Murtoa Museum Precinct

Murtoa Museum Precinct brings together four historic buildings and collections which tell the story of Murtoa and the surrounding Wimmera district. The precinct is operated by the volunteer-run Murtoa & District Historical Society.

The precinct includes the Old Railway Water Tower, Concordia Cottage, Concordia Bell Tower and the former Murtoa Railway Station. Displays cover local history, early settlement, railways, agriculture, military history, communications and natural history.

Old Railway Water Tower

Built around 1886, the distinctive circular brick water tower contains four floors of historical displays, artefacts and memorabilia. Visitors can climb through the tower to the upper level where the underside of the huge 40,000 gallon iron water tank can be seen. The tank once supplied water for steam locomotives.

The ground floor houses the remarkable James Hill Taxidermy Collection, comprising more than 600 birds, eggs, nests, reptiles and other specimens collected between about 1875 and 1932. Displays also include information about Murtoa-born psychiatrist Dr John Cade, who pioneered the use of lithium in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Concordia Cottage

Dating from about 1890, Concordia Cottage is the only surviving building from Concordia College, the Lutheran seminary established at Murtoa in 1890. Displays include antique clothing, the history of early German settlers, war memorabilia, local band history and Murtoa's former manual telephone exchange switchboard. The cottage also contains the historical society's research collection.

Concordia Bell Tower

The restored Concordia Bell and tower were originally associated with Concordia College, the first Lutheran secondary and tertiary college in Victoria. After the college moved from Murtoa in 1909, the bell served at other churches before eventually returning to Murtoa.

Murtoa Railway Station

The former Murtoa Railway Station dates from about 1878 and was refurbished by VicTrack in 2018. It now contains displays exploring Murtoa's railway and industrial history, railway relics and a detailed model showing the Murtoa railway precinct during the steam and diesel era of the 1960s.

Accessibility

Disabled access is available to all buildings in the precinct except the upper floors of the Old Railway Water Tower.

Opening Hours:

See the Murtoa Museum Precinct website for current opening hours and information about arranging visits outside normal opening times.

Cost:

See the Murtoa Museum Precinct website for current admission prices.