January 2022 – Kamilaroi Country
The town of Merriwa is one of those natural stopping points. Thousands of people travelling along the charmingly named Golden Highway between the coast and the great western plains around Dubbo already know it well. It sits at the halfway point, perfect for a bite to eat and a loo stop.
But Merriwa is even more than the perfect place for a break. We loved its laid back rural vibe, surrounded by fertile farmland and rolling hills. In the spring, the great yellow fields of canola in bloom have to be seen to be believed.
There are so many reasons to stay a little longer in this friendly town, and here are just a few we discovered during our recent visit.
What we did
History
Merriwa is on the traditional country of the Wiradjuri people whose links stretch back for thousands of years. It is from their language that the name of Merriwa is thought to originate – meaning grass seeds, or flour made from grass seeds. The area was initially known as the Gummum Plains district, after the river, which was then known as Gummum Creek.
The first Europeans turned up in the 1820s when botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham made a camp on the banks of the river. He was followed by pastoralist Charles Blaxland who established Cullingral Station southwest of the town in 1824.
The town was surveyed in 1839, and is still dotted with buildings from that colonial era including the churches, Merriwa primary school, the police station, a stone pub, and the charming sandstone building that houses the town’s museum.
We picked up a town walk brochure from the Visitor’s Centre, and set off to look around.
The Brittannia Steam Engine in the park near the pool in Vennacher Street is linked to the region’s wool industry. It was imported from England in 1890 to power a sheep shearing machine on Cullingral station. It was a modern industrial wonder of its time.
The bottle museum is quirky and interesting with its collection of more than 5000 glass items – some dating back to the 1800s. The story of more than 100 years of change captured in bottles. It’s not always open so a call to the tourist centre will help – (02) 6548 2607.
Railway station
Merriwa’s quaint wooden railway station is a reminder of that long past era when country rail routes really mattered. The first train ran from Muswellbrook to Merriwa on October 29, 1917. Passenger travel on the line ceased on July 7, 1973. The line finally closed on February 10, 1988 when the last wheat train passed through the town.
When built, Merriwa was a rail terminal which meant it was equipped with a turntable to turn the engines around and send them back the other way. Turntables in large terminals were motorised but at Merriwa two men manually pushed the thing around. Merriwa Railway Society is restoring the station to its original condition, a big job for a group of volunteers.
Churches
There are a number of interesting stone churches in Merriwa – St Anne’s Roman Catholic, for example, was built 1879-81 and extended in the 1930s.
Holy Trinity Church is interesting, and was open during our visit. Built about 1900, it features some lovely stained glass windows and impressive vaulted wooden ceilings.
Beside this church is a graveyard which tells many stories about the town and its development. Buried there is one John Roper who accompanied explorer Ludwig Leichhardt on his important Queensland expedition from 1844 to 1846. It seems however Roper wasn’t the most valuable member of the team.
Another team member John Gilbert described him as brash, no bushman and “at all times foolhardy”. Roper got lost in the bush more than once and on 10 May 1845 was kicked in the chest while trying to catch his horse by its tail.
Later Roper became Mayor of Albury where he was prominent in the business community. On 9 April 1868 he became a sheep inspector at Merriwa at £250 a year. Roper retired on 6 October 1893 and died 1895 aged 73. Leichhardt named the Roper River (Northern Territory) after him.
Principal’s cottage
There is a little stone cottage at Merriwa that was built in 1878 as the principal’s residence for the small school constructed next door in the same year. The cottage has been used as a home for the local school principal ever since. That must be some kind of record in Australia.
Art works
Silo art
As you drive into Merriwa look out for its wonderful silo art installation. The huge mural on the century old former grain silo celebrates Merriwa’s agricultural industry – its sheep and wool and its canola growing.
The red socks on the sheep relate to the annual Festival of the Fleeces usually held on the June long weekend each year (but cancelled for the last two years due to COVID).
The Merriwa silos are the 29th silos to be included in the Australian Silo Art Trail Collection and were completed on April 23, 2019. They are the work of Melbourne based artist, David Lee Pereira.
Tin mural
Don’t miss the wonderful three dimensional mural next to The Hut (the Tourist Welcoming Centre) in the main street. The tin used to create this mural has an interesting back story – coming from around the local district including from the sheep dip on Collaroy station (established 1829) Denman’s Blacksmith shed and an original Merriwa garage.
The mural by Fran Wachtel and Charlotte Drake-Brockman is supported by poles and is not fixed to the wall. It depicts a dray with a load of wool bails being pulled by bullocks. It’s a very Australian rual scene with a mob of sheep, working dogs, a flock of galahs, windmill and shearing shed.
The Hut
Call into the The Hut (also known as Merriwa Tourist Welcoming Centre). It’s a community owned business, operating as a co-op which promotes and sells an extensive array of local arts and crafts. This is arguably the town’s most visited attraction, which occupies a cavernous building in the main street and is definitely worth a look.
The co-op opened with a single table in October 2004, but today is filled with locally made produce – jams, honey and pickles, knitted items, ceramics, jewellery, and more.
The current president and secretary – the redoubtable Edith Shipway – has been a driving force for the co-op for 17 years and explained how it had put $100,000 back into local projects and organisations. This includes schools, SES, the hospital auxiliary, community transport, sports teams and drought support.
Natural Wonders
Battery Rocks
About 15km from Merriwa on the Muswellbrook Road is a geological oddity so unusual it’s recorded by the Geological Sites of NSW . Here, beside a picnic area, you will find a 35-million-year-old example of basalt columnar jointing.
It was created by lava cooling at a uniform rate, producing incredibly even, geometrically-similar “pillars” – which, in most cases, are vertical. What makes Battery Rocks unusual is that the columns are horizontal. It’s a challenge to imagine the area as a place of erupting volcanoes, but well worth a look.
There is a newly renovated picnic area beside the rocks with toilets installed, new picnic tables and an all weather surface laid. If you walk around to the “back” of the rocks, there appears to be evidence of a former quarry. Possibly used for road building materials.
Goulburn River National Park
Merriwa lies on the edge of this 72000 hectare park of sandstone cliffs, caves and gorges along a 90km stretch of the Goulburn River. The park is known for its extensive examples of Aboriginal art and culture. Recent floods have closed some areas, including our planned destination of Lees Pinch walking track.
This track leads to a lookout. However, all was not lost as the 30 minute drive out there took us through picturesque farmland and then then into the wonderful landscapes of the park. We had to turn back at the flood damaged crossing of the Goulburn River. This will definitely be on our list when we go through next time.
Location
Merriwa’s location is one of its advantages. It’s a peaceful and central spot from which to explore the surrounding regions. The Hunter Valley with its wineries, history and many attractions is close by to the east and south east. Westward is Dubbo and major attractions like the Western Plains Zoo. The wine and history of the lovely Mudgee region are only 90 minutes away.
Merriwa might still be a fledgling tourist destination, but it’s well worth staying just a little bit longer to explore its cafes, its history, its art and its peaceful surroundings.
Where we ate
There are quite a few options when you stop in Merriwa, including Eat@153 (where we enjoyed a delicious breakfast) Merriwa Cafe and Bakery (great sandwiches) Sansko Cafe and Restaurant, Twisted Takeaway, and La Scarletta Pizzeria. The RSL Club, Merriwa Sports Club and the Royal Hotel also serve lunch and evening meals. Check opening hours at all of these before you go.
Where we stayed
Merriwa has a number of accommodation options and all of them require some forward planning! You need to book ahead because things are frequently booked out. We stayed at The Golden Fleece Motor Inn in Bettington Street which is a beautifully clean, comfortable and well equipped facility.
It’s quite new, and sits behind the 1916 former bank building which is now B&B on Bettington. This wonderfully restored and kept building is an iconic part of the Merriwa Streetscape. You can take a virtual tour through this wonderful old building.
Shop Local
This blog and video have been brought to you Merriwa Shopfront Businesses and the Why Leave Town Gift Card Network. The program was started in Narrabri in 2007 as a way to support communities struggling with a range of economic challenges (drought for example). The network has now expanded across Australia reaching more than 70 communities, including Merriwa.
When a customer purchases a Why Leave Town gift card, the holder can buy goods in any participating store that’s part of the program. The cards cannot be used outside of the participating shops and this means that every time one of the cards is purchased, the money stays local. The gift cards can be used more than once, across multiple stores, and are the perfect gift for those ‘hard to buy for’ friends and family members.
Participating Merriwa businesses include:
Cassilis Post Office
Eat @ 153
IGA Merriwa
Merriwa Cafe & Bakery
Merriwa Pharmacy
Merriwa Sports Club
Newsxpress Merriwa
Royal Hotel Cassilis
St Joseph’s Catholic School
Welderup MWA Pty Ltd
Cross Country Merriwa
Elders Rural Services Australia
La Scaletta Pizzeria
Merriwa Hardware
Merriwa Post Office
Merriwa Tourist Welcoming Centre
Nutrien Ag Solutions Merriwa
Royal Hotel Merriwa
Twisted Takeaway
Di’s Clothing Patch
Honki Haus
Max’s Country Cuts
Merriwa Petroleum & Ag Supplies Pty Ltd
Merriwa RSL & Bistro
Merriwa Tyre & Service Centre
R M Property & Livestock
Sansko Cafe & Restaurant
Wayne Smith Automotive
