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Irresistible to the writers of popular bush poetry, prose and song, the handsome township of Gundagai extends a warm welcome to the weary traveller.

History

In 1838, against the advice of the local Aboriginal people, the town was built on flood-prone flats on the northern banks of the Murrumbidgee River.

In 1852, severe flooding virtually destroyed the European settlement and 83 of the 250 townsfolk lost their lives. The toll would have been higher but for two Aboriginals who came to the rescue in bark canoes, saving 48 people.

The town relocated further up the slopes of Mt Parnassus, and the highest street in the original town, Sheridan Street, is now the main street.

Things to do

• Wander down Sheridan Street for a look at some of the town's oldest buildings. Don't miss the old flour mill in Sheridan Lane, or the Prince Alfred Bridge, Australia's longest timber viaduct, built in 1866.
• Throw in a line on the Murrumbidgee for trout, Murray cod, red fin, yellowbelly and bream.
• Take in the views from the scenic lookout atop Mt Parnassus.
• Browse the town's galleries and craft shops.
• Spot the headstones in the town's cemetery that were crafted by expert stonemason Frank Rusconi.

Events

• The Snake Gully Cup, in November, is a two-day horse-racing carnival that includes the Dog on the Tuckerbox Festival.
• Turning Wave, in September, is a celebration of Irish/Australian culture with song, dance, poetry readings and traditional Irish hurling.
• The Camp Draft and horse sale in March.

Don’t miss

• The astonishing Marble Masterpiece, a miniature Baroque Italian palace.
• Saying g'day to the famous Dog on the Tuckerbox, which commemorates the bullocky drivers and drovers who camped at Five Mile Creek.
• A silver-service morning tea at the Historical Museum.
• Sampling some baked goods at Gundagai Bakery, the oldest continuously operating bakery in New South Wales.
• Dr Charles Gabriel's glass-plate photographs, which depict Gundagai life in the early 1900s, in the Gabriel Gallery.