Ensay is a charming town at the base of the Nunniong High Plains sitting alongside the Tambo and Little Rivers. It is well known for producing prime beef cattle and is now the home of the Ensay Winery. Two historic hotels are in picturesque locations at either end of the town. One, The Little River Inn, still thrives, the other, The Ensay South Hotel is now an art gallery.

A quiet lunch in splendid 19th century style 

The Little River Inn originated as a shanty selling grog in the early 1840s. The first licence was taken out in 1847 and it has been continuously licensed since, remaining a popular local establishment to this day. This makes it the oldest hotel in the Omeo district and possibly the oldest in East Gippsland. The early Little River Inn seemed to be particularly susceptible to fire, having been burnt down at least three (and perhaps four) times in its history. 

The current building dates from the 1920s following the fire of 1921. At this time the building was rebuilt on its present site, a spot known at the time as Calcutta Corner. This hotel is around one kilometre from the official town centre, about half a kilometre down a side road east of the Great Alpine Road.

For many years the Ensay Post Office ran from a small attachment to the Little River Inn. After the post office moved to the general store, a small bookshop ran for several years from this attachment, later relocating to the former Primary School building, and now to Swifts Creek.

The Ensay South Hotel, now sited on a small loop road off the Great Alpine Road about half a kilometre south of the town, was established in 1892 and closed in 1961. A bush nursing facility was established at Ensay in 1912, with a new building established in 1958. In 1978 this became known as the Ensay Community Health Centre and now includes a Rural Ambulance Depot. Ensay also has a Country Fire Authority (CFA) depot, originally established in 1940 as the Ensay Bush Fire Brigade. 

For more information on Ensay, visit http://www.discovereastgippsland.com.au/swiftscreek