Echuca, Victoria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids EchucaVictoria |
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Echuca's main landmark, the dock on the Murray River.
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 Echuca
Location in Shire of Campaspe
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| Population | 13,708(2011) | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3564 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 96 m (315 ft) | ||||||||
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Campaspe | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Rodney | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Murray | ||||||||
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Echuca ( ə-CHOO-kə) is a city in Victoria, Australia. It sits right on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River. Just across the Murray River is the town of Moama in New South Wales.
Echuca is the main town and administrative center for the Shire of Campaspe. In 2011, about 13,708 people lived here. The name Echuca comes from an Aboriginal word. It means "Meeting of the Waters." This is because Echuca is near where the Goulburn, Campaspe, and Murray Rivers meet. It's also the closest point on the Murray River to Melbourne. This made it a very important river port back in the 1800s.
Contents
What Makes Echuca's Economy Tick?
The biggest industry in Echuca is tourism. People love to visit this town. Tourism brings in about $250 million each year for Echuca. Visitors come for the warm weather and the beautiful Murray River. They also enjoy fun activities and historical sites.
Some historical places became famous because of the novel All the Rivers Run. This book was even made into a TV show. The Port of Echuca is a major draw. It has the world's largest collection of working paddle steamers. Echuca also provides many services for the surrounding region. Farming is also very important here. There are dairy, wheat, sheep, pig, and cattle farms nearby.
Echuca's Culture and Fun Activities
Historic Paddle Steamers
Echuca is famous for its amazing collection of paddle steamers. The port has the most paddle steamers in the world. One special boat is the PS Adelaide, built in 1866. It's the oldest working wooden paddle steamer in the world!
Several historic boats offer daily cruises from Echuca. These include PS Pevensey (built 1911) and PS Alexander Arbuthnot (built 1923). The PS Adelaide (built 1866) also operates from the main wharf. Other boats like PS Emmylou (built 1980) and PS Canberra (built 1913) leave from Riverboat Dock. The PV Pride of the Murray (built 1924) was once a logging barge.
These boats offer short one-hour cruises every day. The PS Emmylou also has lunch cruises. During busy times, you can even enjoy dinner cruises. Some boats offer overnight trips for passengers. Many private paddle steamers are also in Echuca. You can also rent many houseboats for a unique stay. The MV Mary Ann (built 1981) is a restaurant boat during busy periods. The Port of Echuca is also fixing up the PV Success. It will join the fleet of working paddle steamers soon.
Exciting Events and Festivals
Echuca hosts many fun events throughout the year. One big event is the Club Marine Southern 80 waterski race. It's the largest waterski race in the world! This happens every February.
Other popular events include the Riverboats Music Festival in February. There's also the Echuca Moama Weddings Expo" in May. In June, you can see the Steam Rally Echuca" during the long weekend. The Echuca Moama Winter Blues Festival" takes place in July.
Echuca in Movies and TV Shows
Echuca has been featured in popular culture. In 1984, an Australian TV mini-series called All the Rivers Run was filmed here. It was based on a book by Nancy Cato. The show starred Sigrid Thornton and John Waters.
Two local paddle steamers, the PS Pevensey and PS Emmylou, were in the series. They played the PS Philadelphia and PS Providence. This TV show helped boost tourism in Echuca. In 1985, parts of the Australian TV movie My Brother Tom were also filmed here. The TV series Glitch also mentions Echuca. A police supervisor in the show is based in Echuca.
Delicious Food and Dining
Echuca is known for its many restaurants and places to eat. You can find food from all over the world here. There are Thai, Chinese, Italian, Indian, and Greek restaurants. One famous restaurant is "Oscar W's" by the wharf. It was known for its fine dining and was popular for weddings. It is currently closed for renovations.
How to Get Around Echuca
Echuca is connected to Moama across the Murray River. This connection is made by the Echuca-Moama Road Rail Bridge. This bridge is very old and important. It has strong iron spans held up by cast iron pillars. Trains no longer use this old bridge. A new bridge was built just for trains. Now, the old bridge is only used by cars and other road vehicles.
Images for kids
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Campaspe Shire Council Building
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The historic Echuca Primary School building
See also
In Spanish: Echuca para niños
