Set on a high bank overlooking the fertile flats of the Murray River, Old Blythewood stands as a testament to the industry, ingenuity and flexibility of the pioneering McLarty family. John and Mary Anne McLarty were amongst the first Europeans to settle in the Murray District around 1842. John was a tenant farmer and Mary Anne the local postmistress. As their economic situation improved, the McLartys were able to purchase their own property of some 6,100 acres. Not content to simply farm the new land, in 1860 John applied for, and was granted, a publican’s licence. Blythewood was built to accommodate not just the family but the family businesses. Old Blythwood now operates as a museum and is overseen by the National Trust.