Discover Heywood

Apex Park and the Heywood Swimming Pool offer different leisure options; the festival, art and places of remembrance add specific themes to explore.

Apex Park and Swimming Pool

Apex Park is in Heywood on the banks of the Fitzroy River. It has a playground and covered shelters with barbecue facilities. If you are planning time outdoors, you can take both its riverside setting and the park’s facilities into account.

The Heywood Swimming Pool has a 50-metre swimming and leisure pool. The pool’s length is a clear point of reference for anyone including swimming in their travel plans. The park and pool have different focuses: one is a riverside park, while the other offers swimming in a 50-metre pool. This difference can help you choose where to go based on the activities you have planned.

Wood Wine and Roses Festival

The Wood Wine and Roses Festival takes place in Heywood every year on the last Saturday in February. If you are planning your trip around the festival, check the date for the relevant year in advance.

The street parade officially opens the festival. The program includes wine tastings and a finale fireworks display. As program items can vary from year to year, it is worth checking the details for the particular edition if you want to experience these specific offerings. This makes the recurring February date a useful reference point, while you can tailor your trip to that year’s program.

Art, Remembrance and Exhibitions

Art and remembrance also give a visit to Heywood a distinctive focus. Artworks by Adnate can be seen on the local water tower. The Indigenous war memorial mural in Heywood commemorates the sacrifices of Gunditjmara soldiers. The two themes appeal to different interests: art on the water tower sits alongside a mural with an explicit commemorative purpose.

The James Rogers VC Memorial commemorates James Rogers, who served in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. This adds a memorial dedicated to a named individual to Heywood’s other art and remembrance sites. If you are interested in places like these, the memorial offers a specific connection to Rogers and his service in the regiment.

The Old School houses a miniature railway that depicts the surrounding area. It offers a different way to experience Heywood than a mural or memorial: here, the surroundings are shown in model form. If you would like to visit the miniature railway, check the current opening arrangements in advance.

The Pioneer Wagon Shed and Museum displays furniture made at the mill. For visitors interested in furniture and how it is made, this exhibition offers a distinct focus. Together with the artworks, memorial sites and miniature railway, it shows the range of themes you can use to shape your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Longwood, Strath Creek, Toolangi, Inverloch, Trafalgar, Cranbourne South, Welshmans Reef, Port Campbell

For the broader travel guide: Victoria.