Among the reeds on the point of ground between the two rivers was a shallow lagoon where swans and other wild fowl so abounded that, although half a mile from our camp, their noise disturbed us through the night.

I therefore named this somewhat remarkable and isolated feature Swan Hill, a point which may probably be found to mark the junction of two fine streams.The European community grew up around a punt river crossing, which was established as early as 1846.

[3] In 1853 Francis Cadell navigated the Murray river from its mouth in South Australia to Swan Hill in his paddle steamer, Lady Augusta.

In 1876 Swan Hill was described in the following terms: Swan-hill is a small, and, notwithstanding its 20 or 25 years of existence, not very flourishing, township… The population does not exceed 100 persons, but the township can boast of a substantial post and telegraph office, which is the principal building in the place.

Water was pumped out of the river and into the top of the tower by a wood-fired steam engine, and then flowed by gravitation to surrounding businesses and private residences.

He grew Japanese (Japonica) varieties on 200 acres (81 ha) of flood prone land on the Murray River near Swan Hill.

The Burke and Wills expedition reached Swan Hill on Thursday, 6 September 1860 on their journey across Australia from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The party was strengthened further by the arrival from Melbourne of journalist William Hodgkinson, and scientist Georg von Neumayer.

Folklore alleges Burke and Wills planted a Moreton Bay Fig tree in the garden of the local doctor, Dr B W Gummow.

[10] In Dreamtime myths, Totyerguil (from the area now known as Swan Hill) ran out of spears while chasing Otchtout the cod.

Based on evidence from Coobool Creek and Kow Swamp, it appears that Aboriginal people have lived in the area for the last 13,000–9,000 years.

[citation needed] Swan Hill was called "Matakupaat" or "place of the Platypus" by the Wemba Wamba people.

Swan Hill has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) with hot sunny summers and cool, partly cloudy winters.

Afternoon dew points are extremely low in the warmer months, particularly from October to December, due in part to the frequency of dry cold fronts out of the south-west.

V/Line operates passenger rail services on the Swan Hill line, with the local railway station being the terminus.

Swan Hill's television stations are identical to Bendigo's: ABC, Prime, WIN, Southern Cross Ten and SBS.