Avenel - Places to See

The Bridge

The first Overland Mail from Melbourne to Sydney was established in 1839. The route it traversed was known as the Old Sydney Road which was also used by drovers and bullock wagons. It crossed Hughes Creek at a shallow, sandy ford which became a camping place for teamsters and, in 1849, the village of Avenel.

In 1859 a six-arch stone bridge was built by Hugh Dalrymple for the Victorian Board of Land and Works. This major upgrade was largely the result of the goldrushes and, in its early years, would have been used extensively by Cobb & Co. It was retired in 1969 when a new bridge was built but its historical value was recognised and it has been preserved with a plaque to denote its significance.

Royal Mail Hotel
Dating from the 1850s this small brick and rubblestone house was a coach house for the changing of Cobb & Co. horses for some decades after its original construction. It then reverted to a domestic dwelling. It is located near the stone bridge across Hughes Creek.

Plunkett's Winery
Plunkett Wines was established in 1968 although the present vineyard got under way in 1991. It is located at the corner of the Hume Freeway and Lambing Gully Rd and produces riesling, sauvignon blanc/semillon, chardonnay, shiraz, merlot and cabernet merlot. The cellar door is open seven days from 11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. with dinners available on Friday and Saturday nights at the restaurant, tel: (03) 5796 2150.

Harvest Home
The Harvest Home Country House Hotel at 1 Bank St is situated within a lovely and very well-kept 1860s hotel with a grand Victorian dining room. It is now a 'boutique hotel' with dinner and bed-and-breakfast packages. The garden pavilions and al fresco poolside dining is an attraction, tel: (03) 5796 2339.