Wilcannia, NSW
1.7 km (0.5 hrs )
★★☆☆☆

Wilcannia marks the half way point of the Darling River's journey south to the Murray River. The area was settled in the 1850's and became a major river port during the late 1880s, with over 200 steamers passing through the port each year. By this time the town had grown to a population of some 3,000 people with an impressive collection of buildings being constructed along the banks of the river, many built from local sandstone.

On this visit, my friends and I took the opportunity to explore the historic buildings in Wilcannia, visiting the Post Office (1880), Courthouse (1880) and Gaol (1881), River Front Warehouses (1890s), Police Residence (1881), Queen's Head Hotel (1877) - one of 13 hotels that the town once boasted, the school (1874) and St James Anglican Church (1883). While the current town is a shadow of its former self, the historic buildings on the Heritage Trail gives a glimpse of what Australia's third largest inland port would have looked like during its heydays.