Located on the western banks of the Darling River, the very welcoming town of Tilpa is a must for a stopover, whether you have a few hours or a few days for camping and fishing on the Darling River.
The old pub is a true classic and has been welcoming travellers and locals for over 100 years. The walls of this timber and corrugated iron Pub are covered with traveller's graffiti which makes for an intriguing read while having a cold beer and a chat to the locals and other fellow travellers.
Visitors can add their own literary work or just sign their name for a small fee which is donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Originally a busy port servicing the river trade and local agriculture, it was a 'crossroad' in the Outback as the bridging of the river here served as a stock crossing and port for the wool clip being transported down to Wentworth and onto either Echuca or Adelaide.
Tilpa disguises itself in a few unique ways:
It has the only Boer War memorial that includes a commemorative to Harry (The Breaker) Morant.
It also has the shortest heritage trail in Australia comprising just two signs on either side of the main road.
The Tilpa cemetery is the only one in Australia with no one in it.
The Tilpa Trading Post provides the traveller with many stores and also serves up the most unbelievable hamburgers - many say they are the best in the world!
"Tis said the land out West is grand, do not care who says it", Henry Lawson: 'The Paroo River' 1893
Text courtesy of
Outback NSW Tourism