Murtoa Museum

18/06/2026

Murtoa Museum is closed today, Thursday 18th June and Saturday the 20th June. Applogies for any inconvenience.
We are OPEN Friday 19th June. Hope to see you then.

12/06/2026

STREET SCENES – Murtoa Baths
The popularity of the swimming baths was demonstrated on the 26th December 1926 when about sixty enthusiastic townspeople attended a meeting with the view of electing a governing body to control the baths and to make regulations for their conduct.
The swimming baths opened in 1926 at a cost of £373.
During the succeeding years the various committees with the assistance of the Murtoa Baths Ladies Committee have raised and spent considerable sums of money to improve amenities.
Early in 1960 new brick dressing rooms and conveniences were completed.
Stringent water purifications under the Health Act were introduced in 1969. Consultation between the Shire and the Government allowed the baths to operate temporarily, with chemicals added until the close of season in 1973. A new filtered and chlorinated pool, the size of a ¾ Olympic pool was decided on by the committee.
The baths were well patronised and many hundreds of children have learned to swim on the moderate sloping floor of the large pool. Many committees and individuals have devoted much time and energy to keeping this great town asset alive.

04/06/2026

The Museum is closed today, Thursday 4th of June AND Sunday 7th of June. Appologies for any inconvenience.

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

Historic Street Scenes - Lake Marma

02/05/2026

Museum has closed today Saturday 2nd May 2026 due to power outage. We will reopen tomorrow 3rd May from 12pm to 2pm.We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

23/04/2026

Murtoa Museum is open on Anzac Day 25th April 2026, from 12 pm till 2 pm.
Come and browse our display and collection of war memorabilia in Concordia Cottage and the newly mounted honour boards of those who served on the top floor of the Water Tower.
Children under 16 and Murtoa, Rupanyup and Minyip locals are free!

15/04/2026

Street Scenes – Duncan Street
In 1881 a public meeting inaugurated a ‘Mechanics Institute and Free Library’. A building in Barkly Street (now named Duncan) was leased from Andersons, known as ‘Wheatlands’. It became the first Mechanics Institute, once the Post Office vacated to its new building in Marma Street.
In 1885 a large block was purchased on Barkly Street for £32, the Hall’s current position. In 1888 a tender was accepted to build the new hall for the amount of £415. A bazaar was held in 1904 to raise funds of £72 which was enough to successfully complete the remaining payments for the Hall.
The Hall became the venue for Silent Movies, accompanied by Murtoa’s Orchestra. In 1925 the screening of the ‘Ten Commandments’, over 6 nights attracted a total of 1,558 viewers.
On the 2nd of January 1928 the Mechanics Hall was partially destroyed by fire along with 3 adjoining shops, however the silent movies continued at an open air venue in Duncan Street. By July, loans and debentures were secured and the Hall was rebuilt for the cost of £3790. The new Hall was opened by December of that year.
Silent movies continued to be shown until 1930. The following decades saw up grades to sound equipment and movie screens as talking movies were screened on a regular basis. However, by the 1970’s, dwindling audiences resulted from the competition of television so the pictures were closed down.

08/04/2026

View Richard Parker's Murtoa model railway. It is extraordinary.

Richard Parker’s Murtoa is one of the most impressive HO scale Victorian Railways layouts in Australia, recreating this important western Victorian railway c...

05/03/2026

Mystery Object.
Heavy ceramic base. Long narrow rod. End piece with a thread and hole inside.