A day out in Dookie
A Day Out in Dookie
The Dookie district is part of Destination Goulburn Valley and a place you stumble across when you start discovering the valley. As Richard Cornish described recently: ‘It’s a rich, historic farming community of country lanes lined with ancient manna gums and whispering Murray pines growing from the rich red dirt. With a ripper old pub and perhaps the quirkiest store in the state, it is a town with a powerful artistic spirit and buoyant optimism’.
Famous for Victoria's oldest Agricultural College (est.1886), geologists, academics and farmers who know Dookie well, all marvel at the fabric of the deep, rich, red, Cambrian soil. Dookie is recognised for its rich history, progressive welcoming community, distinctive rich red volcanic hills, panoramic views, diverse agriculture and University of Melbourne Regional Campus. Dookie is a crossroad to many different locations; you can reach this interesting district from Benalla, Wangaratta, Violet Town, Shepparton and Yarrawonga.
Seasonally changing landscape. Whatever time of year you visit, the Dookie landscape will put on a show. Broadacre farming, the seasons and nature combine, to produce a textured, colourful patchwork, blanketing the ancient volcanic dirt. When the long warm days of autumn are broken by rain, farmers sow their grain and the red ploughed paddocks turn a verdant green, as crops germinate and grow. On the bridge of winter and spring the canola uplifts with parcels of iridescent yellow splendour. A classic Australian pastoral scene awaits in summer with fields of golden wheat. The Dookie landscape and the Goulburn Valley’s big sky country captures the heart and truly inspires.
A small community with a strong active community and a big heart. Over the last 25 years Dookie has worked hard to promote itself. Exhibitions and festivals have generated publicity. Over the years our community has hosted many events. The success of the RAV Small Towns Transformation - Dookie Earthed Event in 2014 proved what the community was capable of and what can happen with vision and effort and our district has worked closely with the Shepparton Festival for many years and we hosted the Great Victorian Bike Ride.
Dookie is home to:
The Dookie Quarry - The fabulous, privately owned hosting the annual Secret garden gig and is available for hire.
Rail trail and Mt Major walking track – These trails meandering East and West, have raised awareness of how valuable the Dookie landscape is to us all.
Nomadic Silo project. Check out the Dookie Nomadic Art Silos, a silo trail with a twist, featuring sizeable artworks created by local and international artists on an assortment of up-cycled, decommissioned, portable grain silos. There are three in the township, one on the Dookie rail trail and one located seasonally at Rye at Tallis.
Iconic Sugar Gum transformation - Feast your eyes on Dookie’s spectacular flowering gumtree, symbolising regeneration, optimism and inspiration, Dookie celebrates the transformation and new life of its iconic sugar gum. Located on the main street of Dookie the beautiful old gum blossoms with a flourish of 150 large red aluminium flowers, an art installation designed and created by local artist Andrew Sands and the Dookie Arts Group.
Dookie Ag College Dookie is as famous for its reputation as Victoria's oldest Agricultural College (est.1886) as it is for its deep, rich, red, Cambrian soils. Now part of the University of Melbourne, the Dookie campus has played a key role in the development of agriculture and agricultural teaching and learning and remains a focal point for key research and technology development that is helping shape the future of agriculture in Australia. Situated on 2440 hectares the campus includes a small community housing students and staff, sheep, an orchard, robotic dairy, winery, a natural bush reserve and a primary school.
Rye at Tallis Rye at Tallis is the former home of Tallis Wine cellar door. The building was recently leased to a local team Rye Studio and this much-loved Dookie destination has now evolved into a new business, ‘Rye at Tallis’.
The cellar door building has been reimagined into a wine bar and events space, where Tallis wine will be showcased, in the hills where it was born, alongside other local beverages and regional produce from across the valley. The views from this rural wine bar are as spectacular as the Tallis wine showcased here alongside other locally-made gins, beers and shared seasonal grazing platters with a focus on local ingredients. As well as a celebration of regional produce, this laid-back destination also hosts events and live music – check their website for details.
Other interests: Dookie Agricultural Show an authentic traditional country show. General Store with the best value homemade burgers. Famous Dookie Emporium – café jelly cake and coffee, vintage, military memorabilia and accommodation. Gladstone Dookie – country style pub – great steaks and cool drinks. Dookie Chateau accommodation. Engineering businesses Dow Engineering Dookie motors – Servicing our farmers but also creation of steel screens, signage, fire pits. Grain Corp Depot. Three unique primary schools. CWA park for picnics, playground and public loo. Memorial hall – available for hire. Exercise park – Lions club initiative.
With the growing popularity of Dookie, it’s become an increasingly sought-after day trip from neighbouring areas, for people travelling along the Hume and Goulburn Valley freeways and for visitors to Benalla, Wangaratta and Shepparton.
