Albury-Wodonga Region

Murray River

The Port of Albury

One of the most important factors contributing to Albury's rapid progress in the late 1850's was the opening of the river Murray to navigation. The first successful attempt to examine the river was made by Captain Cadell in 1852 in a frail canvas canoe. He found the river suitable.

He secured a paddle steamer in Sydney, sailing it to the Murray mouth over the bar at Lake Alexandrina, and set about establishing the Murray River trade.

As regular steamer services were placed in operation efforts were made to have the many snags hastily removed from the river. Albury's production of wheat and wool increased and the link with Adelaide and South Australia seemed certain to grow stronger than that with Melbourne and the more distant Sydney.

By 1857 merchandise from Adelaide carried by steamer to Albury exceeded 1 million pounds sterling. By 1866 there were 36 steamers plying the Murray.

At the start of the 1870's river trade from Albury was at its peak. A wharf was constructed near the original crossing place. In 1872 the Lady Kaly left Albury towing a barge with 500 bales of wool and 600 bags of wheat, the largest load recorded. But the train lines were creeping ever nearer, their arrival to cause the decline of river boat services.