Europeans first arrived in the area in the 1830s, driving their cattle from the drought-stricken Monaro area of NSW in search of new grazing land. James McFarlane first viewed the Omeo Plains in 1835 from a point today known as McFarlane’s Lookout. His selection of what became Omeo Station was soon followed by the Pendergast, Hyland and Buckley families who each took up substantial property holdings in the district. Descendants of the Pendergasts still farm around Benambra.

Today the town remains synonymous with cattle which are sold to buyers from across south eastern Australia at the annual Mountain Calf Sales, one of the premier events of its type in the country.

The vast open sky and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains – snow-capped in winter – make Benambra a great place for a brisk walk or a leisurely stroll after a long journey or simply to get the blood flowing on chilly day in the high country.

The two walks recommended here are quiet, flat, safe and accessible from town. They offer spectacular sunset views west across Lake Omeo toward the Bogong High Plains.

Lake Omeo is a true ephemeral lake, filling only occasionally, but mostly dry and saline. Periods marked by high rainfall and snowmelt enable the aquatic life of the lake such as tiny crustaceans and molluscs to reproduce, attracting Pelicans and other waterbirds to the bountiful feast. High summer temperatures and surface evaporation quickly reduces the surface of the lake to mud, creating ideal conditions for the salt-tolerant plants which appear soon after the lake bed dries.