Balranald was a significant point in the Burke and Wills Expedition. Neumayer had joined the Expedition in Swan Hill and assisted Wills in calibrating his instruments. This is the point where Wills begins keeping the fieldbooks in which he progressively recorded every step of the journey to the Gulf.

Balranald included some Burke and Wills commemorative activities in its annual "Five Rivers Outback Festival".

The Royal Society of Victoria participated in the opening event of the festival on Friday 1 October at the Art Gallery, presenting the town with a folio of prints of sketches by Becker and Beckler made in the vicinity 150 years ago. On Saturday, there was a showing of the 1985 movie Burke and Wills, preceded by a discussion forum with Dave Phoenix, president of the Burke and Wills historical society. Despite beautiful weather and competing events (both festival events and the AFL Grand Final Replay!), there was a reasonable crowd enjoying the film.

The visitors from Melbourne had time to enjoy some of the other events in the three day festival including the market, the art exhibition, and the woolshed dance at Yanga Homestead on the Saturday night.