Echuca, the town

...a place in the KellyGang story 

Areas

Location

Beginings

Echuca was surveyed in 1855
The red gum wharf on the Murray River was built in 1865.

Importance of Echuca

Echuca was a major port and Customs town for the control of the Murray River trade.
In July 1864 the railway from Melbourne to Echuca was opened. This was about ten years before the line to Wodonga. See also (Argus22/8/68)

What was Echuca like in the late 1870s

At about this time Hare was directed to proceed with a party of fifteen or twenty armed men to Echuca. They were sent to Sandhurst by train, and from there travelled by ballast waggon or any other way they could to Echuca. There was a dispute between the Victorian and New South Wales governments at the time about the Customs, arrangements. New South Wales had issued a proclamation that they would seize all boats and goods on the river Murray. They claimed the Murray as theirs (RC1602) (FH)

Things on the river (Kilmore19/4/1877)

In March 1879 the Echuca Moama bridge was opened. The bridge carried road traffic and trains and this was seen bt Victoria as a great step forward. The Riverina was opened up. Suddenly wool and wheat etc could be transported directly to Melbourne. New South Wales did not like this. They delayed the opening of the bridge and caused customs duty problems. (Argus5/3/79) (Argus7/3/79) (Argus1/12/80)

The size of the trade (Argus19/1/81)

Facilities in Echuca in the late 1870s

Star Hotel with its underground bar and escape tunnel (once a 'sly' grog shop)
Caledonian Hotel
Hopwood Hotel
Farmers' Arms Hotel, 1876 John Shelswell
Murray Hotel, In 1879 had a brothel and Honky-tonk music (Mrs Ann Syke).

In 1876 the play ground was leveled and the school fenced

Post Office
DW Forbes

Mail route from Euroa to Ulupna via Lower Moira, Barmah and Broken Creek
Mail route from Euroa to Shepparton via Undera and Mooroopna

Court House (1876)
Customs House

Land sales Govt Gazette 1876 1 P14
Pound keeper George Jamieson
Customs officer WH Willock

Doctors
Dr Benjamin W Gummow
Dr William McMullen
Dr Edmund Newbould
Dr Henry L O'Hara

Funerals
WW Moore

Licensing Magistrates
Robert John Glass
Robert Hill Kinnear

James Mackintosh operated a saw mill in town. He also ran the the river steamers Enterprise, Julia and Elizabeth. (Named after Elizabeth Blakey )

Dispute with Shepparton over the Shire Hall there. (Argus16/10/79)

Links to the KellyGang

 

The KellyGang came to town on a number of occasions as they went backwards and forward across the Murray River

Members of the Echuca community

Keighly Goodchild was the editor of the Echuca Advertiser newspaper.

 

 

 

 

What happened at Echuca after the time of the KellyGang

privacy policy
29-dec-11

What is happening at Echuca today - a part of the Kelly Country and Ned Kelly's story

See the Port of Echuca; a major attraction. See http://www.portofechuca.org.au/index.htm and http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ehs/

Enjoy this wonderful part of our history, but Please respect the privacy of the current owners