Red Cliffs

• Population 5,000
• Distance from Mildura 16km
• Adjacent to the magnificent Red Cliffs

Red Cliffs is a friendly country town adjacent to the Murray River and the magnificent Red Cliffs.

Things to do

• See Big Lizzie, the enormous tractor used to clear Mallee scrub.
• Call in at Carringbush Glass Gallery.
• Sample wine and have a picnic in the grounds of Lindemans Winery.
• Shop at the Red Cliffs Country Market held the first Sunday of every month.  
• Taste wine at the Nursery Ridge Estate Wines cellar door.
• Red Cliffs Historical Steam Railway.
• Go back in time at the RSL Military Museum and Historical Society.
• War memorial at Barclay Square.
• Visit the Lookout where you can view the "Red" Cliffs of which the town is named.

Shop in Red Cliffs and you will find shady, vine-covered car parking and a warm, friendly atmosphere prevailing in the wide range of shops. Many festivals and events are run throughout the year in Red Cliffs including the monthly market. The Lunarfest Carnival is run yearly in March at the end of the harvest and incorporates a street parade, entertainment and contests.

History

Red Cliffs was once the largest Irrigated Soldiers' Settlement in Australia, developed after World War I for approximately 700 returned soldiers. The 33,000 acres were considered ideal for the production of dried fruit, and purchased by the government. Properties of approximately 15 acres were allocated and clearing of the Mallee Scrub began in 1920. Mr Frank Bottrill was given the contract to clear the land and Big Lizzie was used for this purpose. Woodbine Ave was the beginning of the township that was known as the Tent City.

The largest pumping plant in the Southern Hemisphere was completed at Red Cliffs in 1923.

The settlement today has developed from its dried fruit beginnings into diverse horticulture enterprises with predominant wine plantings in the region producing 37 per cent of the Australian wine production.

Getting there

The Red Cliffs township is situated on the Calder Highway, adjacent to the Murray River, 530 kilometres north-west of Melbourne and 16 kilometres from Mildura.

Facilities:

• Bank - Westpac, Commonwealth, Bendigo - ATM and agency
• Fuel
• Accommodation
• Police 
• Post Office