Morgan, South Australia

An historic river port at the spot where the Murray River turns south and heads towards the sea, which is variously known as the 'North West Bend', 'Great Bend' or 'Great Elbow'.
Location: 165 km north-east of Adelaide.
Origin of name: named after Sir William Morgan who was SA's Chief Secretary when the town was proclaimed in 1878. The area was called 'coerabko' by the original Aboriginal inhabitants, meaning 'meeting place of the tribe'.
Brief history: the Naralte Aborigines were the former occupants of the region. When the Murray became used as a major transportation route in the 1850s, Morgan was an important stopping point for overlanders bringing sheep to Adelaide. The town's foundation coincided with the arrival of the railway in 1878, which was quickly used to carry freight to and from the river steamers and Adelaide, thereby boycotting the port of Goolwa near the mouth of the Murray. The decline in the river trade saw the town revert to a small local centre, holiday and stopover town for travellers through the Murray valley.
Natural features: Murray River.
Built features: Morgan Conservation Park (fossils); White's Dam Conservation Park (9 km north west).
Heritage features: Port of Morgan Historic Museum (includes the PW Mayflower (1884); Morgan Wharf (1878, 12.2 metres high); Customs House and Court House (c.1878); Murbko Flat 28 Aboriginal scarred trees (for canoes, a shield and a dish).