Wangaratta - Places to See

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Wangaratta - Places to See

Tourist Information

The Wangaratta and Region Visitor Information Centre is located at the corner of Tone Rd and Handley St, tel: (03) 5721 5711. It is home to an unusual one-sixth scale model of a 1950s home which features some surprising miniatures and there are changing displays.

Historic Buildings in Town
The Information Centre has a 'Walk Through History' pamphlet delineating some of the town's historic buildings, although many have not survived the town's expansion.

St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, faced with granite from the Warby Ranges, was designed by William Wardell in the Gothic Revival style. The initial construction was carried out between 1865 and 1871 although the nave was completed and a fine Gothic tower added in 1905. A wing was added to the sanctuary in the 1960s. Located at the corner of Ryley St (a section of the main road) and Ford St, it features some fine stained-glass windows.

The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1908-09), at the corner of Ovens and Docker St, features a timber belfry with a peal of eight bells which were transferred from a disused church in Lancashire, England where they were cast in 1806. The interestingly patterned brick walls include a cement-coated brick from the first church on the site. Above it is a history of the church set in tiles.

Nearby is a two-storey Edwardian house known as Bishop's Lodge. It was built in 1904 as the residence of Wangaratta's first bishop after the church was declared a cathedral.

One of the city's oldest surviving buildings is the former ES & A Bank building (1875) at 49 Reid St. This two-storey rendered-brick structure is a Classical design with a three-bay facade erected around a central entrance with Doric columns.

The post office in Murphy St (a portion of the main road) dates from 1873 although it has been extensively altered.

'Warra' (1908) at 3 Murdoch Rd is a rambling private brick residence of an unusual design defined as 'Federation Art Nouveau' by the National Trust.

Wangaratta Cemetery
The cemetery, at the south-western end of town (corner of Tone Rd and Mason St), contains the headless body of notorious bushranger Dan 'Mad Dog' Morgan who was shot and killed at Peechalba station, 35 km north of town. After a gruesome public display and defilement of his corpse (see introduction to town) the remainder of his body was buried outside the cemetery's bourn. The fence was later relocated and the grave can now be found inside the small gate at the northern front end of the cemetery, near the toilet block.

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Exhibitions Gallery
The Exhibitions Gallery is situated in the former Presbyterian Church (1898) in Ovens St. It has changing displays of photography, social history, architecture, fine arts, applied arts, jewellery and design with a focus on contemporary issues. It is open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and from midday to 5 p.m. Sunday to Tuesday. Entry is free, tel: (03) 5722 0888.

Wangaratta Museum
The Wangaratta Museum is situated in the former fire station (1895) in Ford St. It displays local memorabilia and is open Sundays and most public holidays from 2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.or by appointment, tel: (03) 5721 3095.

Merriwa Park
Merriwa Park (adjacent Murphy St) has a fine sunken garden. Wildlife can be seen adjacent the King River.

Air World
Air World is an aviation museum which boasts over 30 authentic vintage Australian aircraft, many of which are in operative condition. Other exhibits include aviation engines (including some of the first ever built) and antique bicycles. There is an aviation theme playground, a souvenir shop, a cafeteria and a restaurant. Guided tours are available by prior arrangement, as are joy flights in either vintage or modern craft. It is located 7 km south of town along the Greta Rd at the Wangaratta airport and is open daily, tel: (03) 5721 8788.

Tarrawingee
Tarrawingee, from an Aboriginal word said to mean 'plenty of water', is located 11 km south-east of Wangaratta on the Ovens Highway. An early squatter was Sir Francis Murphy, the speaker of Victoria's first Legislative Assembly.

At Tarrawingee the Beechworth road splits off from the Ovens Highway. Just a few houses along the Beechworth Road, set well back, is the Plough Inn, a two-storey hotel built in 1864 for Hopton Nolan from bricks manufactured on-site. An important coaching stop, it was allegedly patronised by Ned Kelly who worked at Tarrawingee for a period. A brick stable block is attached.

Adjacent are the 'Carinya' store and homestead, built in 1860 for Thomas Ladson but bought out by Nolan in 1880. Both are still in the hands of the Nolan family. The 12-room homestead features a ballroom, extensive cellars and original and antique furnishings. It is now a guesthouse although there is a tea room for the general public.

Also of ineterst are St Peter's Anglican Church (1866) and the Star Hotel (1860s) which is now a private residence.

Warby Range State Park
The Warby Range State Park (6880 hectares) is located 10km west of Wangaratta. Access is directly off the Hume Freeway with entry points from either Warby Range Road, Yarrawonga Road or Glenrowan-Boweya Road.

The area was first settled by Ben Warby (after whom the park is named) in 1844. It achieved a brief moment of notoriety when, for a time during the 1870s, it was thought that Ned Kelly was hiding in the ranges and observing the goings-on at Glenrowan from the top of Mount Glenrowan.

The park was established in 1978 and increased in size in 1989. It is characterised by waterfalls (particularly Briens Gorge Falls), a long, steep eastern escarpment, forest and woodlands of stringbark and red gum, extensive areas of spring-time wildflowers and blackboys, excellent views across to the Victorian Alps and an extensive range of wildlife including black wallabies, echidnas, wedge-tailed eagles, lorikeets, barking owls and sugar gliders.

The park has a number of walks. The most popular are the track to the summit of Mount Glenrowan (9.4 km return from the Taminick-Wangaratta Road), and the short walks to Briens Gorge Falls, Salisbury Falls and Jubilee Falls.

Ryans Lookout offers excellent views across to the Alps. It is accessed via Wangandry Road (which runs off the Yarrawonga Road). Winter and spring are the best times to view the park. For more information contact either the Ranger-in-Charge in Wangaratta on (03) 5721 5022 or the Glenrowan Tourist Centre on (03) 5766 2367.

Killawarra State Forest
The Killawarra State Forest lies at the northern end of Warby Range State Park yet it is characterised by rather different landscape and vegetation types - red ironbark, grey box, Blakely's wattle, heath and wallaby grass, populated by swamp wallabies, echinnas and bats. The Forest Camp Picnic Area was created on the site of an old internment camp used in World War II. Head north along the road towards Yarrawonga and turn off, heading west at the locality of Killawarra which is 15 km north of Wangaratta.

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