Pioneer Settlement

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Pioneer Settlement Pioneer Settlement is a Heritage Tourist Attraction in the Mallee city of Swan Hill.
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Situated on the picturesque banks of the Marraboor River, you can embrace the past with the feeling that you have stepped back in time at the Pioneer Settlement. From our 1850s Pioneer Cottages to Towaninnie Homestead to our Mallee Township you can wander at leisure in a bygone world experiencing real Australian history. Whether riding in our recently restored vintage Dodge or in our horse drawn carriage; or having a break in our Tea Rooms there's so much to see and do that you will be pleased that the entry ticket includes a complimentary second day.

Warm coffee, a sweet slice, and good company – simple pleasures done right. It’s why the Paragon Cafe is our favourite p...
13/10/2026

Warm coffee, a sweet slice, and good company – simple pleasures done right. It’s why the Paragon Cafe is our favourite place for delicious breakfasts, freshly baked cakes, scrumptious treats, and barista-brewed coffee. Open 9am to 2.30pm Monday and Tuesday, and 7am to 2.30pm Wednesday through Sunday – for Pioneer Settlement patrons, the local community, and visitors to the region.

www.paragoncafesh.com.au

Uncover the secret wartime history of the Mallee!During World War II, Lake Boga was home to the top-secret No. 1 Flying ...
11/10/2026

Uncover the secret wartime history of the Mallee!

During World War II, Lake Boga was home to the top-secret No. 1 Flying Boat Repair Depot. Learn how the extraordinary women of the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) kept Catalina flying boats in the air in ‘Legends of the Mallee’ – an amazing night-time spectacular of lasers, lights, and booming sound.

Showing at 8.30pm: Monday | Wednesday | Friday | Sunday.

Learn more and book online at:
www.pioneersettlement.com.au/by-night/

Escape to the river with a one-hour cruise aboard the Pyap! Greet the Pyap and Captain Bartsch with a wave from Horsesho...
09/10/2026

Escape to the river with a one-hour cruise aboard the Pyap!

Greet the Pyap and Captain Bartsch with a wave from Horseshoe Bend Wharf before boarding for a leisurely journey, taking in the sights, sounds, and serenity of the Murray River.

Weekdays at 2.30pm | Weekends at 10.30am* and 2.30pm.

Learn more and book online at:
www.pioneersettlement.com.au/by-river

* A 10.30am Pyap cruise requires a By Day + By River ticket.

Our resident Clydesdales, Ben and Rocky, are gentle giants – and each day, one is the horsepower behind our horse and ca...
07/10/2026

Our resident Clydesdales, Ben and Rocky, are gentle giants – and each day, one is the horsepower behind our horse and carriage. For a leisurely ride around our Mallee township, guided by a friendly volunteer driver, it’s all aboard just outside the Saddlery.

Your horse and carriage ride is free with General Admission to the Pioneer Settlement; also included is a free ride in a 1920s Dodge – get started with a volunteer driver outside the Iron House.

Two sketches of the Pioneer Settlement, from 1979, by Ernest Marcuse (1900–1985). Born in Berlin, he worked as a freelan...
05/10/2026

Two sketches of the Pioneer Settlement, from 1979, by Ernest Marcuse (1900–1985). Born in Berlin, he worked as a freelance commercial artist who specialised in architectural, industrial, and figurative drawing. He arrived in Australia during World War II and worked as a war events illustrator for ‘The Argus’ from 1939 to mid-1940. He was then recruited by the Australian Army to create visual training aids and illustrations. Many of his works are now part of private and corporate collections in Australia and overseas.

Bring your sketchbook, pack your paints and pencils, and follow in Ernest’s footsteps to capture your own impressions of our pioneering past. We can’t wait to see what you’ll create!

📷 : From Ernest Marcuse’s ‘Murray River cruise’ sketchbook, scanned by State Library Victoria, [H2025.94/2].

Daylight Saving starts tomorrow morning, Sunday October 4, at 2am – when it quickly becomes 3am. And with this change, t...
03/10/2026

Daylight Saving starts tomorrow morning, Sunday October 4, at 2am – when it quickly becomes 3am. And with this change, the showtimes for our two Murray River spectaculars change too:

• Tonight: ‘Heartbeat of the Murray’ – showtime is 7pm
• Tomorrow night: ‘Legends of the Mallee’ – showtime is 8.30pm

Enjoy one of two amazing laser light spectaculars, ‘Heartbeat of the Murray’ or ‘Legends of the Mallee’ on the banks of the Little Murray River, showing at 8.30pm on alternate nights from October 4th. Lasers, lights, fire, water and booming sound!

Bookings essential, to learn more visit:
www.pioneersettlement.com.au/visit/by-night

There’s still time to fit some good old-fashioned fun into your holidays, with our Spring School Holiday program...Try h...
01/10/2026

There’s still time to fit some good old-fashioned fun into your holidays, with our Spring School Holiday program...

Try hand-churning your own butter with Butter Making (at 1pm) and taste the fruits of your labour atop freshly cooked damper – delicious! Then Rope Making (at 1.30pm), it’s a knot-to-be-missed experience – learn how a few simple strands can be twisted into a surprisingly strong rope with this traditional method.

Untie your weekend plans and head for the Pioneer Settlement for some good old-fashioned fun for the whole family!

When Premier of Victoria Sir Henry Bolte opened the Swan Hill Folk Museum & Art Gallery on September 29th, 1966, it mark...
29/09/2026

When Premier of Victoria Sir Henry Bolte opened the Swan Hill Folk Museum & Art Gallery on September 29th, 1966, it marked the official beginning of an ambitious venture – one that had started years prior on an unremarkable river flat by the Little Murray River.

From our earliest beginnings in late 1961 through to today, an extraordinary community of passionate, hard-working, dedicated, and inspirational people – far too many to name, and we wouldn’t want to miss a single person – have contributed to the immense task of creating and running this remarkable endeavour.

To everyone who has contributed over the decades to preserving our pioneering past and sharing it with generations of visitors to Swan Hill’s Pioneer Settlement – a heartfelt thank you! ❤

www.pioneersettlement.com.au

📷 : The Swan Hill Folk Museum, circa 1963.

On this day in 1966, Premier Sir Henry Bolte officially opened the Swan Hill Folk Museum. And when Queen Elizabeth II an...
28/09/2026

On this day in 1966, Premier Sir Henry Bolte officially opened the Swan Hill Folk Museum. And when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip toured four years later, in 1970, Her Majesty suggested the name ‘Pioneer Settlement’, and in 1971 the name officially changed.

Celebrate our 60th anniversary with us, and enjoy our Spring School Holiday Program – full of fantastic experiences for the whole family!

Plan your spring visit at www.pioneersettlement.com.au

📷 : Courtesy the Swan Hill Historical Society and State Library Victoria: http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/4183278

Tomorrow’s our 60th anniversary, but tonight we’re lighting up the night with our ‘Legends of the Mallee’ laser light sh...
28/09/2026

Tomorrow’s our 60th anniversary, but tonight we’re lighting up the night with our ‘Legends of the Mallee’ laser light show at 7pm.

Journey through the region’s past, present, and future – from the culture and astronomy of the indigenous Wamba Wamba and Wadi Wadi people, Burke and Wills’ ill-fated expedition, to Lake Boga’s secret wartime history... It’s a captivating display of lasers, lights, fire, water, and booming sound, on the banks of the Little Murray River.

Learn more and book tickets online at:
www.pioneersettlement.com.au/by-night

Address

125 Monash Drive
Swan Hill, VIC
3585

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 9:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+61350362410

Website

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