History of the Port

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.

Learn about the bustling river trade of the 1800’s, discover the Star Hotel with it’s underground bar, and hear fantastic but true tales of the Murray River on your next visit to the Port of Echuca.

About the port

History of the Port