The Murray River from the park at Tocumwal

 

Tocumwal
Pleasant service centre and holiday town on the Murray River
Tocumwal is the last NSW town you will encounter if you are headed south along the Newell Highway. Situated on the northern bank of the Murray River amidst the flatlands of the Riverina Tocumwal is 694 km south-west of Sydney via the Hume, Sturt and Newell Highways and 112 m above sea-level. Its riverside location and attractive surrounds have made it something of a tourist centre in recent years and the population has subsequently risen to over 1500.

The name of the town derives from 'Tucumiva', an Aboriginal term said to mean 'deep hole'; a reference to what is now known as 'The Blowhole', a bogey some 25-metres deep at its lowest point which is said to be sacred to the Ulupna and Bangarang Aborigines. According to legend a giant Murray cod lived in the waterhole, and was prone to eat young children who fell in. Hence the giant fibreglass Murray cod in the town square at Tocumwal. Furthermore it is said that a young boy, who presumably escaped the clutches of the rapacious cod, was chased into the crevice and emerged in the Murray where the old bridge now stands. Both legends point to an underground stream connecting the two. Whether this is true or not water has been known to flow from the Blowhole in times of drought.

The first runs in the area opened up in the 1840s; one, with frontage on the Murray, was apparently owned by Benjamin Boyd (see entry on Bega). In 1860 Edward Hillson purchased 5000 acres from Patrick Hennessey and it was on this land that the town was built. A postal service commenced the following year and the village was recognised in 1872, the same year that a punt was established, encouraging through-traffic which led to further development.

 

The Terminus Hotel

 

Tocumwal gained importance both as a border customs depot (these being pre-Federation days) and as a centre for the shipment of produce from the Riverina. The land was mainly utilised for pastoral purposes until 1890 but the soil proved ideal for cereals and agriculture began to dominate. A bridge replaced the punt in 1895 and the railway, which arrived in 1908, was connected to the NSW system in 1914. These developments caused the population to increase from 350 in 1880 to 1000 in 1914. Due to its riverside situation the town had, by the 1890s, already become popular with those seeking to get away from Melbourne and the Shepparton area.

Aside from tourism, wheat, dairy products, barley, rice, wool, cattle, pigs and citrus fruits all contribute to the local economy.

The aerodrome was commissioned by the US Army Air Corps and constructed in 1942 as the McIntyre Field heavy bomber base as preparation for an attempted Japanese invasion. The project was classified and so the fact is not well known but it was a remarkable complex, the largest in the Commonwealth at that time. It had 450 buildings spread over 25 square miles with 114 km of roads interconnecting it all. There were four runways, each nearly 2 km in length. The demand for tarmac alone consumed the output of BHP for three months. The project cost two million pounds and was substantially completed within four months, with planes using the airstrip within five weeks. American forces moved to Tocumwal but only briefly as the suituation in the Pacific improved and they moved north to Queensland. The aerodrome then became the RAAF Station Headquarters for training Liberator bomber aircrews. There were 5500 men on the base in December 1944. It subsequently became an aircraft depot until the 1960s when, unfortunately for aviation history, thousands of planes were smelted down.

 

Things to see:  

The Quarries
Located 11 km north of the town the waterhole is of no particular interest to look at, though being situated amidst an abandoned quarry site, it makes for a pleasant enough picnic spot. These local quarries provided material for the Sydney Opera House and new Parliament House in Canberra. The route is signposted from town. Head north alongh Newell Highway and turn right into Race Course Road and follow the signs to 'The Rock' as the site is known in town.

 

 

Sandy beaches across the Murray from Tocumwal

 

Tocumwal's River Beaches
The sandy town beach is one of many along the Murray where river red gums provide a pleasant backdrop. The area is well suited to those interested in camping, canoeing, waterskiing, swimming, river cruises, fishing, horseriding, four-wheel drive trips, bushwalking and golfing. 3 km west of town Ulupna Island Flora and Fauna Reserve is particularly attractive and home to koalas, kangaroos and birdlife (the visitor's centre will explain how to get there). There are also a number of wineries in the area.

The River Foreshore Park by the Newell Highway in the centre of town is a fine spot for swimming, fishing and boating. There are barbeques, picnics, a children's playground, a boat ramp and the visitor's centre takes bookings for Murray River cruises, which depart at 1.30 pm daily from behind the centre.

 

Sportavia Soaring Centre
The glider plane on display in town symbolises the town's connection with the Sportavia Soaring Centre, the most advanced and largest gliding and ultralight complex in the country, 5 km north-east of town on Hennessy St, at Tocumwal Aerodrome. Lessons, joy flights, scenic flights and aerobatic flights can all be pursued. There is motel-style accomodation, a restaurant and a caravan park (03-58742063).

 

Tocumwal Railway Store
The old Tocumwal Railway Store, which once supplied groceries and clothing to locals, now houses an impressive 20 square-metre miniature train display, complete with props, lighting and sound effects, and memorabilia of the railway era. Start at the roundabout, at the intersection of the Newell Highway and Deniliquin Rd, and proceed westwards for 100 m along the latter. The store is on the left-hand side of the road.

 

In the Area
About 12 km along this track, to the right, on a sandy rise, is a memorial to early settler John Blomeley and his wife, who pioneered land west of the town (known as 'Old Woperana') from 1824. Their descendants still live locally. 15 kms from Tocumwal is Nallama Gardens, an historic farm settlement which contains a lemon-scented, 120-year-old and unusually formed giant gum tree, a rose display, an historic grave site and an old worker's hut (03-58832320).

This same road leads through state forest and past some of the first stations in the district. 'Morocco East' was purchased, early in the twentieth century, by controversial 'entrepreneur' and millionaire John Wren. 'Morocco East' has more recently proved a breeder of fine racehorses, including two Melbourne Cup winners, Rainbird and Rain Lover. A warning however: this stretch of road is not sealed and is therefore hazardous in wet weather.

The River Murray Heritage Centre, 3 km north of town on the Newell Hwy, is a local history centre (03-58742849). Time Out Trail Rides offer horseriding along the Murray and through redgum forest (03-58743373). Their sign can clearly be seen over the bridge, on the Victorian side of the river, to the right if coming from the north. For those in town at New Year's Eve, there is an annual carnival.

 

Tuppal Woolshed
For those with an interest in pastoral history Tuppal Woolshed can be found on the plains between Tocumwal and Deniliquin. It was one of the largest shearing sheds in the country at the turn of the century and one of the first to instal shearing machines. In 1902 72 such machines were used on over 200 000 sheep for an output of 3444 bales. The station began its existence in 1843. When purchased by F.S. Falkiner & Sons in 1891 it covered 64000 ha and contained 124 000 sheep, 400 cattle and 125 horses. The shed is still in fine condition though the other buildings are gone. It is now on private property and permission must be given prior to a visit (03-58832344).

 

 

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Tocumwal