Port of Echuca: Keith visit this legendary Murray River port, in the Riverland region of Victoria

We see the paddlesteamer era as being a hard working but romantic time. They reckon the paddlesteamers on the Murray would pull in anywhere they heard a dog bark and if they didn't hear a dog bark they'd call in anyway to see what was going on.

The river was all about cargo and the great river ports like Echuca. What began in the 1850s as a crossing point of the river was transformed into a bustling, pioneering outpost. By the 1870s more than 30 Paddle-steamers and even more barges were operating out of here carting wool, timber and supplies up and down the river to the stations and beyond - all the way down to the port of Goolwa, 17-hundred kilometres away in South Australia.

Riverboat enthusiast and local resident, Peter Garfield offered to show me around the historic wharf precinct. "The wharf we see today is only about a fifth of what once stood here," he explained. "They knocked the rest down for firewood during the Second World War."

It's still a massive structure. Built in 1865 at one time it was a staggering 1.2 kilometres long. It had to be - to cope with the river traffic! In 1872 alone, more than 240 boats were loaded or unloaded here... helping it pip Morgan, downstream in South Australia, as the biggest inland port in the Southern Hemisphere.

Take the steps down among the massive red-gum beams closer to water level and you can see why the wharf was built on three levels. A marker shows the water levels of the various floods with the biggest being 1870 when the water was three stories above the current level.

Back on top of the wharf and we admire the tiny wooden railway station and old carriages on display. "The trade in Echuca exploded in 1864 with the arrival of the railway,' said Peter.

As the closest point of the Murray to Melbourne a railhead here was inevitable. Its arrival was a major turning point for Echuca - it meant a direct link with Melbourne... and the world.

"Goods could be brought up from Melbourne and sent out by paddlesteamers to the towns and farms along the river. Luxuries like glass for windows and agricultural equipment including fencing materials, which meant they didn't have to rely on shepherds any more to look after their flocks. It actually changed the landscape for perhaps hundreds of miles around," said Peter.

While the railway meant an end to the isolation it eventually meant the end of the boom times too. Like the competing ports of Morgan and Goolwa downstream, the arrival of rail spelt the end of the river trade.

"By the early 1900s the general cargo trade was being taken over by the railways. By the late 1930s there was only the logging boats left here at Echuca..."

Echuca is again a bustling river port - but today tourists are its main cargo. Instead of being the rough and tumble outpost of pubs, breweries and brothels of the late 1800s it's now a gentle tourist town.

The wharf precinct is peppered with historic gems. The old Customs House would have been busy collecting customs duty payable on goods being transferred across the inter-colonial the border.

Having pipped South Australia's Morgan as the biggest inland port in its hey-day it's a title Echuca still holds proudly today. Fifteen private and commercial paddleboats still operate out of here - making it the biggest collection of steamers in the world.

There's the PS Adelaide. Built here in 1866 she's the oldest operating wooden hulled paddlesteamer in the world! Then there's the PS Pevensey - she was rebuilt in 1932 after a fire - and is one of a handful of tourist boats operating from here.

One of the darlings of the river is the Emmylou. She's a privately run tourist boat and while she's only about thirty years old you wouldn't know it. "The engine on board is 100 years old. That helps!" said Skipper, Darren Mann.

From the moment you hop on board you can feel the heat of the boiler, smell the warm oil and the piles of redgum wood needed to feed its ferocious appetite.

When he's not working as an engineer stoking the fire, carefully checking the levels and polishing the brass Jeff Leveridge is a fencing contractor. But he reckons once you've got steam in your blood it's hard to get it out.

"There's a camaraderie among us up and down the river. Engineers are getting few and far between so we move up and the down the river a bit."

And half their luck - what a way to ease into another day gently cruising this through the beauty of this twisting and kinking lifeline.

The river only drops about 96 metres over 17-hundred kilometres as it makes its way to the sea. This is a slow moving river all right and on board a riverboat like the Emmylou is the perfect way to see it.

A number of paddlesteamers operate cruises out of the Port of Echuca. The historic wharf precinct is open daily.

The Emmylou is one of three boats operated by Murray River Paddlesteamers. She takes regular dinner cruises and is the only wood-fired paddlesteamer offering overnight cruises up the river. A great way to see the sun rise. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Port of Echuca
52 Murray Esplanade
Echuca
Open daily 9.00a, - 5.00pm
Ph (03) 5482 4248

PS Emmylou
Murray River Paddlesteamers
57 Murray Esplanade
Echuca
Ph (03) 5482 5244

Published 24th June 2007