Steamboats.com wishes to thank Leith Hall for supplying this list of Australian riverboats. Hope you find the steamboat of your dreams Down Under! - Ed.
Murray River - Victoria / New South Wales
Murray Princess - the largest Sternwheeler in the Southern Hemisphere, built in 1985 and commissioned in 1986, diesel powered. She is 67 metres or about 219 ft. in length, and her Home Port is Mannum, S.A. I compared her dimensions to the Delta Queen, and the Princess is slightly smaller, and approx. half the length of the American Queen, which is an absolute giant at 418 ft.
This is not the 'official site' but is very good: http://www.cruise-ships.net/pacific/murrayriver/ Here is another one: http://www.murrayriver.com.au/boating/paddlesteamers/princess/
the Murray River is significantly narrower, shallower and more unpredictable than the Mississippi. The Murray also has shorter reaches, which means that there is less distance between bends. We have had some quite severe droughts here in recent years, probably the lowest river levels occurred during the summer of 2000/01, when the Murray ceased to flow in a few places. This drought was the first time the Murray Princess had ran aground, and she only draws a little over 1 metre, and 1.5 metres fully laden. - L.H.
Paddlesteamer Capital Of Australia - Echuca, Victoria I came across some fairly recent photos from the Port Of Echuca, and they are on a Queensland Website focusing on the old Port Of Ipswich, which is one of Queensland's oldest cities. Sadly, Queensland is a State that has preserved very little of its heritage, but their website contains some links to 3 or 4 Victorian establishments. This one is a good site: http://www.youripswich.com.au/echuca/1864-65_Port_of_Echuca.html
Paddlesteamer Cumberoona http://www.csu.edu.au/australia/nsw/albury/ps_cumbr.html
Murray River Paddlesteamers http://www.emmylou.com.au/ (Three Vessels - Paddlesteamer Canberra, P.V. Pride Of The Murray & Paddlesteamer Emmylou.)
Port Of Echuca http://www.portofechuca.org.au/ (Three Vessels - Paddlesteamer Pevensey, Paddlesteamer Adelaide & Paddlesteamer Alexander Arbuthnot.)
Paddlesteamer Gem & P.V. Pyap http://www.pioneersettlement.com.au/ click on 'Paddlesteamer Gem Restoration' link on left hand menu & the 'Things to see & do' link for P.V. Pyap.
Paddlesteamer Melbourne & P.V. Rothbury http://www.murray-river.net/boating/paddlesteamers/melbourne-rothbury
Paddleboat Coonawarra http://www.pbcoonawarra.com.au/
Showboat Avoca http://www.stefano.com.au/27deakin.php#avoca
Paddlesteamer Ruby http://www.psruby.com/
Murray River - South Australia
Paddlesteamer Industry http://www.renmarkparinga.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=136
P.V. Akuna Amphibious http://www.weblathe.com.au/aikensun/day18/DSCN1160[1].jpg
P.V. Murray River Queen http://www.adelaideweddings.com.au/murrayriver/
P.V. Mayflower http://www.postcards.sa.com.au/features/ps_mayflower.htm
Paddlesteamer Marion http://www.psmarion.com/
S.W.P.V. Proud Mary http://www.proudmary.com.au/i.cfm/2/
P.V. Captain Proud CaptainProud.com.au A message from Greig Donaldson, a director of Wellington Lake Marina Pty. Ltd.: The Captain Proud has been purchased by the Marina Wellington and is now moored there. It will be the Marina's new restaurant and will cruise for dinner, beginning in early 2006. The company is now know as Captain Proud Paddle Boat Cruises.
Marina Phone Number - 85727222, Greig Donaldson's Mobile number 0417870393.
Paddlesteamer Oscar W http://hartill.net/Oz/Pages/IMG_2771.html
Paddlesteamer Federal http://www.murray-river.net/accommodation/goolwa_getaways/ps_federal.htm
Paddlesteamer Enterprise http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/29/1062050655128.html?oneclick=true
The Enterprise is currently a National Museum exhibit and is moored on a man-made lake in Canberra, A.C.T. (Our National Capital.)
Queensland
Paddlesteamer Maid Of Sker http://www.maritimecharity.org.au/sker.html
Captain Sturt Paddlewheeler http://www.roller-coaster.com.au/ride.php?rid=39 (click on 'Photo Gallery' link for pictures.)
Kookaburra River Queens http://www.kookaburrariverqueens.com/
Thomson Belle Paddlewheeler http://www.lotc.com.au/view_image.php?id=31
Louisa Paddleboat http://www.weblogoz.com/print/20030628103531649.htm
Lady Douglas Paddleboat http://www.portdouglasdirectory.com/tours.htm (Simply scroll down the page for this one.)
New South Wales
William the Fourth (Replica) http://www2.niha.hl.com.au/WilliamIV.html
The Sydney Showboats http://www.sydneyshowboats.com.au/
Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler http://www.nepeanbelle.com.au/
Paddleboat Jandra http://bourke.socialchange.net.au/community/1015/1021.html
Victoria
Golden City Paddlesteamer Museum http://www.ballarat.com/paddlesteamer/education.html
Western Australia
Paddlesteamer Decoy http://www.psdecoy.com Located on the Swan River, Mends Street Jetty, South Perth, Western Australi.
Tasmania
Paddleboat Lady Stelfox http://www.yorkmansions.com.au/Attractions/lady_stelfox.htm
The Wreck of the Paddlesteamer Shannon http://www.kingisland.net.au/~maritime/shannon.htm
There are quite a few other Riverboats in other parts of the country, although nearly all of them have been built in modern times ie. since the 1960's. Obviously the Murray River boats are the most significant, as most of the Vessels I have listed are original and have been restored, rather than being built from scratch with more modern materials. - L.H.
Ed's. Note: If you want a little bit of Australia in your life, log on to UniqueBirthdayGiftIdeasforMen.com Australian Aboriginal art for man who has everything.
