Echuca History

By Country News

Apr 23, 2020

Up until the 1880s Echuca was the largest inland river port in Australia, with the Murray-Darling river system allowing wool to be shipped from NSW to Victoria.

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Pig farming and dairying developed in the district in the 1890s and 1900s and butter factories were established.

In the 1920s Echuca had a population of about 3745 people, and the Torrumbarry Weir on the Murray River and the western channel of the Waranga Basin reservoir brought concentrated irrigation to the district.

In the 1930s, a number of mills were established including sawmills and a flour mill and by 1970 Echuca had tomato-processing and cordial factories, an Ibis milk products factory, a rice-growers’ co-operative mill and other food processors.

Echuca had a growing demand for local red gum timber and a dozen timber mills were cutting more than 1000 logs a week in the 1970s.

The Echuca Historical Society Museum is located at the Old Police Station at 1 Dickson St, Echuca, and is open from 11 am to 3 pm throughout winter.

To contact the historical society, phone 5480 1325 or email eh.soc@bigpond.com