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Good to know

Dogs allowed
No booking required
Camping
No fees payable
Historical interest
Suitable for 2WD vehicles

Please be aware that Avondale Road is a gravelled road and may not be suitable for two-wheel drive vehicles in wet conditions.

This site has no reliable access to drinking water so please bring your own.

There is no rubbish collection at this site, please take your rubbish with you when you leave

Suitable for

Family friendly

About this campground

Located just 12 km from Shelley, Avondale Homestead was established in the wake of World War II. This remarkable site, with its handcrafted stonewalls, lush gardens and exotic trees, stands as a testament to a cattle station that once thrived in the heart of the Upper Murray.

The homestead's enchanting gardens, conceived in the 1950s, are thanks to the dedication of the property's owners, Derek and Peg Bird. Fuelled by a love for horticulture, Peg embarked on a visionary journey with the help of a friend who was a keen horticulturalist. Together they carefully selected and planted trees and shrubs that could not only endure but flourish in the challenging, sometimes severe, climate of this picturesque land.

Photo gallery

A handcrafted stonewall sits on a patch of grass.

- Handcrafted stonewalls reveal the unique history of the area

A wooden sign reading Avondale Gardens next to a metal gate across a dirt pathway aligned with green, leafy trees.

- Avondale Gardens is just 12 km from the Shelley township

A metal toilet block with lush green shrubbery in the background.

- Avondale Gardens has a toilet and other basic campground facilities.

How to get there

Investing in nature

Avondale Gardens was upgraded in 2021 thanks to Victoria’s Great Outdoors.

Victoria’s Great Outdoors is boosting regional tourism and making it easier to enjoy nature by investing $106.6 million in better walking trails, campgrounds, 4WD tracks and visitor facilities.

Page last updated: 19/10/23