Penola
Things to do in Penola, and where to stay nearby
History, pubs and golf, about 20 minutes from our log cabins.
Photo: Alpha / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Visiting Penola? Our two log cabins are about 20 minutes out of town on a working farm. Pets welcome.
About Penola
The south-east's oldest town
Penola is the oldest town in the south-east of South Australia, about 50 km north of Mount Gambier and the southern gateway to the Coonawarra wine region. Its heritage streetscape, historic pubs and Mary MacKillop story make it worth more than a quick fuel stop.
Murray's Cottages is about 20 minutes' drive from Penola, on our working farm at Maaoupe. Penola is our nearest town and the easy place for a pub meal or a walk through history.
History
Mary MacKillop's Penola
In 1866 Mary MacKillop, later canonised as Australia's first saint, and Father Julian Tenison Woods founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in Penola. Their first school started in a converted stable before moving into a purpose-built stone schoolhouse in 1867.
The Mary MacKillop Penola Centre, on the corner of Portland Street and Petticoat Lane, tells the story in a modern interpretive centre alongside the Woods MacKillop Schoolhouse. St Joseph's Church stands on the same site.
Petticoat Lane
Next door, Petticoat Lane is a State Heritage Area of early cottages, gardens and laneway that shows how a self-sufficient country town lived from the 1850s on. It's an easy, free wander and a good pairing with the MacKillop Centre.
Eat & drink
Pubs and meals in Penola
Penola's two historic hotels are the go-to for a counter meal. The Royal Oak and the Prince of Wales Hotel both serve lunch and dinner; check their websites for current hours and book on busy weekends.
For a winery lunch, Coonawarra's restaurants are just up the highway: see our Coonawarra wineries guide. Our cabins have full kitchens and a covered BBQ shelter, so many guests pick up supplies in Penola or Naracoorte and cook in.
More to do
Golf, visitor info and the wine strip
Golf
Keen golfers can add a round at Penola Golf Club to the free private 9-hole course at the cabins. See our golf course.
Visitor information
The Penola Coonawarra Visitor Information Centre is in the John Riddoch Centre at 27 Arthur Street. Drop in for maps, winery details and what's on locally.
Coonawarra on your doorstep
The terra rossa strip and its cellar doors start just north of Penola, so it's easy to combine a morning in town with an afternoon of tastings.
Getting there
From the cabins to Penola
| From the cabins to | Drive (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Penola (approx. 21 km) | About 20 min |
| Coonawarra cellar doors (approx. 14 km) | About 20 min |
| Mount Gambier (approx. 75 km) | About 1 hr |
| Naracoorte Caves (approx. 46 km) | About 40 min |
Drive times are approximate, measured from the cabins with online mapping (OpenStreetMap routing) and rounded. Allow extra time for gravel roads, farm traffic, wildlife at dusk and stops.
Penola accommodation
Stay 20 minutes from Penola
Swap a motel room for your own log cabin on a working farm, with a wood heater, a fire pit and nine holes of golf. Book direct with Dave.
Why stay at Murray's Cottages
- Two self-contained 2-bedroom log cabins, Callistemon & Banksia, each sleeping 4 (book both for up to 8)
- A working farm with lawns, gum trees and birdlife
- Our own challenging 9-hole golf course, free for guests
- Pets welcome
- The cottages are left unlocked for you: check in from 3pm, check out by 11am
- From $250 a night ($300 peak), 2-night minimum
How far is Penola from Murray's Cottages?
What is Penola known for?
Where can we see the Mary MacKillop sites?
Is there accommodation near Penola for a family of four?
What time is check-in?
Photo credits
- Mary MacKillop shrine, Penola. Photo: Pru.mitchell / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Historic cottages, Penola. Photo: Shav Bird / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
- Vines on terra rossa soil, Coonawarra. Photo: Alpha / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Victoria Fossil Cave, Naracoorte Caves. Photo: Alpha / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Blue Lake, Mount Gambier. Photo: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Penola town centre. Photo: Alpha / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0