A sleepy town that was once a port serving the local timber getting indistry. Map & tour
Location: 272 km north east of Melbourne; 39 km north east of Wangaratta; 2 km south of Corowa on opposite bank of the Murray.
Origin of name: the name "Wah! Gunyah!", meaning, "gigantic house", is said to have been an Aboriginal expression of astonishment at the size of settler John Foord's homestead set in 30,000 acres covering the present Corowa, Wahgunyah and Rutherglen.
Brief history: The area was was first settled in the 1839. Settler John Foord's Wahgunyah Township was surveyed in 1855, and soon grew into an important river community and as the highest navigable all-year round port, it became the centre to a flourishing river boat trade. With the discovery of gold in 1860, the "Wahgunyah Rush" introduced a mining boom of alluvial, deep lead and reef mining which was to last into the 1900's. In the latter part of the 19th century, the forerunners of the great vineyards of the Rutherglen district were established,
Natural features: Murray River; Sunday Creek; Nulla Nulla Swamp; Oil Tree Lagoon; Howlong Hill; Whiskey Swamp; Sovereign Swamp
Built features: Carlyle cemetery (1865) with Chinese burning towers
Heritage features: John Foord Bridge (1892); Customs House (1886); Wahgunyah Post Office and residence (1863); Empire Hotel (1861); All Saints Winery (c.1880); former Customs House (1886)