The Jarvis Homestead which was built in 1876 is at the back of the Man from Snowy River Museum

Corryong
Home town of The Man from Snowy River
Small roadside metal silhouettes of the Man from Snowy River stand beside the road at both ends of Corryong, declaring that this is Man from Snowy River Country. The claim has considerable legitimacy. Not only is Corryong the Victorian gateway to both the Snowy Mountains and to Kosciuszko National Park but it is generally accepted that a local named Jack Riley was the inspiration for 'Banjo' Paterson's famous poem 'The Man From Snowy River' (1890).

Corryong is quite an attractive older-style country town of some 1500 people which is situated at an elevation of 320 metres and surrounded by spectacular countryside. The mountain peaks, tree-clad ridges, alpine streams and granite boulders render it ideal territory for mountain-biking, canoeing, bushwalking, horseriding, trout fishing, hang-gliding, white-water rafting and scenic drives. It is located 437 km north-east of Melbourne via the Hume Freeway and Murray Valley Highway and 116 km east of Wodonga. Access from NSW is via ThredboVillage and Khancoban.

It is believed that the area was occupied by the Pallanganmiddang Aborigines prior to white settlement. The first cattle station here was established c.1838 and this is still cattle country with local saleyards handling 10 000 head a year. 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 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 name derives from the Aboriginal term 'cooyong' meaning 'bandicoot'.

The town's major annual celebration is the Man From Snowy River Bush Festival in April. It includes a commemorative ride along the route taken by those who brought the dying Jack Riley into town from his mountain home. There is also a bush dance, muster and bush market.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
The Corryong Information Centre is located at the corner of Jardine St and Hanson St, opposite the post office. The latter, the main thoroughfare, is lined with attractive liquidambars. The centre is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily, tel: (02) 6076 2277. They can furnish a guide which outlines four of the most scenic drives around town.

Snowy Mountain Holidays at Towong (11 km north-east) offer fishing, canoeing and mountain-bike excursions and accommodation, tel: (02) 6076 8252. Kevin Carlisle offers 4WD heritage tours of the area and Richard Hubbard conducts scenic 4WD tours. Trail riding is available at Towong, Khancoban and Shelley (41 km west along the Murray Valley Highway). Companies hiring out canoes and mountain bikes and offering white-water rafting trips, guided bushwalking and trail riding can be found at Walwa. For details on any of the above ring the information centre.

The grave of Jack Riley ŒThe Man from Snowy Riverš at Corryong

Jack Riley's Grave
The town's pretty hillside cemetery is located at the top of Pioneer Ave (signposted from the main road). It contains the simple grave of Jack Riley who is generally agreed to have been the inspiration for A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson's much-loved and nationally famous 'Man From Snowy River' (1890). In contrast with Paterson's ballad epic the tombstone laconically declares: 'In Memory of The Man From Snowy River, Jack Riley, Buried Here 16th July 1914'. An information board at the cemetery is more informative. Riley migrated from Ireland in 1851. He initially worked as a tailor at Omeo but was soon nourishing his interest in horses by working as a stockman. He gained notoriety as a mountain rider, horse-breaker, bushman and tracker of wild horses. While working as the manager of the Tom Groggin cattle station in the Upper Murray Valley he undertook the ride which lies at the centre of Paterson's epic. The poet apparently met Riley while on a camping trip in the area and was inspired by his tales of adventure. An information board in a reserve at the town centre considers the background to the ride.

Man From Snowy River Museum
The Man From Snowy River Museum is located at the corner of McKay St and Hanson St in the old shire offices. It is essentially a local history museum with an eclectic collection including an old lock-up, a slab timber hut set up as an old-fashioned dairy, wooden skis dating back to the 1870s (including a pram on skis owned by Olympic skiers Thomas and Elyne Mitchell), some lovely Victorian-era costumes and an unusual flying jacket handmade of bits and pieces by a World War II POW. It is open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. and from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. from September to May. The Jarvis Homestead, built in 1876 in the Cudgewa area, was reconstructed on-site by the local Rotary Club.

Hunters Plains
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.

Lookouts
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. The drives are, in all cases, highly scenic.

Towong
11 km north-east along the Tintaldra Rd is Towong which was laid out in 1861 with land sales proceeding in 1867. It has a noted turf club established in 1871. The racecourse and grandstand were used in the filming of Phar Lap. In 1928 noted Australian identity Squizzy Taylor and his gang created a fracas and stole a substantial sum of money in the confusion. He then stopped at Corryong where he robbed a local publican. Snowy Mountain Holidays offer fishing, canoeing and mountain-bike excursions and accommodation, tel: (02) 6076 8252. Trail riding is also available locally.

Benambra Rd
7 km west along the Murray Valley Highway is a turnoff on the left which follows the Corryong and Nariel Creeks south through a scenic valley. The Nariel Creek Folk Festival is held at the end of each year at Nariel Creek, 19 km along this road.

10 km further south is the Upper Murray Fish Farm where you can catch your own trout (bait and tackle supplied), buy some smoked trout or pate, cook up your own barbecue or stay in one of the cabins, tel: (02) 6077 1295.

The bitumen peters out after a few more kilometres but the road continues on to Benambra and Omeo. It is definitely manageable in a conventional vehicle although snow can be a problem in winter.

Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park
Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park (18 095 ha) is a steep, rocky, remote and highly scenic area which consists of two blocks containing very different types of vegetation. There are 180 bird species, including lyrebirds, as well as wombats, kangaroos and wallabies. Possible activities include scenic drives, bushwalking, abseiling and bush camping.

To gain access head north-west from Corryong for 11 km until you come to a T-intersection. The crossroad is the Cudgewa-Tintaldra Rd. Turn right and after a further 6 km turn left onto the scenic Cudgewa North-Walwa Rd which runs through the park, providing access to most of its attractions and walking trails. For details on those attractions and trails see the detailed entry on the park at Tintaldra.

	Tourist Information
	Corryong Tourist Information Centre cnr Jardine & Hanson St Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 2277 Facsimile: (02) 6076 2152
	Motels
	Corryong Country Inn 7 Towong Rd Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 1333 Rating: ***
	Corryong Motel/Hotel 54 Towong Rd Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 1004 Rating: *
	Pinnibar Motel 74 Towong Rd Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 1766 Rating: **
	Hotels
	Court House Hotel 27 Hanson St Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 1711 Rating: **
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Alpine Gateway Lodge Bed & Breakfast 96 Hanson St Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 1269 Rating: **
	Caravan Parks
	Colac Colac Caravan Park Murray Valley Hwy RMB 3022 Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 1520 Rating: **
	Mt. Mittamatite Caravan Park Murray Valley Hwy P.O. Box 95 Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 1152 Rating: **
	Restaurants
	Chopstick Chinese Restaurant Jardine St Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 1133
	Corryong Country Inn 7 Towong Rd Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 1333
	Court House Hotel 27 Hanson St Corryong VIC 3707 Telephone: (02) 6076 1711