The official opening of the Murray River wharf at Koondrook on Monday marked the return of locally-built paddle steamer, the PS Alexander Arbuthnot.
The last paddlesteamer to be built as a working boat on the Murray River during the riverboat era returned to its original port late last week to usher in a new era of tourism.
It was used for a series of river tours associated with the opening of the new $2 million wharf, which was opened before hundreds of locals and visitors keen to catch a glimpse of the wharf within the canopy of redgum trees.
The hull of PS Alexander Arbuthnot was built in Koondrook by shipwright Charles Felshaw and in 1916 she began life as a barge.
It wasn’t until 1923 when she was commissioned then towed to Echuca for the fitting of the engine, boiler and superstructure that she commenced her new job as a working steamer. For many years she towed barges laden with redgum logs from nearby forests to the Arbuthnot Sawmills.
To read more about this story, grab a copy of Wednesday’s Guardian (November 16).
