Morgan

Morgan sits on the right bank of the Murray River, just downstream of where it turns from flowing roughly westwards to roughly southwards. Morgan is well known for its number of houseboats, and historic timber wharf. Many of the old buildings remain in the town.

Where is it?: Morgan is 36 km north of Blanchetown and 120 km east of Terowie, 161 km north east of Adelaide, 315 km upstream from the mouth of the Murray River. There are two ways to enter Morgan from the south. At Cadell it says 13 kms to Morgan on an unsealed road or 19 kms on a sealed road. The sealed road reaches a ferry across the Murray a few kilometres before Morgan. The unsealed road comes to a ferry at Morgan. Both trips well worth taking.




The town's famous wharf, built in 1878, was and still remains one of the most impressive examples of it's kind on the entire Murray River. As Port Morgan became a huge success, during the height of the Paddle Steamer trade between 1880 and 1915, the massive 550 meter, red and blue gum wharf had 5 water hydraulic cranes, with gangs of up to 50 men working continuous 24 hour shifts. Today's remaining section of wharf was restored between 1996 and 1998.


Port of Morgan Historic Museum: Located in the old railway buildings on the riverfront, the Port of Morgan Historic Museum's display includes the PW Mayflower (1884) the oldest paddle wheeler in South Australia and an impressive display of memorabilia much of which relates to the town's era when it was an important port.

Railway Terrace: Close to the river and the ferry, this is the main historic street in town and has a number of old cottages and buildings which date from the earliest years of the town's development. Of particular interest are the Customs House and Court House - a pair of interesting buildings which were constructed around the time the town became an important port (circa 1878). They are reminders of the expectations that the early residents had for the town. Nearby is Landseer's former Warehouse and the Post Office.

Morgan Conservation Park: Located opposite the town this 363 hectare area on the north west bend is predominantly river flats characterised by red river gums, mallee and wattle all of which are home to a wide variety of birdlife.

Whites Dam Conservation Park: Located 9 km north west on the road to Burra this park is notable for its arid region vegetation including blue bush, native boxthorn and bladder saltbush. There are over 60 bird species in the park which is notable for its large populations of red and western grey kangaroos.


Brief history: Prior to European settlement the area was inhabited by the Naralte Aborigines who were described by one early settler as 'very friendly and quickly picked up a smattering of English. They were willing to work ... and attempted to instruct the newcomers in their methods of hunting.' The river provided abundant food and they lived well off a diet of kangaroos, emus, wombats, goannas, lizards, ducks, turtles, fish, snakes and bird eggs. These Aborigines reputedly called the district 'coerabko' meaning 'meeting place of the tribe'.

The first European into the area was Captain Charles Sturt who, being assigned to solve the great mystery of why so many rivers flowed westward from the Great Dividing Range (often known as the question of whether Australia had an 'inland sea') rowed a whale boat down the Murrumbidgee in late 1829 and reached the junction with the Murray River on 14 January 1830. He continued down Australia's largest river passing Morgan in early February and reaching Lake Alexandrina, at the mouth of the river, on 9 February, 1830.

With the development of the river as a major transportation route in the 1850s and 1860s Morgan became an important stopping point for the overlanders bringing sheep to Adelaide. The town was officially proclaimed in 1878 and named after Sir William Morgan who was Chief Secretary at the time. Town lots were auctioned on 16 May 1878 with some selling for as much as ��1540 per acre. The reason for this was that smart investors realised that the arrival of the railway that year would ensure that the town became one of the major transport nodes on the river. They were correct. In a few years Morgan was the second-busiest port (after Port Adelaide) in South Australia loading and unloading both trains and steamers. At its height there were six trains a day leaving for Adelaide and steamers were literally queued up along the banks for loading and unloading.


Slowly the river trade disappeared and the town became a small rural centre and a crossing point for travellers wanting to make their way across the Murray River. Today it is a pleasant, sleepy little town which is used by people who are travelling or holidaying on the Murray.

During World War II, a water pipeline was built from the Murray River at Morgan to supply fresh water to the city of Whyalla.



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