Built in 1866 in Echuca, the PS Adelaide is the oldest wooden hulled paddle steamer still operating as a passenger vessel in the world. Engines made in Melbourne by Fulton and Shaw. JG Grassie was the original owner who was looking for a wool carrying boat as a commercial venture with the arrival of the rail at the Port of Echuca making the future look bright. Seutonius and Charles Officer of Murray Downs Station joined Grassie in financing the venture and they used the boat for 6 years before David Blair and partners (Echuca sawmillers) bought the Adelaide in July of 1872 and she began her long working life as a logging boat providing a shuttle service between the forests around Barmah and the mill, usually towing up to 3 or 4 barges. The paddle boxes were rebuilt from round to a square configuration in approximately 1924 by Charles Felshaw, local Echuca shipwright. The Adelaide had unusual strength for her size. Her career ended in the mid 1950s where she lay idle tied up near the mill at Echuca wharf. For a short time she was sold to Mildura but fortunately the Apex Club raised funds to buy her back to be a reminder of the riverboat days at the Port. She was lifted out for safekeeping into Hopwood Gardens where she remained on show for nearly 25 years. After restoration by Port shipwright Keven Hutchinson OAM, she returned to the waters of the Murray River on Sunday March 4th 1984 at 5.20pm. After further restoration, in 1985 the Prince and Princess of Wales re-commissioned PS ADELAIDE in a ceremony on their tour of the region. The world's oldest wooden hulled paddle steamer still operating as a passenger vessel today built in Echuca in 1866. It is often considered the flagship of the operational fleet of the Port of Echuca given its age and known provenance to Echuca. The Adelaide is an iconic symbol of the riverboat timber and cargo trade that worked on the Murray River from the mid 1800s. Remarkably, PS ADELAIDE still operates with its original Fulton and Shaw engines.Composite hull, side wheeler with two single cylinder steam engines, producing a total of 36hp. Currently cream and burgundy moored at the Echuca Wharf. 49 passenger capacity.P.S. Adelaide signage on wheelhouse and port and starboard bow.p.s. adelaide, paddle steamers, echuca boat builders, charles felshaw

Jenny Watson is a long-time employee of the Port of Echuca known for her extensive knowledge of the Murray River and associated stories of past and present. Born in Rhodesia, Jenny escaped internal conflict and came to Australia at 19 years old. A great horsewoman and also a natural on vessels, when she came to Echuca in the 1980s, she soon trained for her Masters Certificate with the encouragement of skippers such as Kevin Hutchinson and Alan Bartch. She skippered the P.S. Canberra and P.S. Emmylou for many years. Jenny worked at the Tourism Centre before the Discovery Centre was built. Her knowledge helped her become an integral Tour Guide at the Port of Echuca and her sensitivity to the unseen world, led her to develop the special Port After Dark Tour revealing some of the spirits and energy that runs unseen through the Port from past events. This remains a very popular tour with visitors and locals. Jenny currently comes in as a specialist volunteer talking to visitors about every subject to do with Port. Jenny is a living legend. Jenny features in the Women of the River Exhibit in the Discovery Centre.Digital recording of oral history interview with Jenny Watson riverboat captain in the 1980s. discovery centre, tour guide, port after dark, captains, murray river captains, women of the river, p.s. canberra, p.s. emmylou, 1980s

The Ada is a barge made of a composite of wood and iron. it was built at Echuca in 1899 to carry wool and cargo from station properties on the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers to the Port of Echuca . It was towed along the river by paddle steamers, mainly The PS Pevensey. The Ada could carry 350 tons of cargo and was originally owned by The Permewan and Wright, Murray Shipping Co. In the late 1930s she was bought by the Evans Brothers' Red Gum Sawmill. Two bulkheads were removed to enable the logs, to be placed inside and transported to the mills. Road transport overtook the use of the river barges, and The Ada was left abandoned on the banks of the Murray River opposite the sawmill until it was purchased by the Port of Echuca in 1974 and refloated in 1979.A barge with a composite hull of steel and timber which was built in 1898ADA signage on port and starboard bow

The PS Success was built in Moama in June 1977 by GB Air for Westwood & Air. It was built to tow barges of cargo along the Darling and Murray rivers, as well as running as a passenger boat from Swan Hill to Mildura during 1915-16. The Success was the last paddlesteamer actively working on the river when she performed several rescue voyages to flood bound properties along on the Darling River, rescuing sheep and a large cargo of wool. The vessel ended her working life in 1957 and was put up on the bank at Ned's corner, 80km west of Mildura. In 1996, the Pollard family donated the vessel to the Riverboat Historical and Preservation Society of Mildura with plans to restore her to her former glory. This project became increasingly difficult for the dedicated volunteers to handle and the Port of Echuca took ownership in 2009 in the hopes that further restoration work can be done at the Port. The Succes is currently on static display at the northern end of the Port of Echuca. The PS Success had a long, colourful history towing barges on the Murray River and in particular in the Mildura, Wentworth and Ned's Corner regions. She was the last paddlesteamer to be working on the river system right up until the 1956 floods towing the barge Vega, where at one point both boat and barge smashed into trees on a wild, uncontrolled journey downstream where she was damaged and later lay stranded on Ned's Corner.Composite timber hull, 3-inch red gum planks on angle iron frames. Carvel built with counter stern and straight stem. Originally had a round keel and a pair of 35hp engines. Success paddle steamers, echuca boat builders, westwood & air

Large silver plated trophy cup punch bowl with embossed edge. Embossing depicts grape vineWilliam Randell Trophy Echuca 1974. Small engraving on base, hard to decipher but possibly has the word 'Paramount' on inscription. Paramount silver is possibly associated with silver firm "K.G. Luke" of Melbourne, Australia during 20th centuryport of echuca, punch bowl, silver plate