Day eleven rest day in Echuca

The highlight of our trip was a ride on the paddle steamer Emmylou. We were on the first trip of the day and there were only five passengers including ourselves ! The doors on the top deck are cabins for passenger over night accommodation. The vessel runs one and two day trips. Our trip lasted an hour.

custom of flying the River Murray Flag from a tree branch at the front of paddle steamers

Discovery Centre, Evan's Sawmill, Stream Display to the right, leading to the Echuca Wharf, Cargo Shed Museum and Rail Siding & Vans to the left

Note the height of the top deck of the Echuca wharf. The river could run high in those days !

Murray River Paddlesteamers Echuca (see virtual tours) https://www.murrayriverpaddlesteamers.com.au/our-fleet/ps-emmylou/

There is no engine room telegraph or even a voicepipe "Give me maximum reverse thrust Scotty" The captain controls the forward/reverse and speed directly from the bridge using a couple of long levers. The engineer keeps the fire up and watches the pressure gauge. Both paddles are on a single shaft and cannot be disengaged or operated separately. Steering is via a large rudder and forward or reverse thrust as required.

The Port of Echuca - details per their website:-

The bustling Port of Echuca is recognised as one of Australia’s finest heritage icons.

Built in 1865 by the Victorian Railways, the Port of Echuca Wharf was crucial to Echuca’s development. For many years, Echuca was the main shipbuilding centre for the river transport industry. Some of the boats built in Echuca, such as the PS Adelaide, still operate on the Murray River today. At its peak, Echuca supported 8 sawmills and turned over up to 240 paddlesteamers a year.

Today, the Port represents the pageantry of the river trade’s heyday and offers an extraordinary insight into our pioneering days. The Echuca Wharf is a surviving part of the great red gum wharf, which once stretched more than a quarter of a mile.

Michael visited the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre and joined a tour where he took these photographs:-

Redback spider on the dunny (outhouse) wall. These are alleged to lurk beneath the seat and attack dangling male appendages. This specimen is somewhat larger than actual size !!

Wool bales in centre truck. The wool was taken by paddle steamer from the pastoral stations (ranches) to Echuca then transferred to rail for carriage to Melbourne and onwards to Great Britain.

A class locomotive hopefully awaiting reconditioning to be brought back into steam

Transferring wool bales from river to rail. Bale is marked Pevensey Station ( Station = Ranch)

etched map of Echuca at entrance to Discovery Centre, showing River Murray (top) Campaspe River (bottom) with Watson St leading to Crofton St and our accommodation bordering the river

After lunch we cycled south from the NRMA Echuca Holiday Park along Dickson Street, and into High Street which we followed until we turned left into Anstruther Street. Cycling around the round about we turned left into Hare Street and right into Percy Street past St Mary's Catholic Church and parked our bike in the Aldi supermarket car park. We have found that all Aldi supermarkets follow the same layout, and so it is very easy to find the items you are looking for.

St Mary's Catholic Church and Presbytery

After buying our groceries we cycled north, along Hare Street where we found the Anglican Christ Church's op shop, here Mary bought a new tight fitting fire engine red beanie hat to keep her warm.

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