Bobinawarrah: Heritage, Distillery and Landscape

Bobinawarrah brings together several different themes: historic buildings, a distillery, a scenic lookout and pelicans. The former winery building at Bynong Farmstead represents the area’s architectural history. The StillHouse is about a converted farm shed and its current use as a distillery. The landscape and storytelling tradition add further perspectives to these cultural themes.

Bynong Farmstead: History and Architecture

The former stone winery building at Bynong Farmstead dates from around 1870. It is of local significance and has historical and aesthetic significance. For travellers interested in older buildings, it offers a tangible example of a structure with an approximate construction date.

Another distinctive feature concerns Bynong winery in the study area: it is the only one of its kind where the site was used to create a two-storey structure. The focus is therefore not just on the building’s age, but also on the interplay between the terrain and the building’s form. The distinctive use of the site gives the complex a unique architectural accent.

The StillHouse: From Farm Shed to Distillery

The StillHouse was originally a farm shed, converted using reclaimed materials, and now houses the distillery. Visitors to the StillHouse can watch the still in operation, talk to the distiller about gin and take part in a curated tasting at the same time. The combination takes visitors from watching the still in operation, through conversation, to tasting, giving the visit a tangible connection to distillation. Visitor offerings may change, so check what formats are currently available before your visit.

The two building histories have different points of emphasis: at Bynong, the focus is on the former stone winery building and its use of the terrain to create a two-storey structure. At the StillHouse, the conversion using reclaimed materials and its current function as a distillery shape its character. In this way, architectural history is reflected here in both a former winery and a repurposed farm shed.

Lookout and Pelicans

Kneebones Gap, on the Bobinawarrah-Whorouly Road in Bobinawarrah, has a designated scenic lookout. Kneebones Gap is therefore a clearly identified point of reference for taking in the landscape. An ABC Education report, broadcast on 20 December 2019, also covers pelican sightings in Bobinawarrah and mentions the surrounding lakes, ponds and rivers in this context. A designated landscape view and a report about wildlife sightings thus sit alongside one another as distinct nature themes.

A Traditional Story from Bobbinaworra

Another connection to pelicans comes from cultural tradition: in a traditional story from Bobbinaworra, people were transformed into pelicans and flew back to Wangaratta. ABC Education published the story; the report was broadcast on 20 December 2019. The motif shifts from reported bird sightings to another way of connecting pelicans with the region: as characters in a storytelling tradition.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.