On the banks of the Tweed River, Murwillumbah has the spectacular Mt Warning as its backdrop and patch-work cane fields along its river. Pioneer settler and cattleman Joshua Bray first noted the name Murwillumbah in 1863 as his recording of the Aboriginal name for the local tribe and tribal lands between the Rous and Tweed Rivers, but it was not until 1868 that the first vessel appeared on the Tweed River. A year later sugar cane began growing in the district. By 1872 the town site was surveyed, with the river the main access and transport for settlers, timber and produce. The town is still the centre for dairying, sugarcane and banana growing, and the famous Tweed Banana Festival, commemorates the agricultural strength of the region.

The historical museum, located in Queensland Road has some interesting documents recording the area's history.