Prior to European settlement, the Tocumwal area was inhabited by the
Ulupna and
Bangerang people. The first pastoral runs were established in the 1840s. The town was established in the early 1860s and gazetted in 1862 as: "a Village to be called TOCUMWAL ... Situated on the Murray River, on the road from Albury to Deniliquin, about 50 miles west of Corowa, and 40 south-east of Deniliquin." Tocumwal Post Office opened on 1 August 1868. Prior to
Federation, Tocumwal was an important
customs point for goods moving between the then British
colonies of Victoria and New South Wales. A
standard gauge branch line, from the
New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR)
Main Southern railway line at
Junee, reached
Narrandera in 1881 and a branch from Narrandera was completed to Tocumwal in 1898. The
broad gauge Victorian Railways Melbourne-Shepparton railway line was extended to Tocumwal in 1908, creating a
break-of-gauge location at Tocumwal, but the NSWGR line from
Finley to Tocumwal was closed in 1987. During
World War II the town was the site of
Royal Australian Air Force Station Tocumwal, which was a major
Royal Australian Air Force training airfield and aircraft depot. Units included (at various times) the 5 Operational Training Unit, 7 Operational Training Unit, 7 Aircraft Depot and the Paratroop Training Unit. Today, the airfield is a renowned
gliding site. Also during the War, Tocumwal was the location of
RAAF No.14 Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot (IAFD), completed in 1942 and closed on 14 June 1944. Usually consisting of four tanks, 31 fuel depots were built across Australia for the storage and supply of aircraft fuel for the
RAAF and the
US Army Air Forces at a total cost of £900,000 ($1,800,000). == Heritage listings ==