Echuca Moama Tourism
Hotel in Campaspe

From the earliest days of Echuca’s history, growth and development of the area has been intimately linked with the Murray River System. Originally known as Hopwood’s Ferry the name was changed to Echuca as the town grew. Hopwood worked to establish a town, which eventually had a major persuade on the development of the huge inland river system. When the rail unite was established with Melbourne in 1864, Echuca, being the closest point on the Murray to Melbourne, grew rapidly. Paddlesteamers traded along the Murray Darling River System, bringing wool from isolated stations in outback Australia to the rail head at Echuca, for eventual sale and shipping overseas. During the boon period, products worth a quarter of a million pounds were handled annually. For many years Echuca was the main ship building center for the river transport industry. As the ship building industry grew, so did the demand for red gum as a durable timber for wharf piles, railway sleepers and building materials. In the 1870’s the district supported a dozen mills cutting in surplus of 100 logs each week. By an accident of good good luck Echuca’s subsequent growth moved away from the river, leaving the worn wharf and the ingenious buildings in spoil but intact. Now the impaired Port of Echuca has been restored and the century impaired buildings are open for inspection and business once again. The whole Port Area was declared an historic precinct in 1975. When the settlement began in 1845, it was known as Maiden’s Punt, named after James Maiden punt owner, station manager, publican and post master. Three years later the village area was surveyed and lots were put up for sale when the town was renamed mama, in 1851. There were immense celebrations in the little town in 1843 when Captain William Randell, the beginning person to travel upstream from Goolwa, arrived in the paddle steamer, Mary Ann. The trip was the forerunner of the boat building industry and river trade that was to bolster mama’s fortunes in years to come. The small settlement hung on and in the 1860’s, police barracks, a school, post and telegraph office were established selfless an air of permanency to the township. Unfortunately the feeling of stability was dispelled by disastrous floods that occurred in 1870 when almost every building in mama was inundated or submerged by floodwater. The fresh rail bridge that currently exists was built in 1989. Their wheat crops were sent to Palmer’s Flour Mill in Meninya Street after 1880, and a larger grain shed was constructed in 1889 (where the mama Bowling club is today), to deposit grain for the mill. Coach builders, dark smiths, bookmakers, carpenters, stock agents, storekeepers, and other businesses that made up a township at that time became firmly established. mama Agriculture show was held annually and organizations and clubs were in full swing. Most religious denominations were in evidence along with many hotels. mama retained this status until 1953 when the municipality became part of the Shire of Curry.