72-513: Chowilla Dam was a proposed water storage reservoir on the Murray River in the 1960s. The dam wall would have been in South Australia , but the reservoir behind it would have stretched upstream into Victoria and New South Wales . The site was selected in 1960. Early preparations for its construction were conducted before the project was halted. These included a 23 km service railway from
144-506: A capacity of 20 people. There was also a cabin. The minister onboard, Rev. William Bussell, doubled as captain. On 16 August 1898, Etona arrived at Renmark , where the Bishop of Adelaide , Rev. Dr. John Harmer , held services the following Sunday with the assistance of Rev H M Wylie. In September of the same year, the service due in Holder on the 18th was suspended due to the vessel grounding on
216-613: A different design, being dragged out of the river during high flow, rather than lifted out. Barmera railway line The Barmera railway line was the second railway built to develop the Murray Mallee region of South Australia , in 1913. It followed the success of the Pinnaroo railway line in 1906. Both lines branched east from Tailem Bend to the north of the main Melbourne–Adelaide railway . The Brown's Well line
288-518: A list of birds and mammals . George "Chinese" Morrison , then aged 18, navigated the river by canoe from Wodonga to its mouth, in 65 days, completing the 1,555-mile (2,503 km) journey in January 1881. Shipping cannot enter the Murray from the sea because it does not have an estuary . However, in the 19th century the river supported a substantial commercial trade using shallow-draft paddle steamers ,
360-402: A number of both historic paddle steamers and newer boats offering cruises ranging from half an hour to five days. The Murray River has been a significant barrier to land-based travel and trade. Many of the ports for transport of goods along the Murray have also developed as places to cross the river, either by bridge or ferry. The first bridge to cross the Murray, which was built in 1869, is in
432-426: A sandbank. During its year of launch, the boiler of Etona gave way, being replaced at a cost of £87. The Murray was plagued by "snags", fallen trees submerged in the water, and considerable efforts were made to clear the river of these threats to shipping by using barges equipped with steam-driven winches . In recent times, efforts have been made to restore many of these snags by placing dead gum trees back into
504-546: A series of barrages was built near the Murray Mouth to stop seawater entering the lower part of the river during low flow periods. They are the Goolwa Barrage, with a length of 632 metres (2,073 ft); Mundoo Channel Barragel 800 metres (2,600 ft); Boundary Creek Barragel 243 metres (797 ft); Ewe Island Barrage, 853 metres (2,799 ft); and Tauwitchere Barrage, 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi). These dams inverted
576-521: A similar number of barges were working the river in season. River transport began to decline once the railways touched the Murray at numerous points. The unreliable levels made it impossible for boats to compete with the rail and later road transport . However, the river still carries pleasure boats along its entire length. Today, most traffic on the river is recreational. Small private boats are used for water skiing and fishing. Houseboats are common, both commercial for hire and privately owned. There are
648-518: A spear. However, the shock to the fish was so great it launched him forward in a straight line to a place called Peindjalang, near Tailem Bend . Eager to rectify his failure to catch his prey, the hunter and his two wives (sometimes the escaped sibling wives of Waku and Kanu) hurried on, and took positions high on the cliff on which Tailem Bend now stands. They sprung an ambush on Pondi only to fail again. Ngurunderi set off in pursuit again but lost his prey as Pondi dived into Lake Alexandrina. Ngurunderi and
720-731: Is actually on the Mitta Mitta River upstream of Lake Hume (completed 1979). The Murray also receives water from the complex dam and pipeline system of the Snowy Mountains Scheme . An additional reservoir was proposed in the 1960s at Chowilla Dam , which was to have been built in South Australia and would have flooded land mostly in Victoria and New South Wales. It was cancelled in favour of building Dartmouth Dam due to costs and concerns relating to increased salinity. From 1935 to 1940
792-581: Is known to have sold his share in the Bungaree Station , which he founded with his brothers, and relocated alongside the Murray at a site near Moorundie . In 1852, Francis Cadell , in preparation for the launch of his steamer service, explored the river in a canvas boat, travelling 1,300 miles (2,100 km) downstream from Swan Hill . In 1858, while acting as Minister of Land and Works for New South Wales, Irish nationalist and founder of Young Ireland , Charles Gavan Duffy , founded Carlyle Township on
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#1732869763016864-412: Is often portrayed as a man) on rafts (or lala ) made from red gums and continually launched spears at his target. But Pondi was a wily prey and carved a weaving path, carving out the river's various tributaries. Ngurunderi was forced to beach his rafts, and often create new ones as he changed from reach to reach of the river. At Kobathatang, Ngurunderi finally got lucky and struck Pondi in the tail with
936-482: Is the point at which the Murray River empties into the sea, and the interaction between its shallow, shifting and variable currents and the open sea can be complex and unpredictable. During the peak period of Murray River commerce (roughly 1855 to 1920), it presented a major impediment to the passage of goods and produce between Adelaide and the Murray settlements, and many vessels foundered or were wrecked there. Since
1008-570: The Barmera railway line , which was dismantled without ever actually being used. The dam was proposed to provide flood regulation and reliable water supplies for South Australia, which pumps water from the lower Murray through pipelines across the Mount Lofty Ranges to Adelaide , and parts of the Mid North , Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula . It was announced on 21 April 1960 by Tom Playford ,
1080-713: The Menindee Lakes during construction. The reservoir would have been 55 miles (89 km) long and up to 20 miles (32 km) wide with a surface area of 530 square miles (1,400 km) due to the flat terrain. The dam wall would have been 18,000 feet (5,500 m) long and the reservoir depth up to 55 feet (17 m) with a capacity of 5.06 million acre-feet (6,240 Gl ). The reservoir would have been approximately 45 square miles (120 km) in South Australia, 160 square miles (410 km) in Victoria and 195 square miles (510 km) in New South Wales. The dam
1152-805: The Premier of South Australia . It had been agreed by the River Murray Commission in September 1961 and governments of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Australia in 1963. A preliminary meeting was held on 16 April 1962 to start discussion on Chowilla Dam. Participants in that meeting were Prime Minister of Australia Bob Menzies , Premier of South Australia Tom Playford , Premier of Victoria , Deputy Premier of New South Wales and Minister for Development Jack Renshaw , Treasurer of Australia Harold Holt , Minister for National Development Bill Spooner . The follow-up meeting at which an agreement
1224-517: The river red gum . The health of the Murray has declined significantly since European settlement, particularly through regulation of its flows. Extreme droughts between 2000 and 2007 put significant stress on river red gum forests, leading to mounting concern over their long-term survival. The Murray has also flooded on occasion. The most significant was the flood of 1956 : lasting for up to six months, it inundated many towns on its lower reaches in South Australia. Between 2.5 and 0.5 million years ago,
1296-507: The ALP with a majority to govern in its own right (27 out of 47 seats). Chowilla was one of the first instances of a campaign in which there was strong advocacy for environmental protection. The Sunraysia Salinity Committee opposed the dam as it believed that the combination of high evaporation and saline groundwater would lead to increased salinity downstream which would be harmful to horticulture. The future salinity concerns were raised in contrast to
1368-627: The Barmera line plus most of the Loxton railway line spur from Alawoona were converted to standard gauge and remained as the Loxton line, used to carry part of the seasonal grain harvest. The section from Barmera to Alawoona closed in 1990. The Loxton line closed on 20 July 2015, with all grain traffic now taken by road. Almost as soon as the railway to the Brown's Well district had been completed to Meribah (May 1913), it
1440-461: The Cadell Fault. About 25,000 years ago, displacement occurred along this fault, raising its eastern edge, which runs north–south, 8 to 12 m (26 to 39 ft) above the floodplain. This created a complex series of events. A section of the original Murray River channel immediately behind the fault was rendered abandoned (it exists today as an empty channel known as Green Gully). The Goulburn River
1512-403: The Murray River system received 58 per cent of its natural flow; the figure varies considerably. The border between Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) lies along the top of the southern or left bank of the Murray River. The Murray forms part of the 3,750 km (2,330 mi) long combined Murray–Darling river system that drains most of the inland of Victoria, New South Wales and
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#17328697630161584-491: The Murray River, after his close friend, Scottish historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle . Included in the township were "Jane Street", named in honour of Carlyle's wife Jane Carlyle and "Stuart-Mill Street" in honour of political philosopher John Stuart Mill In 1858, the Government Zoologist , William Blandowski , together with Gerard Krefft , explored the lower reaches of the Murray and Darling rivers, compiling
1656-422: The Murray and its tributaries by destroying aquatic plants and permanently raising turbidity . Carp is the most common species, and can be found in all segments of the river. Four large reservoirs were built along the Murray. In addition to Lake Victoria (completed late 1920s), these are Lake Hume near Albury-Wodonga (completed 1936), Lake Mulwala at Yarrawonga (completed 1939), and Lake Dartmouth , which
1728-458: The Murray persists in numerous forms in various language groups that inhabit the enormous area spanned by the Murray system. The Wotojobaluk people of Victoria tell of Totyerguil from the area now known as Swan Hill , who ran out of spears while chasing Otchtout the cod. Roonka Flat , near Blanchetown , was a site of occupation since at least 7000BC. The first Europeans to encounter the river were Hamilton Hume and William Hovell , who crossed
1800-466: The Murray short-necked turtle, broad-clawed yabbies and the large-clawed Macrobrachium shrimp, in addition to aquatic species more widely distributed through Southeastern Australia such as common long-necked turtles, common yabbies , the small claw-less paratya shrimp, water rats and platypus . The Murray crayfish , an endangered species, was able to increase its numbers thanks to scientists. The Murray also supports fringeing corridors and forests of
1872-417: The Murray terminated in a vast freshwater lake – Lake Bungunnia – formed by earth movements that blocked the river near Swan Reach . At its maximum extent, Lake Bungunnia covered 33,000 km (12,741 sq mi), extending to near the Menindee Lakes in the north and to near Boundary Bend in the south. The draining of Lake Bungunnia occurred approximately 600,000 years ago. Deep clays deposited by
1944-538: The Murray, provides closer guaranteed supply and is operated by South Australian water authorities. Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray ) ( Ngarrindjeri : Millewa , Yorta Yorta : Dhungala ( Tongala )) is a river in Southeastern Australia . It is Australia's longest river at 2,508 km (1,558 mi) extent. Its tributaries include five of
2016-526: The Pinnaroo line, were approved even before it was completed. It was extended further to Renmark and Barmera in the 1920s, along with construction of another spur from Wanbi to near Moorook in 1925. The initial sidings and mileages from Adelaide were:— Tailem Bend , 75¼ miles; Naturi , 84½; Kulde , 89½; Wynarka , 95¼; Karoonda , 105¼; Lowalde , 111½; Borrika , 115½; Halidon , 128¼; Wanbi , 139¼; Alawoona , 151¾; Paruna , 164¾; Meribah , 172. As
2088-513: The Red Gum forests, actually travels through the Edward River channel. The Murray has not had enough flow power to naturally enlarge The Barmah Choke and The Narrows to increase the amount of water they can carry. The Cadell Fault is quite noticeable as a continuous, low, earthen embankment as one drives into Barmah from the west, although to the untrained eye it may appear man-made. The Murray Mouth
2160-601: The Riverland and lower Murray as the reservoir would have been quite shallow in a hot dry climate. The dam was first proposed and announced by Tom Playford , the Liberal and Country League premier of South Australia in 1960. Playford's government had been in office since 1938, and through that time had presided over significant economic and infrastructure development in the state. This had included encouraging new industries, establishing satellite cities around Adelaide , nationalising
2232-471: The Southern Ocean, and their populations from the 2016 Australian census are as follows. The Murray and its tributaries support a variety of river life adapted to its vagaries. This includes native fish such as the famous Murray cod , trout cod , golden perch , Macquarie perch , silver perch , eel-tailed catfish , Australian smelt and western carp gudgeon , as well as other aquatic species such as
Chowilla Dam - Misplaced Pages Continue
2304-433: The area. These conditions are perfect for River Red Gums , which rapidly formed forests in the area. Thus the displacement of the Cadell Fault 25,000 BP led directly to the formation of the famous Barmah River Red Gum Forests. The Barmah Choke and The Narrows restrict the amount of water that can travel down this part of the Murray. In times of flood and high irrigation flows the majority of the water, in addition to flooding
2376-434: The border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria as it flows into South Australia . From an east–west direction it turns south at Morgan for its final 315 km (196 mi), reaching the eastern edge of Lake Alexandrina , which fluctuates in salinity . The water then flows through several channels around Hindmarsh Island and Mundoo Island . There it is joined by lagoon water from The Coorong to
2448-562: The driest continents on Earth, the Murray has significant cultural relevance to Aboriginal Australians . According to the people of Lake Alexandrina , the Murray was created by the tracks of the Great Ancestor, Ngurunderi, as he pursued Pondi, the Murray Cod . The chase originated in the interior of New South Wales. Ngurunderi pursued the fish (who, like many totem animals in Aboriginal myths,
2520-532: The early 2000s, dredging machines have operated at the Murray Mouth for 24 hours a day, moving sand from the channel to maintain a minimal flow from the sea and into the Coorong's lagoon system. Without the dredging, the mouth would silt up and close, cutting the supply of fresh sea-water into the Coorong National Park, which would then warm up, stagnate and die. Being one of the major river systems on one of
2592-491: The electricity generators and stimulating self-sufficiency by using Leigh Creek brown coal instead of importing black coal from interstate. The Chowilla Dam would have continued this theme by providing greater certainty and control over water supplies as Adelaide's water requirements were increasing. Playford and the LCL won the 1962 state election only with the support of independent Tom Stott in an otherwise-hung parliament. Stott
2664-499: The first trips being made by two boats from South Australia on the spring flood of 1853. The Lady Augusta , captained by Francis Cadell , reached Swan Hill while another, Mary Ann , captained by William Randell , reached Moama (near Echuca ). In 1855 a steamer carrying gold-mining supplies reached Albury but Echuca was the usual turn-around point, though small boats continued to link with up-river ports such as Tocumwal , Wahgunyah and Albury. The arrival of steamboat transport
2736-432: The impervious core and the compacted sand shoulders of the dam embankment were to be sourced from local materials of specific layers of soil. There was also going to be an 80 foot (24 m)-deep cut-off wall under the concrete spillway and a lock to reduce seepage. The plan to deal with the highly saline groundwater was to drill relief wells and drains, and pump the saline water to evaporation ponds several miles away. That
2808-486: The intervening stretch of the river a series of locks and weirs were built. These were originally proposed to support navigation even in times of low water, but riverborne transport was already declining due to improved highway and railway systems. The disruption of the river's natural flow, run-off from agriculture, and the introduction of pest species such as the European carp has led to serious environmental damage along
2880-542: The irrigation has led to dryland salinity that now threatens the agricultural industries. In 2006, the Government of South Australia released a plan to investigate the construction of controversial Wellington Weir . Lock 1 was completed near Blanchetown in 1922. Torrumbarry weir downstream of Echuca began operating in December 1923. Of the several locks that were proposed, only thirteen were completed; Locks 1 to 11 on
2952-656: The lake are evident in cliffs around Chowilla in South Australia. Considerably higher rainfall would have been required to keep such a lake full; the draining of Lake Bungunnia appears to have marked the end of a wet phase in the history of the Murray–Darling Basin and the onset of widespread arid conditions similar to today. A species of Neoceratodus lungfish existed in Lake Bungunnia; today Neoceratodus lungfish are only found in several Queensland rivers. The noted Barmah River red gum forests owe their existence to
Chowilla Dam - Misplaced Pages Continue
3024-424: The line of longitude 141°E, the border is between Victoria and South Australia, in the middle of the river. The discrepancy was caused during the 1840s, when the border was originally surveyed, by an east–west miscalculation of 3.72 kilometres (2.31 miles). West of this sector, the Murray is entirely within the state of South Australia. Major settlements along the course of the river, from its source to
3096-578: The local economic benefits to be brought by the construction project. The Victorian government was the first to change from support to opposition of the project. The Dartmouth Dam was built on the Mitta Mitta River (a tributary of the Murray) in the 1970s. There are agreements in place to assure South Australia of a supply of water, and management to control the flow, because it takes six weeks for water from Dartmouth Dam to reach South Australia. Lake Victoria in southwestern New South Wales, on an anabranch of
3168-725: The locomotives were powered by steam, reliable water supplies were required as well. There are no significant rivers or lakes in the Mallee, so government bores and tanks were required. The following bores were available on the Brown's Well railway: Yalwarra bore, at 14½ miles (bad water, not suitable for railway use); Wynarka, 20 miles; Karoonda, 29 miles 66 chains; Borrika, 40 miles; Sandalwood, 47 miles 43 chains; Halidon, 55 miles 19 chains; Crecy, 58 miles 20 chains; Wanbi, 64 miles 60 chains; Cobera, 71 miles; Alawoona, 76 miles, 22 chains; Wolowa, 84 miles; Meribah, 96 miles 64 chains. The bores were situated at an average distance of 7 miles apart. Part of
3240-675: The next six longest rivers of Australia (the Murrumbidgee , Darling , Lachlan , Warrego and Paroo Rivers ). Together with that of the Murray, the catchments of these rivers form the Murray–Darling basin , which covers about one-seventh the area of Australia. It is widely considered Australia's most important irrigated region. The Murray rises in the Australian Alps , draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains, then meanders northwest across Australia's inland plains, forming
3312-474: The patterns of the river's natural flow from the original winter-spring flood and summer-autumn dry to the present low level through winter and higher during summer. These changes ensured the availability of water for irrigation and made the Murray Valley Australia's most productive agricultural region, but have seriously disrupted the life cycles of many ecosystems both inside and outside the river, and
3384-511: The remaining length of the Murray to finally reach Lake Alexandrina and the river's mouth. The vicinity of the Murray Mouth was explored more thoroughly by Captain Collet Barker in 1831. The first three settlers on the Murray River are known to have been James Collins Hawker (explorer and surveyor) along with Edward John Eyre (explorer and later Governor of Jamaica ) plus E.B. Scott (onetime superintendent of Yatala Labour Prison ). Hawker
3456-482: The required rock. A 17-mile (27 km) railway line was built, branching from the Barmera line 5 miles (8 km) north of Yamba . Sixty FCD-class flatcars were constructed by the Islington Railway Workshops to carry skips that could be taken off the train by crane to move the rock to where it was required. A siding near Kinchina Quarry was built between Murray Bridge and Monarto South , to collect
3528-426: The river channel is unusually narrow), before entering into the proper Murray River channel again. The primary result of the Cadell Fault – that the west-flowing water of the Murray River strikes the north-south fault and diverts both north and south around the fault in the two main channels (Edward and ancestral Goulburn) in addition to a fan of small streams, and regularly floods a large amount of low-lying country in
3600-615: The river promoted an expansion of farming and led ultimately to the development of irrigation areas (including the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area ). In 1915, the three Murray states – New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia – signed the River Murray Agreement which proposed the construction of storage reservoirs in the river's headwaters as well as at Lake Victoria near the South Australian border. Along
3672-670: The river where Albury now stands in 1824: Hume named it the Hume River after his father. In 1830, Captain Charles Sturt reached the river after travelling down its tributary the Murrumbidgee River and named it the Murray River in honour of the then British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies , Sir George Murray , not realising it was the same river that Hume and Hovell had encountered further upstream. Sturt continued down
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#17328697630163744-595: The river's length. There are widespread concerns that the river will be unusably salty in the medium to long term – a serious problem given that the Murray supplies 40 per cent of the water supply for Adelaide . Efforts to alleviate the problems have proceeded but disagreement between various groups has hampered progress. Introduced fish species such as carp , gambusia , weather loach , redfin perch , brown trout , and rainbow trout have also had serious negative effects on native fish. The most pernicious are carp, which have contributed to environmental degradation of
3816-527: The river. The primary purpose of this is to provide habitat for fish species whose breeding grounds and shelter were eradicated by the removal of the snags. Author E.J. Brady chronicled an eventful journey downriver in a small motor boat from Albury to the coast in 1911 in River Rovers. The volume and value of river trade made Echuca Victoria's second port and in the decade from 1874 it underwent considerable expansion. By this time up to thirty steamers and
3888-590: The south-east before emptying into the Great Australian Bight (often referenced on Australian maps as the Southern Ocean ) through the Murray Mouth , 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Goolwa South . Despite discharging considerable volumes of water at times, particularly before the advent of large-scale river regulation , the waters at the Murray Mouth are almost invariably slow and shallow. As of 2010 ,
3960-444: The southern part of Queensland. The Murray carries only a small fraction of the water of comparably sized rivers in other parts of the world, and with great annual variability of its flow. It has dried up completely during extreme droughts on three occasions since official record-keeping began. More often, a sandbar formed at the mouth and stopped the flow. The Murray is the border between New South Wales and Victoria – specifically at
4032-641: The stone. When the project was cancelled, the branch line had been completed, except for the laying of ballast and the terminal siding. Work to remove the line began in September 1972, and the rails were used to upgrade the Waikerie line . The dam and reservoir would have flooded the wetlands in what is now the Chowilla Game Reserve , Chowilla Regional Reserve and northern edge of the Murray-Sunset National Park and potentially raised salinity in
4104-434: The stretch downstream of Mildura , Lock 15 at Euston and Lock 26 at Torrumbarry . Construction of the remaining weirs purely for navigation purposes was abandoned in 1934. The last lock to be completed was Lock 15, in 1937. Lock 11, just downstream of Mildura, creates a 100-kilometre (62 mi) long lock pool that aided irrigation pumping from Mildura and Red Cliffs . Each lock has a navigable passage next to it through
4176-550: The top of the bank of the Victorian side of the river. In a 1980 judgement, the High Court of Australia ruled on the question as to which state had jurisdiction in the unlawful death of a man who was fishing by the river's edge on the Victorian side of the river. This boundary definition can be ambiguous, since the river changes its course over time, and some of the river banks have been modified. For 11 km (6.8 mi) west of
4248-519: The town of Murray Bridge, formerly called Edwards Crossing. To distinguish this bridge from the many others that span the Murray River, this bridge is known as Murray River road bridge, Murray Bridge Tolls applied on South Australian ferries until abolished in November 1961. Small-scale pumping plants began drawing water from the Murray in the 1850s and the first high-volume plant was constructed at Mildura in 1887. The introduction of pumping stations along
4320-409: The weir, which is opened during periods of high river flow, when there is too much water for the lock. The weirs can be completely removed, and the locks completely covered by water during flood conditions. Lock 11 is unique in that the lock was built inside a bend of the river, with the weir in the bend itself. A channel was dug to the lock, creating an island between it and the weir. The weir is also of
4392-400: The women settled on the shore, only to suffer bad luck with fishing, being plagued by a water fiend known as Muldjewangk . They later moved to a more suitable spot at the site of present-day Ashville . The twin summits of Mount Misery are said to be the remnants of his rafts; they are known as Lalangengall or the two watercraft . This story of a hunter pursuing a Murray cod that carved out
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#17328697630164464-514: Was a strong supporter of building the dam, which would be in his electorate. The Frank Walsh -led Australian Labor Party won the 1965 election . After leadership changes in both parties, the LCL led by Steele Hall defeated the ALP led by Don Dunstan in the 1968 election again through the support of Stott. Hall became convinced that the Chowilla Dam was not a good idea and favoured agreements for water supply from Dartmouth Dam instead. This
4536-459: Was also extended to Barmera with the first passenger service running on 1 August 1928. In the 1960s, a branch line was built which joined the main line south of Paringa, near the Wonuarra siding. It was 27.3 kilometres (17.0 mi) long, and went northeast to Murtho to the south bank of the Murray River . It was built to support construction of the proposed Chowilla Dam . The dam construction
4608-597: Was dammed by the southern end of the fault to create a natural lake. The Murray River flowed to the north around the Cadell Fault, creating the channel of the Edward River which exists today and through which much of the Murray's waters still flow. Then the natural dam on the Goulburn River failed, the lake drained, and the Murray changed its course to the south and started to flow through the smaller Goulburn River channel, creating "The Barmah Choke" and "The Narrows" (where
4680-429: Was due to a combination of the increasing cost estimates of building the dam, and the increasing awareness of the environmental impacts of the proposed dam. As Stott still believed that the dam would be valuable in his electorate, and with local community opinion mostly in its favour, he switched his support from Hall to Dunstan (who supported both Chowilla and Dartmouth Dams), resulting in the 1970 election which returned
4752-501: Was extended 40 miles (64 km) north to the Murray River at Paringa . The extension was approved before the original length had been completed, with an additional cost estimate of £135,750 to serve an additional 296,000 acres (1,200 km ). The official opening to Paringa was on 2 October 1913. The intervention of World War I delayed the construction of the Paringa Bridge to extend the railway to Renmark until 1927. It later
4824-428: Was launched as a mission steamer, replacing an earlier steam launch, also named Etona , which had been operating on the Murray since 1891. The vessel was based at Murray Bridge , and operated between Goolwa and the Victorian border, stopping at towns such as Mannum , Morgan and Renmark as well as isolated settlements and workcamps. The forepart of the vessel was used a chapel fitted with an altar and organ, with
4896-452: Was proposed to be an earth embankment up to 50 feet (15 m) high and 18,000 feet (5,500 m) long. It was to include a concrete spillway 800 feet (240 m) long, as well as a navigation lock. In later versions of the plan, the lock was removed to save cost. The embankment would block the Murray River , as well as both Chowilla Creek and Monoman Creek in the Chowilla floodplain . Most of
4968-485: Was reached was held on 19 November 1962. Participants were Spooner (also President of the River Murray Commission ) and Menzies for the Commonwealth, Renshaw and George Enticknap for NSW, Premier of Victoria Henry Bolte and Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford. The four governments would share the costs evenly, however the Commonwealth would extend a loan for the New South Wales component in exchange for water from
5040-412: Was similar to what had been done previously at several points along the Murray for what were known as "salt interception schemes". Rock would need to be transported from further away to provide protective riprap , filters, and aggregate in concrete, as well as bituminous membrane, which would be transported by rail from 150 miles (240 km) away. The South Australian Railways was engaged to transport
5112-474: Was the more northerly, and extended into country which had not been developed much before the railway, partly due to the absence of any viable transport route for produce. The original terminus of the Brown's Well railway was at Meribah , not far from the Victorian border. Such was the optimism about this region, that three lines from the Brown's Well line to the Murray River, and an additional line between it and
5184-455: Was welcomed by pastoralists who had been suffering from a shortage of transport due to the demands of the gold fields. By 1860 a dozen steamers were operating in the high water season along the Murray and its tributaries. Once the railway reached Echuca in 1864, the bulk of the woolclip from the Riverina was transported via river to Echuca and then south to Melbourne. The steam paddleship Etona
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