Birchip: Art Trails, Mallee Bull and Local Stories

Birchip brings together art around town, local history and activities on the water. Several art trails, the large Mallee Bull and the silo art tell different stories; the History Museum is housed in a former courthouse. Tchum Lake lies eight kilometres east of Birchip. This gives you a way to distinguish between experiences in town and a destination in the nearby area when planning your trip.

Art trails and stories from Birchip

The Mali Hearts Art Trail was created during the Mali Heart Arts Festival in 2022 and is spread across several locations in Birchip. It is therefore not a single work at one location, but spread throughout the town. Anyone who wants to discover Birchip’s art will find a different way to do so here than by focusing on a single sculpture.

The ceramic fairy door trail runs through the town centre. It includes around eleven handmade ceramic doors, each featuring an individually designed fairy figure. As the art project may continue to develop, the number should be understood as an estimate. Unlike the Mali Hearts Art Trail, which is spread across several locations, this trail centres on a series of individual, specially designed motifs.

The large Mallee Bull looks out over Birchip’s main street and has welcomed visitors since 1991. It is considered a destination in its own right and honours both the legend of “Big Red” and the region’s Mallee Bulls. Alongside the ceramic doors, the sculpture offers a distinctly different focus: its theme connects the art in Birchip with the region’s Mallee Bulls.

The silo art, in turn, draws on a specific sporting story. It depicts the story of local jockey Ray Neville and his remarkable Melbourne Cup win on Rimfire. The themes of Birchip’s art are therefore clearly distinct: here, the focus is on a legend and the Mallee Bulls; there, on a local jockey and his victory.

Birchip’s first Mali Heart Festival is also part of the town’s art history: it took place in March 2022. At the time, the program included live painting, augmented reality artworks, creative workshops, music and food. This information refers to the festival in March 2022.

Local history, farm tours and Tchum Lake

The Birchip History Museum is housed in the former courthouse, built in 1914. Visits for individuals and group tours are available on request. Arrange your visit in advance using the current contact details. This is particularly important if the museum is to be a fixed part of your itinerary.

Birchip Cropping Group farm tours start at 73 Cumming Avenue, Birchip, Victoria 3483, behind the former Shamrock Hotel building on the main street. Tour dates and arrangements require prior contact, so confirm both with the operator in advance. This makes it easy to include this activity in your travel plans.

For activities on the water, Tchum Lake is 8 km east of Birchip. Activities on offer include swimming, boating, windsurfing, fishing, water skiing, walking trails and camping. This adds a different range of activities to the art and history experiences in town. Facilities at the lake and seasonal conditions may change; check the situation before your visit.

Birchip as a base for planning your trip

Birchip is on the Sunraysia Highway between Melbourne and Mildura. When planning accommodation, you can first consider whether the art, museum and farm tours in Birchip or the activities at Tchum Lake will shape your trip more. For families and travel groups with different interests, this comparison makes it easier to picture the choice of itinerary focus: art and local history on one hand, water-based and outdoor activities at the nearby lake on the other.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Kaniva, Walpeup, Wesburn, Mildura, Tonimbuk, Acheron, Somerville, Smythesdale

For the main travel overview: Victoria.