One of the most interesting stories we’ve ever heard is the tale of the tunnels that Deniliquin apparently has or had.
Most people are probably thinking ‘What Tunnels?’ but locals are insistent that there were tunnels or connected cellars and they went a very long way.
The cellars of a number of Deniliquin businesses are said to have had sealed up entrances in their walls so people could have hopped from one business to another without needing to go above ground.
Some say there were actual tunnels outside of the buildings to go across roads.
Reports currently suggest that part of the system ran from the old Dublin Hotel and goes along to St George and then goes down Cressy Street and ends up at Target right before the Jewellers.
Below are comments from locals when asked about the tunnels/cellars.
“Tunnel under the Target building as well, it has an access door under the carpet over on the side of the shop closest to the Jewellers”
“Yes. They run underneath the shops in Napier St and Cressy St. I was told that in the 1800’s the tunnels were a security measure against bushrangers to carry the day’s cash takings to the bank.”
“Yes they exist, run in Napier St also. Have seen and been in one.”
“There is also the one under the Exchange that connects to the Coach House”
“I’ve even heard that there’s a tunnel underneath the road from the Feddy linking it to the other tunnel.”
One report indicates that the shops between the Globe and the Pastoral Times are connected to each other by cellars.
Another says that the entrance was where Centrelink is now and crossed to the Federal Hotel, it branched off to go as far as Black Cat and the St George Bank.
As indicated above there is said to be a connection between the Exchange Hotel and the Coach House though the configuration is unknown.
The story goes that some of the tunnel structures was for protection from Bushrangers and later expanded for war purposes or avoiding the police who were picking off illegal customers on the surface by the score particularly on Sundays.
It is likely that all that is left of the tunnels is the bricked-up sections so don’t try playing Indiana Jones.
It was said in 2019 that works done on Napier Street found no evidence of tunnels though if everything was via cellars then nothing would have been found.
In 2022 a cellar entrance was rediscovered outside of Eric Sim Pharmacy when new footpaths were being prepared for the location.
So, if you own a business in Napier Street or Cressy Street and you’ve got a cellar, take a closer look at the walls, you might have a bricked-up entrance/exit there.
Deni History 