Do you love to explore country Victoria, Australia towns or love street art? If you do then this small country town in northern Victoria is the place to visit.
Our Visit to Tongala did not disappoint. We found the locals to be very friendly and gave us a warm welcome to their town. A welcome we have not experienced in other country towns. As the signage and brochures say ‘everyone is welcome’ we found to be genuine.
About Tongala
The town is home to more than 1800 people. It is situated between Kyabram and Echuca making a great place to explore when staying at Echuca or heading from Melbourne to Echuca.
Here you won’t only find over 50 pieces of street art reflecting the towns history but also find the Avenue of Honour for those who served in the Vietnam War and an Australian Light Horse Armoured Memorial.
With Tongala being one of the world’s most productive dairy areas the industry plays a significant role in the economy of Tongala. However, it still needs tourists to come to the town to assist local businesses. So please, drop by and say Good day to the locals whom you’ll find when you walk the streets or visit the Art Studio.
Beside a number of the pieces of artwork you will find a plaque providing you with the history that the artwork is portraying. It really does take you back in time.
Our Experience
We spent a couple of hours roaming the streets, checking out the history of the town and exploring the street art. The street art is a Tongala Lions Project, all the paintings are done by volunteer artists who a creating a sustainable future for their town which they have so much pride for. We visited the art studio where we met a couple of the artists.
If you want to know about the artwork, take a walking tour with one of the volunteers whom you will find at the Art Studio. At the Art Studio they will also take the time to show and explain to you their paintings and show you how much fun and easy it is to paint. By visiting here we learnt that the street art has “dunnies” hidden in the paintings…
We met Murray one of the artists who gave us a very warm welcome. It was Murray who started the Tongala mural art project back in 2001 with the support of the Tongala Lions Club. Murray is extremely friendly and totally surprised us by taking the time to draw Minky a picture!! We were blown away by his kind gesture!! The artwork will definitely be hung with pride and fond memories of our visit.
After our visit to the Art Studio we continued roaming the streets and admiring the artwork, there’s approximately 50 pieces of artwork scattered around the streets of Tongala. Don’t worry they have a map so you know where to explore or you can take a walking tour with one of the locals.
We also spent time checking out the memorial for those that served in the Vietnam war. Nearby there is a lovely park which is a great place to relax, have a BBQ before hitting the road to your next destination.
How Long Would I Stay in Tongala?
Allow 1-2hrs to explore this beautiful country Victoria Town. If you participate in a street art tour then allow longer. Remember if you are going to have a picnic or BBQ in the local park buy your ingredients from the local shops to support the town.
There is a caravan park if you would like to break your journey and take your time to explore what this town has to offer.
Tongala Location
- Approximately 27km, 22mins from Echuca off the Murray Valley Highway
- Approximately 221km, 2hrs 28mins from Melbourne CBD
Your Thoughts
We’d love to hear about your experience in Tongala or any other country towns that you think we would love to explore. Or perhaps you’ve explored a place where street art is a must see then we’d really like to hear about your adventure.
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