Guide to Mildura Victoria Australia

Mildura sits on the Victorian bank of the Murray River in the far north-west of the state, about 540 km from Melbourne and 395 km from Adelaide. Founded as an irrigation colony by the Chaffey brothers in 1887, it is now a lively regional city of more than 30,000 people, surrounded by vineyards, citrus groves and almond orchards, with more sunshine than almost anywhere in southern Australia.

Mildura is known for its riverfront, its paddle steamers, a food scene centred on Langtree Avenue and a busy calendar of festivals, and it is the gateway to the outback landscapes of Mungo National Park and the Mallee.

Known For

• Paddle steamer cruises on the Murray
• Langtree Avenue’s food scene
• The Chaffey heritage and Rio Vista

Things To Do in Mildura

Paddle Steamers

Mildura Paddle Steamers, a family business since 1955, runs the PV Rothbury, built in 1881 as a tug, and the PB Mundoo from Mildura Wharf, with two-hour cruises most days, through Lock 11, and a Thursday dinner cruise. The famous PS Melbourne left Mildura in 2025 and now cruises from Echuca-Moama.

Rio Vista and the Mildura Arts Centre

Rio Vista, the grand 1890s home of W. B. Chaffey, is the centrepiece of the Mildura Arts Centre on Cureton Avenue, with a gallery, a theatre and a sculpture park. The gallery and house are free.

Riverfront

The redeveloped riverfront has 1.2 km of parkland, paths and playgrounds between Nowingi Place and the old Powerhouse, and the wharf was refurbished in 2019.

Kings Billabong and Psyche Bend

Kings Billabong, just south-east of the city, is a peaceful wetland with walking tracks and birdlife, and the historic Psyche Bend Pumping Station runs its steam engines on open days.

Across the River

Across the bridge in New South Wales, Orange World offers tractor-train tours of a citrus farm, and the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens at Mourquong are free to visit. The Perry Sandhills at Wentworth are about 30 minutes away.

Mungo National Park

Mungo National Park, about 110 km north-east, is famous for the Walls of China lunette and some of the oldest human remains found in Australia. Discover Mildura runs day tours, or you can drive yourself on unsealed roads in dry weather.

Festivals

The Mildura Writers Festival is held in July, the Mildura Wentworth Country Music Festival runs for nine days from late September, and the Mildura Fringe Festival follows from late October.

When To Visit

Autumn, winter and spring are the best times, with warm, dry days and cool nights. Summer is very hot, often over 40 degrees, though the river is the place to be.

Where To Stay

The Quality Hotel Mildura Grand on Seventh Street, a former coffee palace, is the city’s best-known hotel, and there are many motels and apartments.

For caravans and campers, the Apex RiverBeach Holiday Park has more than 200 powered sites beside the river and Australia’s only inland surf life saving club, and the BIG4 Mildura Getaway is on Deakin Avenue. Across the river, Discovery Parks Buronga Riverside and Rivergardens Holiday Park at Gol Gol are on the water. There is free camping at Bruce’s Bend on Kings Billabong. Book well ahead for the Country Music Festival. The Calder Highway from Melbourne is sealed all the way.

Eat & Drink

Mildura has one of the best food scenes in regional Australia, centred on the stretch of Langtree Avenue known as Feast Street.

Restaurants

Stefano’s Restaurant, in the cellars of the Grand Hotel since 1991, holds a chef’s hat, and the Pizza Cafe at the Grand is a local institution. The Province, on Langtree Avenue, serves modern Italian food and also holds a hat. The Honey Bar and Rooftop and the Langtree Cafe Bar and Restaurant are popular for drinks and casual meals.

Pubs, Cafes and Wineries

The Mildura Brewery Pub, in the old Astor Theatre, has been refurbished. Brother Chris, Twenty Seven and Steampunk are favourite cafes. Trentham Estate, across the river at Trentham Cliffs, has a river-view restaurant and cellar door.

Day Trips from Mildura

Red Cliffs and Big Lizzie are 15 km south, Merbein and Irymple are minutes away, and Hattah-Kulkyne National Park and Hattah are about 50 minutes south. Wentworth, where the Murray and Darling rivers meet, is 30 minutes north-west, and Mungo National Park is a full day trip.

History

This is the Country of the Latji Latji people; their native title was recognised by the Federal Court in July 2025. Charles Sturt passed in 1830, and squatters followed. In 1887 the Canadian brothers George and William Chaffey founded the irrigation colony, laying out the town and pumping water from the Murray. Paddle steamers carried its produce, soldier settlers arrived after the First World War, and Mildura grew into the centre of the Sunraysia district.

Getting to Mildura

Mildura is about 540 km north-west of Melbourne, around 6 hours’ drive via the Calder Highway, and about 395 km from Adelaide via the Sturt Highway. V/Line runs trains to Swan Hill with a connecting coach to Mildura. QantasLink and Rex fly from Melbourne, and QantasLink also flies from Sydney.