Jamestown: Parks, Museums and Cycling Routes

Jamestown offers walking trails along Belalie Creek, cycling routes, parklands and several very different museums. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between these highlights: outdoor activities, monthly markets and specific museum collections offer different ways to explore the town. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, the places and routes below offer clues to what might interest you in Jamestown.

Green spaces, the creek and markets

Belalie Creek winds through Jamestown and offers places for a peaceful walk. Picnic tables are set along its banks, and the River Red Gums by the creek are dramatically illuminated at night. Along the same waterway, you’ll find walking opportunities, picnic spots and a nighttime landscape.

Memorial Park has shaded lawns, free barbecue facilities, toilets and a playground. These facilities may change; if they are important to your plans, check their current status before your visit. The monthly Jamestown Markets are also held in Memorial Park. Check the market dates before you travel.

The R.M. Williams Story exhibition is located in Robinson Park on R.M. Williams Way (Vohr Street) in Jamestown.

Walking and cycling routes

The Jacka Creek Walking Trail is a 2 km linear trail along the western edge of Jamestown. The Mannanarie Cycle Trail offers two loops of 55 km and 54 km, both starting and ending in Jamestown. The difference in length is therefore just 1 km. The Bundaleer Trail adds a 33 km route to the options: it is a loop from Jamestown to Bundaleer Forest and back.

The routes differ in both their format and length. For a walk, the Jacka Creek Walking Trail is a short linear option; the two Mannanarie loops are similar in length and have the same starting and finishing point. The Bundaleer loop is shorter than both Mannanarie routes and leads to Bundaleer Forest. You can therefore compare the options by distance, loop or linear format, and the destinations mentioned.

Museums with different themes

The collection at the Jamestown Railway Station Museum includes 19th-century agricultural machinery, medical equipment, railway objects, machinery from the Jamestown Flour Mill and paintings by JJ Christie. It also features themed rooms on sport, domestic activities and social history. The topics range from agriculture and transport to health, everyday life and community.

The Penn Cottage Museum of Pressed Glass houses Australia’s largest collection of pressed glass. In contrast to the wide-ranging topics at the Railway Station Museum, its focus is clearly on this material.

The RM Williams Interpretive Centre is a free outdoor centre that offers insight into the life of this outback personality. Easy-to-understand information panels and an intricately carved wooden bust are complemented by picnic tables, shade trees and ample parking. Its outdoor format sets the centre apart from the museums; the R.M. Williams Story exhibition, meanwhile, is located in Robinson Park.

For an overview of the wider area: Northern Areas Council.