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Echuca
Victoria

Echuca

Location in Shire of Campaspe

Population

15,056 (2021 census)

• Density

107.47/km² (278.3/sq mi)

Postcode(s)

3564

Elevation

96 m (315 ft)

Area

140.1 km² (54.1 sq mi)

Time zone

AEST (UTC+10)

• Summer (DST)

AEDT (UTC+11)

Location

214 km (133 mi) N of Melbourne
91 km (57 mi) NE of Bendigo
76 km (47 mi) NW of Shepparton
3 km (2 mi) S of Moama

LGA(s)

Shire of Campaspe

County

Rodney

State electorate(s)

Murray Plains

Federal Division(s)

Nicholls

Mean max temp	Mean min temp	Annual rainfall
22.2 °C ^{72 °F}	9.3 °C ^{49 °F}	428.4 mm ^{16.9 in}

Localities around Echuca:
Wharparilla	Moama
Echuca West	Echuca	Echuca Village
Bamawm	Strathallan	Koyuga

Echuca (pronounced "ə-CHOO-kə") is a town in Victoria, Australia. It sits right on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River. Just across the Murray River, in New South Wales, is the town of Moama. Echuca is the main town and administrative center for the Shire of Campaspe. In 2021, about 15,056 people lived in Echuca. When you count both Echuca and Moama, the population was 22,568.

Echuca is located on the traditional lands of the Yorta Yorta people. The name "Echuca" comes from the Yorta Yorta language and means "meeting of the waters." This is because it is near where the Goulburn, Campaspe, and Murray Rivers all meet. Its special location, being the closest point on the Murray River to Melbourne, helped it become a busy river port in the 1800s.

History of Echuca

How Echuca Started

The land around Echuca belongs to the Yorta Yorta nation. Before Europeans arrived, about 2,400 Yorta Yorta people lived here.

Echuca was founded by an interesting person named Henry Hopwood. He was an ex-convict who became very successful. In 1850, he bought a small boat called a punt. He used it to carry people and goods across the Murray River. This small settlement, first known as Hopwood's Ferry, grew into the town of Echuca. The post office opened in 1854 and was renamed Echuca Post Office in 1855.

Australia's Big Inland Port

By the 1870s, Echuca became Australia's largest inland port. It was the shortest distance between the Murray River and the big city of Melbourne. This made Echuca a very important place for both riverboats and trains.

Large paddle steamers would arrive at the 332-meter-long redgum Echuca Wharf. Goods were unloaded using a special crane and then sent by train to Melbourne. Common goods included wool, wheat, other grains, livestock, and timber. The historic wharf is now a protected heritage site.

Because of this busy trade, Echuca's population grew quickly. It went from just 26 people in 1854 to 4,789 in 1871. Many hotels served the town. In 1878, an iron bridge was built over the Murray River for trains.

Why Echuca's Port Declined

Over time, trains started reaching more parts of Victoria from Melbourne. Roads also improved, and the river conditions could be tricky. All these things made Echuca less important as a major port. By the 1890s, the number of paddle steamers began to decrease. An economic downturn also caused many businesses to close, which greatly reduced Echuca's role as a big trading center. Many people moved away.

Echuca's Population

In 2021, there were 15,056 people living in Echuca.

About 4.1% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
Most people (85.3%) were born in Australia.
The next most common birthplaces were England (1.7%) and New Zealand (1.1%).
About 89.4% of people spoke only English at home.
For religion, the most common answers were No Religion (42.7%), Catholic (21.8%), and Anglican (12.4%).

Local Government

Campaspe Shire Council Building, where local decisions are made.

Echuca is the main office for the Campaspe Shire Council. This council makes decisions about local services and planning for the area.

For state government, Echuca is part of the Electoral district of Murray Plains. This means people in Echuca vote for a representative in the Victorian Parliament.

For federal government, Echuca is part of the Division of Nicholls. This means people in Echuca vote for a representative in the Australian Parliament.

Economy and Attractions

The biggest industry in Echuca is tourism. It brings in about $250 million each year. Visitors come to Echuca for its nice weather, the Murray River, and its historic paddle steamers. There are also many fun activities, festivals, and historical sites to see. Some people know Echuca from the famous novel All the Rivers Run, which was also made into a TV show.

Echuca also provides many services for the surrounding region.

Agriculture is very important here. There are many farms nearby that raise dairy cows, sheep, pigs, and cattle. Farmers also grow wheat and other grains.

Shopping Areas

The Fountain Plaza and McKinnon Arcade are two shopping areas in Echuca. They are located between Hare Street and Nish Street and opened in 1989. The Fountain Plaza was designed by Barry Adams Architects. It still has a fountain, though its lower part now has gravel and artificial plants.

Culture and Fun

Paddle Steamers

The historic paddle steamer Pevensey.

Echuca is home to the largest collection of paddle steamers in the world. This includes the world's oldest working wooden paddle steamer, PS Adelaide, built in 1866.

Several historic paddle steamers offer daily trips from Echuca. These include PS Pevensey (built 1911), PS Alexander Arbuthnot (built 1923), and PS Adelaide. The PS Emmylou (built 1980 with an old steam engine) and PS Canberra (built 1913) also offer cruises. These boats usually do short, one-hour trips. The Emmylou also offers special lunch and dinner cruises.

There are also many privately owned paddle steamers in Echuca. You can also rent many houseboats to stay on the river. The MV Mary Ann (built 1981) is a restaurant boat that operates all year.

The Port of Echuca is also working to fix up PS Success. Once it's ready, it will join the other paddle steamers at the wharf.

Events and Festivals

Echuca hosts several exciting events every year:

The Southern 80 waterski race, the biggest waterski race in the world (February).
The Riverboats Music Festival (February).
The Echuca-Moama Weddings Expo (May).
The Echuca Rotary Steam, Horse and Vintage Rally (June).
The WinterBlues Festival (July).

Getting Around

The historic Echuca-Moama Road Rail Bridge.

Echuca is connected to Moama by the Echuca-Moama Road Rail Bridge. This bridge was finished in 1878. It used to carry both trains and cars. Now, a new bridge carries trains, and the old bridge is only for road vehicles.

A second bridge over the Murray River, called Dhungala Bridge, was finished in July 2022.

Echuca-Moama Transit runs three bus routes. They go to Echuca East, Echuca South, and Moama. V/Line offers train services from Echuca to Melbourne via Bendigo. Echuca Airport is also nearby for flights.

Geography and Climate

Echuca's Location

Echuca is located where the Murray and Campaspe Rivers meet. The area is known as the Northern Plains Grassland. It can sometimes experience floods. As mentioned, the name Echuca means “meeting of the waters” in the Yorta Yorta language.

Echuca's Weather

Echuca has a climate that is mostly dry, with hot summers and cool, cloudy winters.

Climate data for Echuca Aerodrome (1881–2024, extremes 1957–2024); 96 m AMSL; 36.16° S, 144.76° E
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	46.9 (116.4)	46.8 (116.2)	41.8 (107.2)	38.2 (100.8)	28.4 (83.1)	24.4 (75.9)	24.2 (75.6)	26.8 (80.2)	36.0 (96.8)	38.4 (101.1)	43.2 (109.8)	46.3 (115.3)	46.9 (116.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	31.0 (87.8)	30.7 (87.3)	27.3 (81.1)	22.3 (72.1)	17.6 (63.7)	14.3 (57.7)	13.5 (56.3)	15.3 (59.5)	18.4 (65.1)	22.2 (72.0)	26.1 (79.0)	29.1 (84.4)	22.3 (72.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	15.2 (59.4)	15.2 (59.4)	12.9 (55.2)	9.4 (48.9)	6.6 (43.9)	4.6 (40.3)	3.8 (38.8)	4.7 (40.5)	6.3 (43.3)	8.6 (47.5)	11.2 (52.2)	13.5 (56.3)	9.3 (48.8)
Record low °C (°F)	5.0 (41.0)	5.8 (42.4)	1.0 (33.8)	0.4 (32.7)	−1.9 (28.6)	−5.0 (23.0)	−5.5 (22.1)	−5.0 (23.0)	−1.5 (29.3)	0.2 (32.4)	1.3 (34.3)	0.0 (32.0)	−5.5 (22.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	28.5 (1.12)	25.6 (1.01)	30.6 (1.20)	32.7 (1.29)	40.4 (1.59)	42.6 (1.68)	40.5 (1.59)	42.0 (1.65)	38.4 (1.51)	42.7 (1.68)	33.0 (1.30)	30.0 (1.18)	426.9 (16.81)
Average precipitation days	4.0	3.6	4.6	5.8	8.3	10.3	11.5	11.3	9.3	8.3	6.0	5.1	88.1
Average afternoon relative humidity (%)	29	31	37	44	56	65	64	57	50	41	34	30	45

Media Outlets

The local newspaper, The Riverine Herald, is published three days a week.

There are also two commercial radio stations: 2QN and Edge FM. Both are owned by the ACE Radio Network.

2QN broadcasts on 1521 AM and 102.9 FM, playing news, talk, and popular music.
Edge FM broadcasts on 102.5 FM and 103.9 FM (for Echuca Moama), playing music that makes you feel good.

A community radio station, EMFM, broadcasts in Echuca on 104.7 FM.

Education in Echuca

The historic Echuca Primary School building.

Echuca has several primary schools:

208 Primary School
Echuca East Primary School
Echuca Specialist School
St. Mary's Primary School
Twin Rivers Primary School (opened in 2018, formed by merging Echuca West and Echuca South Primary schools)

Echuca has two high schools:

Echuca College: A state high school formed in 2006.
St. Joseph's College: A Catholic co-ed high school, located where a former convent once stood.

Moama Anglican Grammar School, just across the border in New South Wales, also has students from Echuca.

Bendigo TAFE has a campus in Echuca. It offers courses up to diploma level in different subjects.

Sports in Echuca

Echuca has two Australian rules football clubs. The Murray Bombers play in the Goulburn Valley Football League. The Echuca United team plays in the Murray Football League.

The town also has the Echuca Rockets, a football team for players of all abilities. They compete in the Victorian FIDA Football League.

Echuca has many other teams in regional and state sports leagues. These include netball, soccer, and field hockey.

The Echuca Racing Club hosts about twelve horse racing events each year. This includes the Echuca Cup in March.

The Echuca Harness Racing Club also holds regular meetings at its racetrack.

Golfers can play at the Echuca Back Nine Golf Course.

Water Sports

Swimming: The Echuca Swimming Club uses the 50-meter indoor pool at the YMCA Echuca War Memorial Aquatic Centre.
Canoeing: The Echuca-Moama Canoe Club and Inland Outriggers are active here.
Waterskiing: The Southern 80 Ski Race is held in February. It's the largest waterski race in the world. The race starts at the Torrumbarry Weir and finishes in Echuca. This two-day event attracts more than 80,000 visitors. The Barry Beehag water ski race was also started in 2006 to honor a founding member of the Moama Water Sports Club.

Famous People from Echuca

Mary Doyle, politician
James Ashton, politician
Lou Bennett, musician
Frank Block, politician
Roy Cameron, pathologist
Travis Fimmel, actor and model
Henry Hopwood (1813–1869), founder of Echuca
Sarah Jones, journalist
Hyllus Maris, Aboriginal activist
Hugh McKenzie, politician
James McManus, naval officer
Brian Lord, country music artist
Bill Onus, Aboriginal activist
Justin Smith, author and journalist
Reginald Smithers, lawyer and judge

Sister City

Echuca used to have a sister city relationship with Whitehorse, Yukon, in Canada. However, Whitehorse ended this special connection in 2008 because it was mostly just for ceremonies.