Renmark
The Riverland’s largest town and the birthplace of Australian irrigation, set on a grand bend of the River Murray.
Renmark was founded in 1887 as the country’s first irrigation settlement, and the river still runs through everything here. A palm-lined riverfront, paddle-steamer history at the PS Industry, Ruston’s Roses and a cluster of cellar doors and wetlands just out of town make Renmark the natural base for a Riverland holiday. Houseboats moor along the bank, pelicans drift past the rotunda, and the surrounding floodplain forest is some of the best on the Murray.
Things to do in Renmark
6 places
23rd Street Distillery
$$Spirits in a historic distillery
An award-winning distillery in a century-old Renmark site, producing gin, whisky, brandy and signature spirits.
Almondco Australian Almond Centre
$All things almond
A retail centre celebrating the Riverland’s almond industry, with tastings, products and the story of the nut from blossom to bag.
Renmark Riverfront
Palms, paddle steamers and pelicans
Renmark’s palm-lined riverfront, home to the historic PS Industry paddle steamer, houseboat moorings and riverside walks.
Riverland Houseboats
$$$Drive your own holiday on the Murray
Self-drive houseboats are the signature Riverland holiday — a floating home you pilot along the Murray at your own pace.
Ruston's Roses
$One of the largest rose gardens in the world
A vast rose garden near Renmark, one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, spectacular in spring and early summer.
Wilkadene Woolshed Brewing Co
$$Craft beer in a riverside woolshed
A craft brewery in a converted woolshed on the banks of the Murray upstream of Renmark, with riverside camping.
Stories from Renmark
Houseboating the Murray
No licence, no schedule, no neighbours — just you, the river and a floating home you steer wherever the bends lead.
June 2026 · 4 min read
A weekend in Renmark
From paddle-steamer history to clifftop sunsets and woodfired pizza on the water, here’s how to spend 48 hours in Renmark.
June 2026 · 4 min read
Image credits
- Paddle steamer Ruby loading cargo at Renmark, South Australia.jpg by Jim Davidson Australian postcard collection - via National Library of Australia , Public domain via Wikimedia Commons