Murray Valley Highway near Corryong

The grave of Jack Riley, the legendary 'Man From Snowy River'

Crossing the NSW border and the Murray River near Corryong

The view from Playle's Lookout

Statue to the Man From Snowy River

Historic trestle rail bridge

Murray 1 Power Station

Historic hut on Sawyers Hill, Kosciuszko National Park

View from Burrowa-Pine mountain

View from Embery's Lookout

Where is it?: 124 km east of Abury on the Murray Valley Highway.

The town's location makes it the Victorian gateway to the New South Wales snowfields, including the Thredbo ski village, and the Snowy Mountains Scheme. It is used as a way station for many travellers, particularly those on motorcycles, travelling across Australia's highest mountains. Other tourists come to fish in the river and other nearby waterways, or to partake in horseriding around the mountain areas surrounding the town.

Annual events:

Annual feature events include the Nariel Creek Folk Music Festival, the Towong Cup and the Upper Murray Challenge. The Nariel Creek Folk Festival is held late December to January between two venues. The Towong Cup race meeting is well known as the “Flemington of the Bush”. It is held on the March long weekend.

The Man From Snowy River Bush Festival is held in Corryong in April. The festival is a unique Australian bush gathering showcased by the Planet Power Stockman's Challenge. The prestigious horse riding challenge draws skilled stockmen and stockwomen from right across Australia.

Lookouts:

Embery’s Lookout on top of Mt Mittamatite has views of Corryong with the Australian Alps as your backdrop. At the southern end of town, off the Back Thowgla Rd (which runs off Donaldson St), is Playle's Lookout, offering panoramic views of the town and the Corryong and Thowgla Valleys. Further afield but worth the effort is Lawrence Lookout, which is located just off the Murray Valley Highway at a point 36 km west of Corryong. The departure road is signposted off the highway just east of Shelley.

Farrans Lookout is 16 km north-east, just off the road to Tintaldra. 6 km from Corryong along the Tintaldra Rd is the turnoff to Khancoban. Just along here is a hairpin bend from whence there are excellent views. It is known as the Towong Gap Lookout although there is no official stopping place. The lookout at Mt Mittamatite is about 10 km north along dry-weather roads.

Things To See and Do:

The Man From Snowy River Folk Museum tells the true story of Jack Riley of 'Man from Snowy River' fame, who has come to represent the mountain stockmen of yesteryear whose exploits and horsemanship are legendary. Riley was the head stockman at Tom Groggin Station when AB “Banjo” Paterson the station and shortly thereafter penned the now famous poem 'The Man from Snowy River' (1890). The legendary horseman migrated from Ireland to Australia as a 13-year-old in 1851. Riley worked as a tailor near Omeo but found his true passion as a stockman, he worked for the Pierce family of Greg Greg, near Corryong. He lived in isolation in a hut high up in the hills at Tom Groggin.
He loved the Snowy Mountain Country, a good yarn and enjoyed a social drink or two. Jack was also a good mate of the late Walter Mitchell of Towong Station, who introduced Jack Riley to Banjo Paterson when the pair were on a camping trip. They trekked the Kosciusko Ranges and the Snowys, shared many campfires and yarns too. Riley was the Man from Snowy River who provided an inspirational journey and material for Banjo to write his now famous poem 'The Man from Snowy River'. Riley is buried in the Corryong Cemetery. The Museum also houses a unique collection of ski memorabilia and other local history.

Surrounding area:

Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park protects an awesome granite monolith that is 1.5 times larger than Uluru. It has breathtaking views from its summit should you chose to walk. Cudgewa Bluff Falls is within the Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park and is one of the area’s best kept secrets. Parking is now approximately 100m from the Falls themselves, however for those with limited mobility a key may be obtained at the Information Centre to give closer access.

Snowy Hydro’s Murray One Power Station is located just 10km above Khancoban on the Alpine Way. The Power Station is open for inspections daily at 11am and 2pm. Inspections are for approximately 20 minutes and combined with a visit to their Visitors Centre next door will provide an ideal opportunity to learn more about Snowy Hydro via its “hands-on” models and exhibits.

On your way to or from Corryong, we recommend visits to historic Tintaldra, Walwa and Jingellic along the River, and to Cudgewa, Nariel and Thowgla in the picturesque Biggara Valley. There are many photographic opportunities at lookouts and waterways on the journey.

The Hunters Plains homestead and stables are located in Parish Lane which runs off the main street. This rectangular vernacular building incorporates a homestead erected c.1870 of locally-hewn stone by town pioneer Hugh Harris on one of the area's earliest pastoral runs. The sympathetic brick additions date from 1922.

About Corryong

Corryong is located 120 km east of Albury-Wodonga, near the upper reaches of the Murray River and is close to the New South Wales border. At the 2006 Census, Corryong had a population of 1,228. It is reachable by road along the Murray Valley Highway, and is indeed the eastern endpoint of this highway. Further eastern travel puts a driver on the Alpine Way, until recently a dirt road, before encountering any major settlements.
Surrounded by spectacular countryside, the mountain peaks, tree-clad ridges, alpine streams and granite boulders around Corryong render it ideal territory for mountain-biking, canoeing, bushwalking, horseriding, trout fishing, hang-gliding, white-water rafting and scenic drives.
Industries in the area involve mainly agriculture and forestry, particularly beef and dairy farming, though some farmers are experimenting with more exotic farming enterprises. The forestry industries include both harvesting native eucalypts and the extensive pine plantations in the area. The town itself exists primarily to service these industries.
Corryong is birthplace to several famous Australians including: Country music singer Lee Kernaghan and Actress and comedian Corrine Grant.

Brief history: It is believed that the area was occupied by the Pallanganmiddang Aborigines prior to white settlement. Explorer Paul Edmund Strzelecki passed through the area on his way to Gippsland in 1840. The district was opened up for selection in the 1860s and, consequently, a township began to emerge to cater to the needs of the small landowners. A school opened in 1872 and, in 1875, a Mr Miller transferred his store from Koetong to Corryong. The townsite was surveyed in 1879 with land sales proceeding in 1882 - the year the Court House Hotel became the town's first drinking establishment.
The town was once home to the many High Country cattlemen of the 19th century who were known as overlanders. Walwa, 43 km to the north, was the home of Australia's first breed of beef cattle, the Murray Grey, which was widely exported. Explorer Sir Paul Edmund de Strzelecki passed through the area on his way to Gippsland in 1840. The district was opened up for selection in the 1860s and, consequently, a township began to emerge to cater to the needs of the small landowners. Former known as Gravel Plains, the current name is of Aboriginal origin, corrupted from 'cooyong', the name of the bandicoot.

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