Echuca

History

The riverine plains of the Goulburn Broken catchment are the traditional lands of the Yorta Yorta nation. Their population before European contact is estimated to have been approximately 2400. The Yorta Yorta were dispossessed of their traditional lands and left to eke out an existence on the edges of European settlements as remnant tribal groups. Present-day Echuca was founded by one of the most enterprising figures of the early colonial period, an ex-convict named Henry Hopwood. In 1850 he purchased a small punt to ferry people and goods across the Murray River near the Campaspe junction. The small settlement known as Hopwood's Ferry grew to become the town of Echuca. The Hopwood's Punt Post Office opened around 1854 and was renamed Echuca Post Office on 1 January 1855. By the 1870s, Echuca had risen to prominence as Australia's largest inland port. Being the point of shortest distance between the Murray River and the major city of Melbourne, Echuca was both a key river port and railway junction. Paddle steamers would arrive at the 332-metre long redgum Echuca Wharf, were unloaded by hydraulic crane, and the goods then transported by rail to Melbourne. Wool, wheat, other grains, livestock, and timber were the most common commodities transported to Echuca. The wharf has been listed as a Heritage Place on the Australian National Heritage List. This industrial boom led to a rapidly expanding population, from 26 inhabitants in 1854 to 4789 during the peak year of 1871. More than 80 pubs/hotels serviced the needs of the town, but it is rumoured that many more sly-grog shops, wine shanties, and beer houses, circumventing licensing laws existed in the area. An iron bridge was constructed over the Murray River in 1878 by the NSW Railways Department. The expansion of the…

Geography

Situated at the junction of the Murray and Campaspe Rivers, Echuca lies on the Northern Plains Grassland. It is flood prone. In Yorta Yorta, the name Echuca translates as “meeting of the waters”. Echuca has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) with Mediterranean climate (Csa) tendencies, with warm to hot, dry summers and cool to cold winters that are quite cloudy.

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  1,850
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  1,830
• White-plumed Honeyeater

  Ptilotula penicillata (Gould, 1837) · Aves
  1,770
• Superb Fairywren

  Malurus cyaneus (Ellis, 1782) · Aves
  1,681
• Red Wattlebird

  Anthochaera carunculata (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  1,408
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  1,396
• Brown Treecreeper

  Climacteris picumnus Temminck, 1824 · Aves
  1,288
• Crimson Rosella

  Platycercus elegans (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  1,152

Most recent

• M 3 — 2018-07-23
  18 km S of Cohuna, Australia
• M 3 — 2010-05-26
  8 km E of Rochester, Australia
• M 3.6 — 2003-12-29
  40 km WNW of Deniliquin, Australia
• M 2.5 — 2002-08-09
  10 km ESE of Kyabram, Australia
• M 3.3 — 2002-01-22
  5 km WNW of Rochester, Australia