Echuca paddle steamer trip: a Murray River day out

Echuca paddle steamer trip plans start at the Port of Echuca, a red gum wharf on the Murray River in northern Victoria. Old steamers leave from the wharf and a nearby dock for cruises of about an hour. The town is 214 km north of Melbourne, so it works as a long day out or a night away.

This guide covers the history, the boats, how the cruises work and a few tips for planning your day.

Sources for this section: Port of Echuca Discovery Centre, home page; Wikipedia, Echuca.

Why Echuca has so many paddle steamers

Echuca sits where the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe rivers meet. It is also the point where the Murray comes closest to Melbourne. That made it a busy river port in the 1800s. Wool, wheat, livestock and timber came in by paddle steamer, and trains carried them on to Melbourne.

The Port of Echuca says the wharf was built in 1865 by the Victorian Railways. In the 1870s the port was the third largest in Australia outside Sydney and Melbourne. At its peak it supported 8 sawmills and turned over up to 240 paddle steamers a year. The red gum wharf once ran for more than a quarter of a mile. Wikipedia gives its length in the 1880s as 332 metres.

The trade faded in the 1890s as railways and roads spread. Today the port is a heritage site, and the old boats now carry visitors instead of wool.

Sources for this section: Port of Echuca Discovery Centre, History of the Port and home page; Wikipedia, Echuca.

The boats you can ride

Wikipedia lists several historic vessels that work on a daily commercial basis. Three are the best known.

• PS Adelaide: built at Echuca in 1866 and used for many years to move wool and logs. It is among the oldest wooden hulled paddle steamers still working anywhere in the world.
• PS Pevensey: built in 1911 and still fitted with its original steam engine. It starred in the television series All the Rivers Run, which was made in Echuca in the early 1980s.
• PS Emmylou: a newer boat, built in the 1980s and named after the singer Emmylou Harris. It runs on a steam engine made in 1906. It offers lunch, dinner and scenic cruises, and it has cabins for overnight trips.

Other working boats include the PS Alexander Arbuthnot (built 1923) and the PS Canberra (built 1913). Wikipedia says the Adelaide, Pevensey and Alexander Arbuthnot leave from the Echuca Wharf. The Emmylou, Canberra and the Pride of the Murray leave from the Riverboat Dock, a short way downstream.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Echuca, PS Adelaide, PS Pevensey and PS Emmylou.

How the cruises work

Wikipedia says the vessels run between 4 and 6 cruises of one hour each day. The Emmylou also runs lunch, dinner and scenic trips. The MV Mary Ann, built in 1981, works as a cruising restaurant.

The Port of Echuca sells tickets through its River Cruises page, and it also sells packages and gift cards. Sailing times and prices change by season, so check the booking page for the day you plan to go. Group bookings and private charters are listed as available.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Echuca; Port of Echuca Discovery Centre, River Cruises page.

What else to do at the port

The Discovery Centre sits at 74 Murray Esplanade and is open every day from 9.00am to 5.00pm, except Christmas Day. It has steam-powered exhibits and daily guided tours. The port also points visitors to the Star Hotel, which has an underground bar, and to stories of the river trade.

If you like the TV series All the Rivers Run, the Pevensey and the Emmylou are the two boats that appeared in it.

Sources for this section: Port of Echuca Discovery Centre, home page and History of the Port; Wikipedia, PS Pevensey.

Planning your day

• Book ahead. The port sells tickets online through its booking page. Wikipedia says the Emmylou is run by Murray River Paddlesteamers, so check with that operator for its meal and overnight trips.
• Pick your boat. Choose the Adelaide or Pevensey for a classic wharf cruise. Choose the Emmylou for a meal on the water.
• Dress for the river. Echuca's average daily high is 22.2 degrees C across the year, but the record is 46.8 degrees C. Wikipedia lists the Southern 80 ski race and the Riverboats Music Festival in February, a steam rally in June and the WinterBlues Festival in July, so the town can be busy then.
• Allow half a day. One cruise lasts about an hour. Add time for the Discovery Centre and a walk along the wharf.
• Stay a night if you can. The Emmylou has overnight cabins.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Echuca and PS Emmylou; Port of Echuca Discovery Centre, River Cruises page.

Sources

1. Port of Echuca Discovery Centre, home page: portofechuca.org.au
2. Port of Echuca Discovery Centre, History of the Port: portofechuca.org.au
3. Port of Echuca Discovery Centre, River Cruises: portofechuca.org.au
4. Wikipedia, Echuca: en.wikipedia.org
5. Wikipedia, PS Adelaide: en.wikipedia.org
6. Wikipedia, PS Pevensey: en.wikipedia.org
7. Wikipedia, PS Emmylou: en.wikipedia.org