Introducing The Murray River
The Murray River is Australia’s most important inland waterway, and forms most of the border between Victoria and NSW. The Murray flows from the Great Dividing Range in northeastern Victoria to Encounter Bay in SA, more than 2700km away, making it the third-longest navigable river in the world.
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Some of Australia’s earliest explorers travelled along the river, and long before roads and railways crossed the land, the Murray’s paddle steamers carried supplies to and from remote sheep stations. The Murray River region is one of the country’s most productive agricultural districts, thanks to the endless sunshine and the wonders of irrigation. If you approach the area by car from the south, through the drought-stricken Wimmera/Mallee district, the contrast couldn’t be starker – vineyards, avocadoes, citrus and almond groves cover countless thousands of hectares, all vividly green, overproductive and surreal in this semi-arid emptiness.
Good regional information is available at Murray River (www.murrayriver.com.au).
Last updated: Aug 27, 2009
