Hay is a historic regional town situated beside the Murrumbidgee River in the western Riverina of New South Wales. Surrounded by the immense Hay Plains, the town occupies an important position at the junction of the Sturt, Cobb and Mid-Western highways.
The Hay district forms part of the traditional country of Aboriginal peoples connected with the Murrumbidgee River and the surrounding plains. The river, wetlands and grasslands supported movement, food, cultural practices and community life long before the establishment of the present town.
European settlement expanded during the nineteenth century as pastoral properties were established across the surrounding plains. Hay developed near a significant Murrumbidgee River crossing and became an important service, transport and administrative centre for remote sheep stations and travelling stock routes.
Wool production and shearing became central to the district’s economy and identity. Large sheep stations employed generations of shearers, wool classers, cooks, working-dog handlers and transport operators. That history is interpreted at Shear Outback and remains visible throughout the wider district.
Hay also played an important role during the Second World War. Civilian internees and prisoners of war were held in camps near the town, including Jewish refugees transported to Australia aboard the HMT Dunera. Local museums preserve these complex stories and explain their continuing significance.
The Murrumbidgee River remains an important part of community life, supporting irrigation, recreation and the river red gum environment. Walking and cycling routes connect riverside reserves with public art, museums and other places throughout Hay.
ShowcasingOz TV will explore Hay’s pastoral heritage, wartime history, river environment, local businesses and surrounding plains. Our coverage will connect the town’s museums and landmarks with places such as Booligal, the One Tree Hotel and the uninterrupted horizons of the Hay Plains.
Hay’s museums preserve stories connected with pastoral work, wartime internment, education, community service and the development of this important Riverina town.
Bishop’s Lodge is an unusual iron residence built in 1888 for Anglican Bishop Sydney Linton. Its construction incorporated design features intended to reduce the effects of Hay’s intense summer heat. The restored house, outbuildings and heritage rose garden provide an insight into domestic life, architecture and religious history in the nineteenth-century Riverina.
The Dunera Museum explores Hay’s role as an internment and prisoner-of-war centre during the Second World War. Displays at the historic railway station tell the stories of German, Italian and Japanese internees and prisoners, including the Jewish refugees remembered as the Dunera Boys. Photographs, documents and personal accounts connect events in Europe with the distant Hay Plains.
Hay Gaol was constructed during the late nineteenth century and later served several different purposes, including use as a maternity hospital, wartime detention facility and institution for girls. The museum now preserves artefacts and stories associated with the building, the town and the wider district.
Hay War Memorial High School was created by the community as a practical memorial to local people who served during the First World War. The museum documents military service from the district as well as the history of the school, which opened on Anzac Day in 1923.
Shear Outback and the Australian Shearers Hall of Fame celebrate the people, skills and traditions associated with Australia’s wool industry. Exhibitions, shearing demonstrations and stories of workers and working dogs explain how pastoral labour shaped Hay, the Riverina and rural Australia.
Museum hours, tours and demonstrations may change. Confirm current opening arrangements before visiting. Inclusion does not imply a commercial partnership or endorsement.
The Hay district combines riverside reserves, public art, historic roadside buildings, small communities and the uninterrupted horizons of the Hay Plains.
The Bidgee Riverside Trail follows the Murrumbidgee River through river red gum country between local reserves and Sandy Point. The formed trail can be explored on foot or by bicycle and features public sculptures that reflect the environment and history of the district.
Booligal is a small community north of Hay on the Cobb Highway, positioned beside the Lachlan River and surrounded by extensive pastoral country. The locality is closely associated with droving, wool production and Banjo Paterson’s poem Hay and Hell and Booligal.
Hay Water Tower Art is a large memorial mural painted by artist Matt Adnate across two water towers. It portrays five local Second World War veterans, including Indigenous soldier Private Victor George Murray and army nurse Lieutenant Lorna Margaret Whyte, representing the wider contribution made by people from the Hay district.
The historic One Tree Hotel stands beside the Cobb Highway between Hay and Booligal. Originally known as Finch’s Inn, it served travellers, drovers and workers moving across the plains. Although it no longer operates as a conventional hotel, the isolated building remains an important symbol of the district’s pastoral and transport history.
Sandy Point Beach Reserve occupies a bend of the Murrumbidgee River close to Hay. White sand, mature river red gums, lawns and picnic facilities make it a popular community recreation area. River conditions can change, so visitors should assess the water carefully and follow local safety advice.
The official Sunset Viewing Area is located north of Hay on the Cobb Highway. Its position on the exceptionally flat Hay Plains provides an uninterrupted 360-degree horizon, making it a memorable location for watching the sun set and observing the scale of the surrounding landscape.
Conditions along rural roads and beside the Murrumbidgee River can change because of heat, rain, flooding and maintenance. Confirm current access information before travelling beyond Hay.
Planning a stay in Hay? Search accommodation in and around town while exploring its museums, Murrumbidgee River environment, pastoral heritage and the wide-open landscapes of the Hay Plains.
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Centrally located motor-inn accommodation with motel rooms and guest facilities close to Hay’s shops and attractions.
Holiday park offering cabin accommodation together with caravan sites and facilities near central Hay.
Motel accommodation in the centre of Hay, within walking distance of shops, cafés and local services.
Traditional hotel accommodation in central Hay with access to the venue’s hospitality facilities.
Motel accommodation offering guest rooms and facilities near Shear Outback and Bishop’s Lodge Historic House.
Caravan park offering cabins, powered sites and visitor facilities near the Murrumbidgee River.
Motel accommodation on Murray Street, providing convenient access to central Hay and the surrounding highways.
Roadside motel and tourist-park accommodation near the junction of the Cobb and Sturt highways in South Hay.
Central hotel-motel accommodation with rooms, dining, bar and hospitality facilities.
Family-operated motel accommodation on Hay’s main street, with ground-floor rooms and visitor facilities.
Motel accommodation with an onsite restaurant and convenient access to Hay’s attractions and major roads.
Modern motor-inn accommodation close to the centre of Hay and the town’s museums and visitor services.
Traditional pub-style accommodation with an onsite bistro, bar and outdoor hospitality area in South Hay.
Bed-and-breakfast accommodation within a restored historic building in central Hay.
Boutique guest accommodation within Hay’s restored former convent property.
This accommodation list is provided for visitor awareness only. Inclusion does not imply a partnership, recommendation or endorsement by ShowcasingOz TV. Availability, ownership and operating arrangements may change, so travellers should confirm current details before booking. Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means ShowcasingOz TV may earn a small commission if you complete a qualifying booking, at no additional cost to you.