Goolwa was once a thriving Riverport but now the boats carry just tourists and its historic buildings have been restored as art galleries and cafes. With both fresh and salt water, Goolwa is a mecca for the keen fisherman and boating enthusiasts. It is the last of the historic river ports on the Murray River before it empties into Lake Alexandrina 11 km to the south east, and then the Southern Ocean

Where is it?: Goolwa is 83 km south of Adelaide and 19 km from Victor Harbor on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Goolwa is a base for paddlesteamer cruises and houseboats on the lower Murray River.

With both fresh and salt water, Goolwa is a mecca for the keen fisherman and boating enthusiasts as a starting point for a day or multi-day trip into the Coorong National Park or the Lake Alexandrina area.

Events: The Folk and Steam Festival take place in mid-October. Goolwa is recognised as the nation's small boat capital, and fittingly hosts the biennial Wooden Boat Festival.

The Coorong
The Coorong is a long, shallow lagoon that follows the coast of the south east region of South Australia, south of Lake Alexandrina and the mouth of the Murray River. It is separated from the Southern Ocean by the narrow sand dune of the Younghusband Peninsula. The shoreline marshes and lakes Alexandrina and Albert at the mouth of the River Murray connect with the Coorong lagoon to form a natural wetland system. The Peninsula and Coorong area is valued for conservation, its scenic attributes and accessibility. Many parts are used for outdoor recreational pursuits including: wildlife observation and studies; sailing and boating of all kinds; sight-seeing, hiking and camping; and recreational fishing.


The holiday town of Victor Harbor is 18km to the east of Goolwa. A popular site for visitors to Victor Harbor is Granite Island, which is connected to the mainland by a short tram/pedestrian causeway. The tram service is provided by the Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram, one of the very few horse-drawn tram routes remaining in public transit service.

Langhorne Creek Wine Region
The Langhorne Creek wine region (43km north east) is recognised across the wine market and industry in general for its ability to produce consistent, high quality bold red wines. The proximity to Lake Alexandrina provides a surprisingly cool climate that also allows Langhorne Creek to produce excellent white wine. The primary variety is Chardonnay, however the region also prides itself on Verdelho, which has become somewhat of a specialty for the area.

The Cockle Train
Since 1887 passenger trains operating along the coast from Goolwa to Victor Harbor have affectionately been known as The Cockle Train. The broad sandy surf beaches at Goolwa are famous for large cockles. The section of the line between Goolwa and Port Elliot was the first steel railway built in Australia. The horse drawn carriage can be viewed in the main street of Goolwa. The Cockle Train is run today by SteamRanger Heritage Railway during school holiday, public holidays, Wednesdays and Sundays.

About Goolwa

Goolwa lies near the mouth of the Murray River on the Goolwa Channel. A barrage near the town, some 632 metres long, one of the five built between 1936 and 1940, helps separate the river water from the ocean and prevent seawater flowing into Lake Alexandrina, Lake Albert and the River Murray. Small craft can enter through a lock which forms part of the barrage network.

Brief history: Goolwa was favoured as the site for the capital of South Australia by Governor Hindmarsh when he examined it in 1836, but the surveyor-general, Col. Light, preferred Adelaide. Sealers from Kangaroo Island were probably the first Europeans to visit the Goolwa area, around 1828. When Charles Sturt's whaleboat reached the site in 1830, he sent his men to bathe and they came back with cockles which must have been ambrosia to the exhausted explorers. Sturt suggested a settlement here and the first part of Goolwa was surveyed in 1840.

In the early 1850s, the competition for the Murray River trade began at Goolwa. Francis Cadell's Lady Augusta raced against William Randell's Mary Ann. Cadell was given a hero's welcome when he arrived back in Goolwa and became a director of the River Murray Navigation Company which later floundered through disreputable trading practices.

Horse drawn railway carriage on display

By 1854, a horse-drawn railway was taking cargo from Goolwa to Port Elliot - the railway Superintendent's house is still one of the town's most striking buildings. Goolwa became a busy port for the river trade and goods were sent downstream to be exported from Port Elliot and from 1864, Victor Harbour in Encounter Bay. This role diminished once the railway from Morgan to Adelaide opened in 1878 but the re-emergence of paddle steamers on the river as a tourist attraction is a link with Goolwa's past. Early industries were ship building, milling and brewing and he town now depends on tourism and agriculture. Dairy cattle and sheep graze the river flats and wheat is gown.