This is our story....
A story that starts with the traditional owners and custodians, and continues today with the thriving twin towns and riverside communities that call the region home.
The Murray River
A sacred place for tens of thousands of years to the Yorta Yorta people, vital in the establishment of trade between the Australian states following European settlement, and a place that runs through the blood of so many Australians, the mighty Murray River, or Dhungala to the Yorta Yorta people, is revered as one of our country's most legendary natural icons.
Winding its path across 2,600km of the Victorian, New South Wales and South Australian landscape, the Murray is one of the longest navigable rivers in the world, the lifeblood of the surrounding agricultural industry, and a place of spirituality and connection for many who visit her waters.
Yorta Yorta Country
The Yorta Yorta people are the traditional owners and custodians of the land we now call Echuca Moama. The waters of 'Dhungala' (The Murray River) are sacred to the Yorta Yorta people, with many of their beliefs, traditions and stories extending from it.
The Yorta Yorta people occupied a unique stretch of forest-wetlands that are located in what is now known as the central Murray – Goulburn region. Their lifestyle and culture was based on hunting, fishing and collecting food from the variety of food sources provided by the ancestral lands.
The Barmah-Millewa forest is a place where large communities lived. The river and the forest provided a year-round food source and resources for shelter, weapons, canoes and other equipment.
European Settlement
Echuca's development as a town is largely credited to ex-convict, Henry Hopwood, who crossed the Murray in 1853 and gained a license to occupy a parcel of land near the Murray and Campaspe River Junction. He operated a small punt across the river, and later a pontoon bridge, which catered for the increasing movement of livestock between Victoria and New South Wales. Originally known as Hopwood's Ferry, the name was changed to Echuca as the town grew.
Settlement began in Moama in 1845 and developed rapidly due to the livestock market. James Maiden established a punt across the river and the area became a thriving cattle market and crossing place. Originally named Maiden's Punt, the name was changed to Moama in 1851.
In 1853, Captain William Randell became the first person to travel upstream on a paddlesteamer from Goolwa, South Australia to Moama, arriving on the Mary Ann. This trip was the beginning of the boat building and riverboat trade era which saw the region flourish.
The Riverboat Trade
The Riverboat Trade exploded in the 1860's and when the rail link was established with Melbourne in 1864, Echuca, being the closest point on the the Murray to Melbourne, grew rapidly. Paddlesteamers traded along the Murray Darling River System, bringing wool from isolated stations in outback Australia to the railhead at Echuca, for eventual sale and shipping overseas. During the boon period, products worth a quarter of a million pounds were handled annually. For many years Echuca was the main ship building centre for the river transport industry. As the ship building industry grew, so did the demand for red gum as a durable timber for wharf piles, railway sleepers and building materials.
In the 1870’s the district supported a dozen mills cutting in excess of 1000 logs each week. Felling was carried out in the Barmah, Moira and Perricoota Forests surrounding Echuca. Before long the two industries began to rely on each other.
By 1872 the Port of Echuca was clearing 240 boats annually. Echuca had become the second largest port in Victoria and the largest inland port in Australia. At it's peak the wharf was over 300 meters long.
The riverboat days boomed at Echuca – until the great depression of the 1890’s. As the railways were extended in New South Wales and road transport improved, the river trade declined and the old wharf, built in 1865, was defunct by the 1920’s
By an accident of good fortune Echuca’s subsequent growth moved away from the river, leaving the old wharf and the original buildings in decay but intact.
The Story Continues
Today, Echuca Moama is home to over 22,000 people and is a tourism favourite, welcoming over 1.5 million visitors each year. Alongside tourism, the region is famous for its agricultural industry, national parks and forests, wine regions, and emerging food scene.
The Port of Echuca is a living monument to the 1870's and the boom of the riverboat trade. It was made famous in the TV series All the Rivers Run. Today, it is a place where you can learn about the early pioneering days at the Discovery Centre, view steam powered exhibits, take a paddlesteamer cruise and visit the surrounding historic shopfronts, pubs and cafes.
While our story will always begin and end with the river, there is so much more to explore, and we invite you to be part of that story.