Pioneer Settlement VIC

Today we explored Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement for a glimpse of what life was like in a regional Australian town in the 1800s. The whole area is set up like an old townscape, with historic buildings and machinery throughout.

The highlights of our visit were the rope making and butter making demonstrations. The rope making demo was a simple but fascinating look at how rope was traditionally twisted and formed by hand using basic tools and steady technique. Ryan got to experience 'rope surfing' as the twine twisted together and it was interesting to see that when it was let go, it didn’t unfurl because of the opposing twist directions. The butter making demo was just as engaging, with the kids having a turn at churning cream into butter and learning how normal these kinds of tasks were in everyday life back then. The best part was sampling the end result with fresh damper.

We also enjoyed rides around the settlement in both an old-fashioned car and a horse drawn omnibus. Plus we came away with a lucky (aka “positive vibes”) horseshoe with our initials stamped onto it.

Tonight we headed back to the Pioneer Settlement to experience the 'Heartbeat of the Murray' show, a 360 degree light, laser, water, fire, sound and special effects presentation telling the story of the Murray. It was a multimedia spectacle that transported us back 30 million years, before travelling forward through time to the Murray River as we know it today. Although shorter than expected, it was definitely a unique experience and well worth the detour to Swan Hill.Read more