Howlong /ˈhaʊlɒŋ/[2] is a town 28 kilometres (17 mi) west of Albury, and is situated on the Murray River which separates the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria.

[1] Prior to the founding of the township the Surveyor-General of New South Wales at that time Major Thomas Mitchell crossed the Murray River during his exploration of the area.

[4] Two years later Joseph Hawdon and Charles Bonney, Hawdon with a property in 'Western Port of Melbourne the capitol of Port Philip', set off on the second longest cattle drive of its kind attempted in Australia at that time driving 300 head from Howlong to Adelaide South Australia.

[5] Hawdon's diary states: "The banks of the Hume (Murray at Howlong) are well adapted for grazing stock, at least on the flats, and around the broad lagoons that join the river, some of which extend as much as three miles.

Here also is a large plain, nine miles broad, called by the natives 'oolong'; the cattle appear to be very fond grazing upon it, although the land is not good, and the grass not so rich as nearer the river".