Paddlesteamers in Echuca

Echuca is located on the border between Victoria and New South Wales, along the Murray River. It belongs to Victoria and is a small town nearly three hours’ drive north from the center of Melbourne. Echuca is an Australian Aboriginal word meaning water meeting. As it is the closest location to the Murray River from Melbourne, it became a prosperous river port city in the 1970s and is the largest inland port in Australia. At that time, goods were shipped to Echuca Wharf by steamship and then transported to Melbourne by rail. Wool, wheat, grain, livestock and timber were the most common. However, with the improvement of roads and railway expansion in most areas, depression began in the 1990s, ending Echuca's role as a major economic center. However, Echuca Wharf has been listed as one of Australia's national heritage sites.