Benalla: Roses, Art and History

Benalla offers several distinct reasons to stay: the 4.25 km Lake Loop, summer roses in bloom, and art and history at a gallery and museums. This makes the city an interesting choice if you want to consider more than just one type of outing when planning your trip. You can weigh outdoor activity, plant diversity and cultural and historical discoveries against one another, and decide which focus matters for your trip.

Get active and enjoy the summer blooms

The Benalla Lake Loop is a 4.25 km circular route for walking, running or cycling. The distance gives you a specific loop length to work with; choosing among the three activities changes the nature of the outing. Two questions are central to your planning: Which mode of travel would you like to choose, and how does the distance fit into your day? Its clearly defined length and multiple uses make the loop an easy-to-assess activity option.

The Benalla Botanical Gardens offer a different focus. They are known for their wide variety of roses, which bloom throughout summer, although the exact timing varies from year to year. If you are planning your trip around the rose blooms, summer is the relevant seasonal guide. Unlike the Lake Loop, the focus here is on plant diversity and the time of year, while the circular route is defined by distance and mode of travel.

A gallery and museums with specific stories

The Benalla Art Gallery’s temporary pop-up gallery is currently open at 75 Bridge Street East, Benalla. As the pop-up and the status of the redevelopment may change, check the latest information before your visit.

The permanent exhibitions at the Costume and Kelly Museum display Benalla memorabilia, Kelly history and three of Benalla’s famous sons. The museum includes a portable prison cell in which Ned Kelly was once held, as well as his bloodstained sash and bridle. In this way, the museum brings together different connections to Benalla and specific objects related to Kelly history: the cell recalls his former imprisonment, while the sash and bridle are two other items associated with him. The availability of individual exhibits may change.

The Benalla Aviation Museum offers insight into the history of Australia’s military flight training and is located at the historic site of an RAAF flying school from the Second World War. The museum thus connects the subject of military flight training in Australia with a specific historic school site. By contrast, the permanent exhibitions at the Costume and Kelly Museum bring together Benalla memorabilia, Kelly history and three of Benalla’s famous sons. The two museums offer different cultural and historical perspectives.

Discover more destinations: Mickleham, Merbein, Raywood, Wahgunyah, Dumbalk, Koroit, Grassdale, Campbellfield.

For the overview of the wider region: Victoria.