Lake Mulwala – A Place To Be

In 1842, the Yarrawonga area witnessed the arrival of a remarkable pioneer, Elizabeth Hume. With the help of her brother-in-law, explorer Hamilton Hume, she established the 'Yarrawonga Run', becoming the first European to call northeast Victoria home. Driven by resilience, Elizabeth moved here with her nine children after the tragic death of her husband. Her home, ‘Byramine’, meaning ‘rustic retreat’, offered a new beginning.

A significant transformation occurred in 1939 with the damming of the Murray River at the Yarrawonga Weir, giving rise to Lake Mulwala as part of the vital Murray-Darling Irrigation Scheme. Prior to this, the mighty Murray was a lifeline for paddle steamers, transporting goods like timber, wheat, and wool as far inland as Albury. The railway's arrival in 1886 gradually brought an end to this era of river commerce.

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Creating Lake Mulwala

Lake Mulwala was formed in 1939 when the Murray River was dammed at the Yarrawonga Weir as part of the Murray-Darling Irrigation Scheme. Prior to this, paddle steamers would traverse the Murray as far away as Albury to transport a wide range of merchandise, including timber, wheat and wool. This river traffic slowly petered out with the arrival of the railway in 1886.

Raising the water level at the Yarrawonga Weir allows water to be diverted for irrigation. The Mulwala Canal – at 2,880 kilometres – is the longest irrigation canal in the southern hemisphere, spreading across the southern Riverina plain to Deniliquin and suppling water to 700,000 hectares. The Yarrawonga Main Channel is 957km long and services the Murray Valley irrigation region, from Yarrawonga to Barmah. It supplies water to 128,000 hectares.