The Pride of the Murray paddle steamer on the Murray River at Moama

 

Moama
Smaller sister town to Echuca, one of the main ports and tourist attractions on the Murray River.
808 km south-west of Sydney via the Hume and Murray Valley Highways and 96 m above sea-level is Moama (population: 3650). It is situated on the northern side of the 1600-km Murray River where the waterway forms the state border. Opposite, in Victoria, is its sister town Echuca.

The area was once occupied by the Yorta-Yorta Aborigines who called the spot 'Moamay' or 'Moammay', which is said to mean 'place of the dead'. Explorer Charles Sturt passed through the district while overlanding cattle from Sydney to Adelaide in 1838 but the first European in the immediate area was a British-born ex-convict named James Maiden, who took up the Perricoota station c.1843-45. The area became known as Maiden's Punt when he established a punt service and an inn on the northern bank of the river around 1845, which was located where the Maidens Inn Caravan Park now stands off Chanter St. It was the first cattle crossing on the Murray River and thus became a major access route.

He also opened a hotel known as the Junction Inn as it was situated at the precise intersection of five major roads from the north, west and south where Victoria St and Chanter St now meet. A townsite was reserved in 1848 after a survey of the area, by which time there was a laundry, blacksmith, shoemaker, carpenter and two carriers. A post office was established and the town was gazetted in 1851 as 'Moama' (though Moira was apparently the intended name until the local Aboriginal term was preferred).

Gold was discovered in Victoria that same year and Moama became a large cattle market supplying meat to the goldfields. Between his cattle-dealing and the centrality of his punt to the shipment of livestock across the river, Maiden became wealthy.

A foretaste of the future arrived in 1852 when the Mary Ann became the first paddlesteamer to trade on the Murray; Moama being the outermost stop of its maiden voyage. However, it was Maiden's competitor on the Echuca side of the river who profited most from this development by inducing the government to establish a river port on the southern bank.

Maiden's business collapsed as the alluvial gold ran out and the price of meat thus dropped. By about 1856 Echuca became dominant and, after Hopwood persuaded the Victorian government to make Echuca the terminus of the Melbourne railway line, Echuca became the colony's largest inland port.

A flood nearly destroyed Moama in 1867 and the buildings were moved to higher ground. Perricoota station was subdivided for selection in 1875 and the Watson Brothers established irrigation on the run in 1911 establishing citrus production in the area. A private railway from Deniliquin arrived in 1876. It was taken over by the Victorian government and joined to the state system in 1923 at Echuca when the line to Moulamein was built.

The Maloga Christian Mission settlement was established to the north in 1874, with fifty Aborigines moving there over the next decade. The Cumeroonga mission also commenced operations in 1883. Small farms were given to the Aborigines to work in 1898 but most of that land had been leased to whites by 1919 with the Kooris working elsewhere. They again began farming the land in the 1960s. Sir Douglas Nicholls, the first Aboriginal state governor, was born at Cumeroogunga Reserve in 1906. His life is recounted in Pastor Doug and The Boy from Cumeroogunga by Mavis Thorpe Clark.

Today Moama is a popular golfing resort and summer holiday spot due to its riverside location. However, Echuca's greater success in the nineteenth century continues to pay dividends as its historical buildings and association with the paddlesteamers of the river trade now make it a greater attraction in the tourism stakes. Cruises along the Murray operate out of Echuca and both the Barmah and Perricoota State Forests are nearby.

Things to see:  

 

The Riverside Caravan Park on the Murray River, Moama

 

Tourist Information
The Echuca-Moama Visitor Information Centre is located by the Echuca end of the main bridge. It is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily, tel: (03) 5480 7555 or free-call (1800) 804 446.

 

Horseshoe Lagoon Reserve
Horseshoe Lagoon Reserve, just on the eastern side of the main bridge, is a tranquil 16-ha bushland area set around a U-shaped lagoon on the northern bank of the Murray. Walking tracks, proffering excellent river views, meander beneath enormous river red gums and lead to the recently restored Moama slipway, which was used to build paddlesteamers and barges.An elevated walkway spans the lagoon and leads to Moama Wharf, from whence passengers can board the paddlesteamers which operate out of Echuca (provided they have made prior arrangements to do so).

 

Miniature Railway
Moama Bridge Miniature Railway is located at 2 Meninya St (the Cobb Highway), offering a 1-km miniature train ride through natural bushland. It is open weekends, public holidays and school holidays or by appointment, tel: (03) 5482 5490.

 

Go-Karts
Silverstone Go-Karts has a Grand Prix track in Bremner Ave (off Echuca St) with barbecue facilities, amusements and a kiosk. It is open daily from 10.00 a.m. until late, tel: (03) 5482 6611.

 

Horseriding
Firedust Horseriding operate in the Moama area, tel: (03) 5482 5314.

 

St Anne's Winery
St Anne's Winery is located 4 or 5 km north-west of the Moama bridge in Twenty-Four Lane, which runs off Perricoota Rd. It is open daily

 

 

 

 

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Moama