Colac Colac Caravan Park Telephone (02) 6076 1520

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About Corryong!

Home to the Man from Snowy River

The largest township within Towong Shire is Corryong with a population of approximately 1,200 people. The township offers visitors great variety of shopping, accommodation, eateries, self drive tours and sporting facilities. Corryong is undoubtedly the jewelled centre piece of the magnificent region known as the Upper Murray.

Banjo Paterson (1864-1941)

The Man from Snowy River by A.B. 'Banjo' Patterson

There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around
That the colt from Old Regret had got away,
And had joined the wild bush horses --- he was worth a thousand pound,
So all the cracks had gathered to the fray.
All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far
Had mustered at the homestead overnight,
For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are,
And the stock-horse snuffs the battle with delight.

Welcome to 'Clack Clack'

Welcome to authentic 'Man from Snowy River' country. This district offers superb mountain scenery and excellent trout fishing in the Murray River and its tributaries, with the town being known as the home and final resting place of Jack Riley, the original 'Man from Snowy River'. A life-size statue depicting 'that terrible descent' made famous by Banjo Paterson's poem sits in the town. An annual festival honours Riley's memory with a feature event called the 'Challenge' to find his modern-day equivalent. Corryong is also the Victorian gateway to Kosciuszko National Park across the New South Wales border.

Colac Colac Caravan Park

This spacious park that is 6 km west of town, under large shady trees and alongside a popular trout stream. The budget-priced park in ‘Man from Snowy River’ territory has all the necessary amenities and is ideal for a few days stay or an overnighter. Facilities include - toilets and showers (disabled access), laundry, telephone, kiosk/shop, gas refills, ice, camp kitchen, barbecues, playground, internet terminal and pet friendly accommodation. Tent sites, powered sites, drive-thru sites fitting large motorhomes and cabins are available.

Address: 1994 Murray Valley Highway, Corryong 3707
Telephone: (02) 6076 1520

Corryong, Victoria

Located 437 km north-east of Melbourne via the Hume Freeway and Murray Valley Highway and 116 km east of Wodonga. Corryong is the Victorian gateway to both the Snowy Mountains and to Kosciuszko National Park. Running from the Mansfield district to the upper reaches of the Murray River near Corryong are the Victorian alps, or High Country. In winter, there is skiing terrain and when warmer – walking and touring.

Waltzing Matilda

Waltzing Matilda was written by A.B. ('Banjo') Paterson in 1896, at Winton, Queensland. One day while visiting Mr Robert McPherson a large sheep station owner they saw an old swagman trying to catch a sheep for his tuckerbox. McPherson stopped the buggy, exclaiming, 'He's after a jumbuck!' And jumping down he chased the swaggie away. (Jumbuck was Aboriginal phrase for sheep).

This caught Paterson's imagination and he softly spoke the lines of 'Waltzing Matilda'. Accompanying Paterson was Miss Christina McPherson who was intrigued with the words and told the poet that she had heard a brass band playing a tune that she though would suit them. When they reached Miss Riley's home Paterson and Miss McPherson sat down at the harmonium and adapted the tune to the words. The tune is an old Rochester (Kent) marching air of the Marlborough Wars.

Incidentally, as a baby, Christina McPherson (1864-1936), figured in the capture of Mad Dan Morgan. When that bushranger held up the McPherson homestead at Peechelba, Victoria (30km south-west of Corowa), he ordered food to be brought to him. Then he 'requested' Mrs McPherson to play the harmonium to him while he ate. As the baby, Christina, kept crying in the next room, he angrily told a nursemaid Alice Keenan to 'go out and keep that brat quiet'. She managed to escape and inform Mr Rutherford, the co-owner of the property and the police.