Mulwala (locally , elsewhere also ) is a town in the

Federation Council The Federation Council (russian: Сове́т Федера́ции – ''Soviet Federatsii'', common abbreviation: Совфед – ''Sovfed''), or Senate (officially, starting from July 1, 2020) ( ru , Сенат , translit = Senat), is th ...

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

in the

Riverina The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation ...

district of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. The town is situated on

Lake Mulwala Lake Mulwala, a manmade reservoir created through the construction of the Yarrawonga Weir across the Murray River, is located between and in Hume region of Victoria and in the Riverina region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The weir ...

, an artificial lake formed by the damming of the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest ...

. At the 2006 census, Mulwala had a population of 1,986 people. The town's name is derived from an aboriginal word for 'rain'.

Overview

Across the border in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

is Mulwala's twin town of Yarrawonga. Mulwala is a popular destination for water sports and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...

, especially for tourists from nearby

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

, to the south. Other popular attractions include three major licensed clubs. The local

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

club,

Mulwala Football Club The Mulwala Football Club, nicknamed the ''Lions'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the town of Mulwala located in the Riverina district of New South Wales. The first recorded match was Mulwala verses Murray Football ...

competes in the

Murray Football League The Murray Football Netball League is an Australian rules football and netball league affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League. The league covers a large area of northern Victoria (Australia), Victoria and southern New South Wales ...

History

In 1847 James McRae arrived in the district to take charge of "Mulwala" and "Boroge" stations on behalf of the squatter Linbourne. McRae built a punt and a public house at the locality. He obtained a licence for his Travellers' Rest Hotel in 1853. In 1858 Surveyor Adams marked out a township at the site. In 1866 a new hotel was opened at Mulwala and a school established at the township. Mulwala Post Office opened in 1864 for about six weeks, closed due to a large fire, and was reopened on 1 June 1866. The pioneer, James McRae, died in 1866. In 1872 Mulwala was described as a small township of about 100 inhabitants, possessing a church, a school, a post-office and a public house. In 1887 it was reported that Mulwala had two hotels and two stores; a court-house had been erected and a sawmill started. In 1972, Mulwala was the site for a large outdoor pop music festival,MILESAGO – Performance – Music Festivals – Rock Isle (Mulwala) Festival 1972
/ref> which despite boasting big Australian names (

Chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. ...

Doug Parkinson Douglas John Parkinson (30 October 1946 – 15 March 2021) was an Australian pop and rock singer. He led the bands Strings and Things/A Sound (1965), the Questions (1966–1968), Doug Parkinson in Focus (1968–1970, 1971), Fanny Adams (1970� ...

Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs were an Australian rock band formed in Sydney, New South Wales. The group enjoyed success in the mid-1960s, but split in 1967. They re-emerged in the early 1970s to become one of the most popular Australian hard-roc ...

) and some overseas artists (

Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. The group is noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists and rock music. It was founded by two blues enthusiasts Alan Wilson and Bob ...

Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has co ...

& Manassas), was considered a flop, after rain had washed out the site by the third day. On 21 March 2013, Mulwala was one of the areas affected by a tornado, injuring over 20 people and damaging several buildings and houses. A caravan park approximately 5 km east of Mulwala was severely affected with most of the park's caravans damaged beyond repair.

Heritage listings

Mulwala contains a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * North Road:

Mulwala Homestead Mulwala Homestead is a heritage-listed homestead at North Road, Mulwala, New South Wales, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004. History Mulwala Homestead was founded as part of the process of ...

Transport

Mulwala Railway Station is a station with a silo on the Oaklands railway line.

References

External links

*
Mulwala Rail Platform
{{authority control Towns in the Riverina Towns in New South Wales Mulwala, New South Wales Federation Council, New South Wales