great River Road
CORRYONG
Corryong was named after the first grazing run established in the area.
BOTTOM LEFT: ARNOLD PLAYLE, A PROMINENT CORRYONG BUSINESSMAN AND PHOTOGRAPHER, TOOK MANY PHOTOS AROUND THE DISTRICT CAPTURING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE UPPER MURRAY COMMUNITY AND LANDSCAPE. TOP AND BOTTOM RIGHT: CORRYONG MAIN STREET CAPTURED BY ARNOLD PLAYLE.
Early history
After the Australian gold rush of the 1850s, many families came to the Upper Murray to start a new life. Farmers, miners, tradespeople and their families needed a range of goods and services, so the government decided to invest in a major service town.
The Corryong township was surveyed in the late 1870s and the township gazetted in 1875.
The town’s main thoroughfare, Hanson Street, was named after community leader Joseph Hanson, who had lived in the area since the early 1840s. The Upper Murray’s first government school was opened in 1877.
Discovery of gold
Significant alluvial gold was discovered in the Thowgla Creek in the late 1870s. In 1894, a gold rush was sparked when payable gold-bearing reefs were discovered at Mt Elliot, several kilometres north east of Corryong.