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Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the
Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...
and Campaspe River in Victoria,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
. Echuca is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Shire of Campaspe. As of the , Echuca had a population of 15,056, and the population of the combined Echuca and Moama townships was 22,568. Echuca lies within traditional Yorta Yorta country. The town's name is a Yorta Yorta word meaning "meeting of the waters". Echuca is close to the junction of the
Goulburn Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, approximately south-west of Sydney and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters patent by Queen Victor ...
,
Campaspe Campaspe (; Greek: Καμπάσπη, ''Kampaspē''), or Pancaste (; Greek: Πανκάστη, ''Pankastē''; also ''Pakate''), was a supposed mistress of Alexander the Great and a prominent citizen of Larissa in Thessaly. No Campaspe appears in ...
, and Murray Rivers. Its position at the closest point of the Murray to
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
contributed to its development as a thriving river port city during the 19th century.


History


Origins

The riverine plains of the Goulburn Broken catchment are the traditional lands of the Yorta Yorta nation. Their population before European contact is estimated to have been approximately 2400. The Yorta Yorta were dispossessed of their traditional lands and left to eke out an existence on the edges of European settlements as remnant tribal groups. Present-day Echuca was founded by one of the most enterprising figures of the early colonial period, an ex-convict named Henry Hopwood. In 1850 he purchased a small punt to ferry people and goods across the Murray River near the Campaspe junction. The small settlement known as Hopwood's Ferry grew to become the town of Echuca. The Hopwood's Punt Post Office opened around 1854 and was renamed Echuca Post Office on 1 January 1855.


Australia's inland port

By the 1870s, Echuca had risen to prominence as Australia's largest inland port. Being the point of shortest distance between the Murray River and the major city of Melbourne, Echuca was both a key river port and railway junction.
Paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine driving paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, whereby the first uses were wh ...
s would arrive at the 332-metre long redgum Echuca Wharf, were unloaded by hydraulic crane, and the goods then transported by rail to Melbourne.
Wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...
,
wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
, other grains, livestock, and timber were the most common commodities transported to Echuca. The wharf has been listed as a Heritage Place on the
Australian National Heritage List The Australian National Heritage List or National Heritage List (NHL) is a heritage register, a list of National heritage site, national heritage places deemed to be of outstanding heritage significance to Australia, established in 2003. The li ...
. This industrial boom led to a rapidly expanding population, from 26 inhabitants in 1854 to 4789 during the peak year of 1871. More than 80
pubs A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
/hotels serviced the needs of the town, but it is rumoured that many more sly-grog shops, wine shanties, and beer houses, circumventing licensing laws existed in the area. An iron bridge was constructed over the Murray River in 1878 by the NSW Railways Department.


Decline

The expansion of the railways from Melbourne to most parts of Victoria, as well as improvements to roads and fickle river conditions all combined to lessen Echuca's importance, and by the 1890s the paddle steamer fleet was in decline. An economic depression and the collapse of several banks virtually ended Echuca's role as a major economic centre, and its population began to disperse.


Population

As of the , there were 15,056 people in Echuca. * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.1% of the population. * 85.3% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 1.7% and New Zealand 1.1%. * 89.4% of people spoke only English at home. * The most common responses for religion were No Religion 42.7%, Catholic 21.8% and Anglican 12.4%.


Governance

Echuca is the administrative centre for the Campaspe Shire Council. At the state level, Echuca is represented by the
Electoral district of Murray Plains The electoral district of Murray Plains is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly in Australia. It was created in the redistribution of electoral boundaries in 2013, and came into effect at the 2014 state election. The d ...
. At the federal level, Echuca is represented by the
Division of Nicholls The Division of Nicholls is an Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives, Australian Electoral Division in the States and territories of Australia, state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, which was contested for the first time at th ...
.


Economy, landmarks and retail

The main industry in Echuca is
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
; it earns about $250 million a year for the Echuca economy. Visitors are attracted to the town by its climate, the Murray River and its paddle steamers, recreational attractions, several festivals and historical features, some of which have come to public awareness by the Nancy Cato novel '' All the Rivers Run'', which was made into a TV miniseries. Echuca is also a major regional service economy. Agriculture is very important to the region. Dairy, wheat, sheep, pig, and cattle farms are all within close proximity.


Culture


Paddle steamers

The port is home to the largest paddle steamer fleet in the world, which includes the world's oldest operating wooden hulled paddle steamer, built in 1866. There are several historic vessels operating out of Echuca on a daily commercial basis, such as PS ''Pevensey'' (built 1911), PS ''Alexander Arbuthnot'' (built 1923), PS ''Adelaide'' (built 1866) operating from Echuca Wharf itself, (built 1980 with a steam engine in use from 1906), PS ''Canberra'' (built 1913) and PV ''Pride of the Murray'' (built 1924 as a logging barge ''C24'') operating from Riverboat Dock, a short distance downstream from the main wharf. These vessels conduct four to six 1-hour cruises daily, while ''Emmylou'' offers lunch, dinner, and scenic cruises. There are also a number of privately owned paddle steamers in Echuca, including PS Hero, PS Henry Charles, and the former Church of England mission steamer, PS Etona. As well as the paddle steamers there are numerous houseboats, many of which can be hired. MV ''Mary Ann'' (built 1981) operates as a cruising restaurant all year round. The Port of Echuca is also restoring to full working order. When operational, it will be added to the fleet of paddle steamers at Echuca Wharf.


Events and festivals

Annual events held in Echuca include the Southern 80 waterski race, the largest waterski race in the world, (February), the Riverboats Music Festival (February), the Echuca-Moama Weddings Expo (May), the Echuca Rotary Steam, Horse and Vintage Rally (Queens Birthday weekend in June) and WinterBlues Festival (July).


In popular culture

In 1983, the Australian television mini-series, ''All the Rivers Run'', based on a novel by Nancy Cato and starring
Sigrid Thornton Sigrid Madeline Thornton (born 12 February 1959) is an Australian film and television actress. Her television work includes ''Prisoner'' (1979–80), '' All the Rivers Run'' (1983), '' SeaChange'' (1998–2019) and '' Wentworth'' (2016–2018) ...
and
John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...
, was filmed in and around Echuca. The local paddle steamers ''Pevensey'' and ''Emmylou'' featured in the mini-series as PS ''Philadelphia'' and PS ''Providence'', respectively. The airing of this series around Australia and internationally revitalised Echuca's tourism economy. In 1985, parts of the Australian telemovie '' My Brother Tom'' (based on the book by James Aldridge) were filmed in Echuca. In the TV series ''
Glitch A glitch is a short-lived technical fault, such as a transient one that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as among pl ...
'', Vic, the district supervisor for the police forces of Echuca, the fictional Yoorana, and surrounding communities, is based in Echuca. The ABC aired an episode of '' Get Krack!n'' on 6 February 2019 satirising morning television segments about regional food and wine tourism. There was some concern locally about how the episode depicted the town and its effect on tourism, although the intent of the segment was to " okefun at commercial morning breakfast shows and their often-condescending portrayal of rural and regional areas".


Transport

Echuca is connected over the Murray River to Moama by the Echuca-Moama Road Rail Bridge, completed in 1878. This historically significant bridge has riveted iron spans supported on cast iron pillars. Trains no longer run on this bridge; a dedicated rail bridge has been constructed next to the old bridge, which now only carries road vehicles. A second Murray River crossing, named Dhungala Bridge, was completed in July 2022. Echuca-Moama Transit runs three bus services hourly to Echuca East, Echuca South and Moama. The terminus is the Old Echuca Post Office on Hare Street.
V/Line V/Line is a statutory authority that operates Regional rail, regional passenger rail and Intercity bus service, coach services in the Australian state of Victoria (state), Victoria. It provides passenger train services on five Commuter rail, ...
operates the Echuca line rail service from the local station to
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
via
Bendigo Bendigo ( ) is an Australian city in north-central Victoria. The city is located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. As of 2022, Bendigo has a popula ...
.
Echuca Airport Echuca Airport is located south of Echuca, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. See also * List of airports in Victoria, Australia References

Airports in Victoria (state) Echuca-Moama {{VictoriaAU-struct-stub ...
is also located nearby.


Geography

Situated at the junction of the Murray and Campaspe Rivers, Echuca lies on the Northern Plains Grassland. It is flood prone. In Yorta Yorta, the name Echuca translates as “meeting of the waters”.


Climate

Echuca has a
cold semi-arid climate Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...
(''BSk'') with
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
(''Csa'') tendencies, with warm to hot, dry summers and cool to cold winters that are quite cloudy.


Media

The local newspaper, The '' Riverine Herald'' is published by McPherson Media Group three days a week. Radio stations that broadcast to the town are ABC Central Victoria, Hit91.9, 3BO FM, and community radio based station, EMFM. Network television is broadcast in the Echuca region by the
Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
,
WIN Television WIN Television is an Australian television broadcasting, Australian television network owned and operated by WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single television stat ...
(affiliated with the
Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
),
Network 10 Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's UK & Australia division and is one of the five national free-to-a ...
, the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...
(ABC) and the
Special Broadcasting Service The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public broadcasting, public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from tax revenue. SBS operates six TV channels (SBS (Australian TV chann ...
(SBS). Of the three commercial networks, WIN Television airs a half-hour ''
WIN News ''WIN News'' is a local television news service in parts of regional Australia, produced by WIN Television. 14 regional bulletins and news update services are presented from WIN's headquarters in Wollongong, and until 2021 included production ...
'' bulletin each weeknight at 5.30 pm, produced from a newsroom in the city and broadcast from studios in
Wollongong Wollongong ( ; Dharawal: ''Woolyungah'') is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound ...
. Short local news updates and weather updates are broadcast by Network 10 throughout the day, produced and broadcast from its
Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...
studios. The Seven Network airs short local news and weather updates throughout the day, produced and broadcast from its
Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
studios.


Education

Echuca is served by several primary schools: 208 Primary School, Echuca East Primary School, Echuca Specialist School, St. Mary's Primary School and the newly constructed Twin Rivers Primary School (opened in 2018). Twin Rivers was formed by merging the former Echuca West and Echuca South Primary schools, and shares a place with Echuca Twin River Specialist School (formerly Echuca Specialist School) Echuca has two high schools. Echuca College, a state secondary college, was formed in 2006 by the amalgamation of Echuca Technical College and Echuca High School. St. Joseph's College, a Catholic co-ed secondary school, occupies the site of a former Brigidine convent that opened in 1886. Moama Anglican Grammar School, just over the border in New South Wales, also attracts students from Echuca. Bendigo TAFE has a campus in Echuca, offering education up to diploma level in various fields.


Sport

The town has two
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
clubs. The Murray Bombers competes in the Goulburn Valley Football League, while Echuca United competes in the Murray Football League. The town is also home to the Echuca Rockets, an inclusive all ability football team competing in the Victorian FIDA Football League - Northern Conference. Echuca has numerous other teams competing in regional and state sporting leagues, including netball, soccer, and field hockey. Echuca formerly fielded a baseball team, the Rich River Mariners, who played in the Goulburn Valley Baseball League. The team disbanded in 2006. Echuca has a horse racing club, the Echuca Racing Club, which schedules around twelve race meetings a year including the Echuca Cup meeting in March. Echuca
Harness Racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia ...
Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack in the town. Golfers play at the Echuca Back Nine Golf Course on Eyre and McKenzie Streets.


Water sports

*Swimming: Echuca Swimming Club. 50 metre indoor pool. YMCA Echuca War Memorial Aquatic Centre. *Canoeing: Echuca-Moama Canoe Club and Inland Outriggers. *Waterskiing: The Southern 80 Ski Race held in February finishing line is in Echuca, starting at the Torrumbarry Weir. Established over years ago the race is held by the Moama Water Sports Club. The Southern 80 has become iconic with the 2-day event attracting more than 80,000 visitors to the area. In 2006, the Barry Beehag water ski race was established in honour of Barry Beehag, a founding and life member of the Moama Water Sports Club.


Notable people

* Mary Doyle, politician * James Ashton, politician * Lou Bennett, musician * Frank Block, politician * Roy Cameron, pathologist *
Travis Fimmel Travis Fimmel (born 15 July 1979) is an Australian actor. He is known for his role as Ragnar Lothbrok in the History Channel television series ''Vikings'' (2013–2017). He also starred in HBO science fiction series' '' Raised by Wolves'' as M ...
, actor and model * Henry Hopwood (1813–1869), founder of Echuca, born in Bolton, Lancashire, England * Sarah Jones, journalist * Hyllus Maris, Aboriginal activist * Hugh McKenzie, politician and stock station agent. *
James McManus } James "Jim" McManus (born March 22, 1951) is an Americans, American teacher, writer and poker player living in Kenilworth, Illinois. He is a professor in the Master of Fine Arts program for writers at the Art Institute of Chicago. Poker and ' ...
, naval officer * Brian Lord, country music artist * Bill Onus, Aboriginal activist * Leith Ratten, convicted of murdering his wife * Justin Smith, author and journalist * Reginald Smithers, lawyer and judge


Sport

* George Bazeley, hockey player * Geoff Bloomfield, equestrian * Michael Braun, Australian rules footballer * Donna Burns, basketballer * Clem Carr, Australian rules footballer * Tommy Carr, Australian rules footballer * Jane Chalmers, basketballer * Daniel Connors, Australian rules footballer * Bert Cowley, Australian rules footballer * Simon Eishold, Australian rules footballer * Ted Fleming, Australian rules footballer * Bert Foster, Australian rules footballer * Gordon Geddes, Australian rules footballer * Jack Graham, Australian rules footballer * Shadrach James, Australian rules footballer * Bill Kyme, Australian rules footballer * Phil McCumisky, Australian rules footballer * Mal McGillivray, Australian rules footballer * Ken Montgomery, Australian rules footballer * Jack Mueller, Australian rules footballer * Todd Murphy, cricketer * Caitlyn Nevins, netball player * Kevin O'Neill, Australian rules footballer * Clayton Oliver, Australian rules footballer * Col Pearse, Paralympic swimmer * Trevor Rowlands, Australian rules footballer * Dick Robertson, Australian rules footballer * Jack Quinn, Australian rules footballer * John Quirk, Australian rules footballer * Sam Sheldon, Australian rules footballer * Thomas Swann, rower * Bill Talbot, Australian rules footballer * Andrew Thomson, Australian rules footballer * Jack Viney, Australian rules footballer * Andrew Walker, Australian rules footballer * George Williams, Australian rules footballer * Oliver Wines, Australian rules footballer and Brownlow Medalist


Sister city

Echuca's sister city was
Whitehorse, Yukon Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's Downtown Whitehorse, downtown a ...
, Canada. However, Whitehorse terminated the special relationship in 2008 due to the relationship being "strictly ceremonial in nature".


References


External links


Echuca Moama Visitor Information Website

Official Visitors Information for Echuca and its twin city Moama


{{authority control Towns in Victoria (state) River ports of Australia Echuca-Moama