PS Emmylou, Echuca. Image credit: Murray Regional Tourism
Thought art galleries and museums were the only places where you can learn about the history and heritage of the Murray River region? Think again.
With renovated and restored homesteads, banks and pubs transformed into holiday accommodation, you can turn back the pages of history from the comfort of your overnight chambers.
Get to know about historical stays in the Murray River with this guide.
Combine a historical stay with an indulgent spa treatment at Circa 1928.
The former Commonwealth Bank building in Albury may be over 90 years old, but it was given a new lease on life when transformed into Australia's first spa hotel, where the day spa isn’t just an afterthought but the headline act.
Offering contemporary hotel rooms and five spacious treatment rooms, as well as an onsite art gallery, retail store and tea lounge, this is one stay where you’ll want to allow enough time to enjoy everything on offer within the hotel walls.
Stay in a 1950s homestead on a 4,200-acre working farm at Pattison Pastoral Farm Stay, 60km north-west of Deniliquin.
Perfect for when travelling with little ones, watch the sheep and cattle wander around the surrounding paddocks and listen to the calls of birds who call this farmland home.
Forget a grocery stop on your way and instead taste the fruits of the farm's labour by purchasing homegrown beef and locally grown fruit and vegetables.
Overnight in the historic art deco environs of the former Rural Bank of NSW with a stay at Circa 1936 in Corowa.
Experience the full history of the building during your stay by relaxing in The Lounge beside the former vault to enjoy a glass of wine in what was once the bank manager’s office.
Are you the type of traveller who looks for the shortest commute from your evening meal to your accommodation?
Book a pub room at The Telegraph Hotel (or Graph Hotel as known by locals) in Numurkah, and settle into a newly renovated guest room – including double, king and family rooms, with crisp white linen.
Grab a table at the bistro and enjoy a grilled steak, chicken schnitzel or pasta with locally sourced ingredients – make sure you try their very own handcrafted Murry River Pale Ale to wash down your meal.
Located less than 20km from Cactus Country, 35km from The Big Strawberry and 40km from Picola Silo Art, there’s plenty of nearby attractions to explore during the day.
Like a phoenix rising through the ashes, the Mildura Grand Hotel (now under the Quality Hotel chain) has transformed throughout its history.
Established as the Mildura Coffee Palace in the early 1900s with a billiard room, dining room and 21 bedrooms, the ‘Grand Hotel’ now offers 99 modernised rooms and six eateries, including the award-winning Stefano’s in the hotel's original cellar.
Spend time exploring the hotel during your stay – from the central garden with the original fountain or the gallery of photographs hanging on the walls in the lobby lounge.
Heritage meets luxury with a stay at Heygarth House in Echuca.
This fully renovated heritage conversion sleeps up to 16 people, spread across the two levels of the townhouse.
Relax after a full day exploring local attractions in the deep claw-foot bath or catch The Murray sunshine rays from the courtyard or balcony.
While Mungo might be best known for its otherworldly national park, the surrounding region also holds significant history in the wool industry.
Combine your national park adventure with a stay in Mungo Shearers' Quarters – the former sleeping place of the 18 men who worked at Gol Gol Station shearing over 50,000 sheep at the station.
This heritage accommodation is made up of five rooms and accommodates up to 27 guests, with an amenities block with showers and toilets, barbeque facilities with picnic tables, electric power and drinking water.
Make sure you read this Mungo National Park Guide before you go to help plan your adventure in this World Heritage-listed site.
Overnight in one of Albury’s oldest houses, complete with exposed stone walls, timber flooring and an open fireplace – perfect for a winter escape in The Murray.
With two bedrooms and an enclosed garden, The Stone Cottage is perfect for family getaways – fur kids included.
There’s also a smaller one-bedroom cottage available behind the main house, for couples or solo travellers who don’t need as much space.
When you can drag yourself away from the comfort of the cottage, explore the local art galleries and outdoor trials with this guide.
Who says a historical stay can’t also be an indulgent stay?
While Moira Station’s current homestead dates back to 1866, it offers ‘Starry Nights Luxury Accommodation Quarters’ with king beds featuring ceiling skylights for you to catch the outback sky from the comfort of your room.
The fully self-contained homestead is fitted with a full-sized kitchen with European appliances, and you’ll be provided with a breakfast basket and grazing hamper for you to enjoy during your stay.
Did we mention there’s a claw foot bathtub to soak in? You’re welcome.
Board the world’s only wood-fired paddlesteamer in the world, PS Emmylou.
Built in the 1980s, PS Emmylou may be young compared to other paddlesteamers in the region, but an overnight cruise allows for an extended historical experience connecting to the region’s river trade of the past.
Choose from a two-night ‘River Escape’ cruise mooring overnight at Pericoota Station to a six-night ‘All Rivers Run’ cruise, travelling from Echuca to Swan Hill and back.
