89-453: The Raak Plain Boinka is a wilderness area in the state of Victoria, Australia. The boinka groundwater discharge complex is a shallow depression within a region of Mallee dune fields, and contains gypsum flats and salinas, pools of salty water that are mainly fed by groundwater. The distinctive flora of the boinka is largely intact and includes several threatened species. The Raak Plain boinka
178-425: A political football with politicians demanding new lines to be built in places where traffic levels never justified it. In 1864, there was just 254 miles (409 km) of railway. The system expanded rapidly to reach 2,900 route miles (4,670 km) by 1891 and to its greatest extent of 4,755 route miles (7652 km) in 1939. The result was that by the beginning of the 20th century, no Victorian (apart from those in
267-471: A "stylised capital lettered logo with the V and the L split by a deep slashing stroke". The Victorian Railways operated a number of named passenger trains, including the: The railways also operated a number of specialist trains that were used to bring services to rural and isolated populations. These included: From 1888, the Victorian Railways began to take on a role in tourism , operating
356-514: A capacity of 20 people. There was also a cabin. The minister onboard, Rev. William Bussell, doubled as captain. On 16 August 1898, Etona arrived at Renmark , where the Bishop of Adelaide , Rev. Dr. John Harmer , held services the following Sunday with the assistance of Rev H M Wylie. In September of the same year, the service due in Holder on the 18th was suspended due to the vessel grounding on
445-517: A different design, being dragged out of the river during high flow, rather than lifted out. Victorian Railways The Victorian Railways ( VR ), trading from 1974 as VicRail , was the state-owned operator of most rail transport in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted,
534-527: A list of birds and mammals . George "Chinese" Morrison , then aged 18, navigated the river by canoe from Wodonga to its mouth, in 65 days, completing the 1,555-mile (2,503 km) journey in January 1881. Shipping cannot enter the Murray from the sea because it does not have an estuary . However, in the 19th century the river supported a substantial commercial trade using shallow-draft paddle steamers ,
623-402: A number of both historic paddle steamers and newer boats offering cruises ranging from half an hour to five days. The Murray River has been a significant barrier to land-based travel and trade. Many of the ports for transport of goods along the Murray have also developed as places to cross the river, either by bridge or ferry. The first bridge to cross the Murray, which was built in 1869, is in
712-817: A railway to transport gypsum from the Raak Plain to the Victorian Railways interchange siding at Nowingi. The rusty remains of a fuel tanker truck that blew up when transporting diesel to the Brunswick Plaster Mills gypsum mine can still be seen on the northern edge of the Raak Plain. The west of the boinka is contained within the east of the Murray-Sunset National Park . The Raak Plain Reference Area, covering 15.43 square kilometres (5.96 sq mi) of
801-426: A sandbank. During its year of launch, the boiler of Etona gave way, being replaced at a cost of £87. The Murray was plagued by "snags", fallen trees submerged in the water, and considerable efforts were made to clear the river of these threats to shipping by using barges equipped with steam-driven winches . In recent times, efforts have been made to restore many of these snags by placing dead gum trees back into
890-559: A series of barrages was built near the Murray Mouth to stop seawater entering the lower part of the river during low flow periods. They are the Goolwa Barrage, with a length of 632 metres (2,073 ft); Mundoo Channel Barragel 800 metres (2,600 ft); Boundary Creek Barragel 243 metres (797 ft); Ewe Island Barrage, 853 metres (2,799 ft); and Tauwitchere Barrage, 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi). These dams inverted
979-521: A similar number of barges were working the river in season. River transport began to decline once the railways touched the Murray at numerous points. The unreliable levels made it impossible for boats to compete with the rail and later road transport . However, the river still carries pleasure boats along its entire length. Today, most traffic on the river is recreational. Small private boats are used for water skiing and fishing. Houseboats are common, both commercial for hire and privately owned. There are
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#17327945805731068-518: A spear. However, the shock to the fish was so great it launched him forward in a straight line to a place called Peindjalang, near Tailem Bend . Eager to rectify his failure to catch his prey, the hunter and his two wives (sometimes the escaped sibling wives of Waku and Kanu) hurried on, and took positions high on the cliff on which Tailem Bend now stands. They sprung an ambush on Pondi only to fail again. Ngurunderi set off in pursuit again but lost his prey as Pondi dived into Lake Alexandrina. Ngurunderi and
1157-612: Is a river in Southeastern Australia . It is Australia's longest river at 2,508 km (1,558 mi) extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest rivers of Australia (the Murrumbidgee , Darling , Lachlan , Warrego and Paroo Rivers ). Together with that of the Murray, the catchments of these rivers form the Murray–Darling basin , which covers about one-seventh the area of Australia. It
1246-705: Is actually on the Mitta Mitta River upstream of Lake Hume (completed 1979). The Murray also receives water from the complex dam and pipeline system of the Snowy Mountains Scheme . An additional reservoir was proposed in the 1960s at Chowilla Dam , which was to have been built in South Australia and would have flooded land mostly in Victoria and New South Wales. It was cancelled in favour of building Dartmouth Dam due to costs and concerns relating to increased salinity. From 1935 to 1940
1335-462: Is extremely rugged, and contains a system of saline blue lakes formed by water that discharges from below ground. The discharge complex, which Phillip Macumber calls the "Raak boinka", is a broad depression with a distinctive outer boundary and markedly different appearance from the aeolian Mallee landscapes that surround it. It includes dunes and islands of sand and gypsum clay, plains of sand, clay and limestone, gypsum flats and halite salinas in
1424-589: Is known to have sold his share in the Bungaree Station , which he founded with his brothers, and relocated alongside the Murray at a site near Moorundie . In 1852, Francis Cadell , in preparation for the launch of his steamer service, explored the river in a canvas boat, travelling 1,300 miles (2,100 km) downstream from Swan Hill . In 1858, while acting as Minister of Land and Works for New South Wales, Irish nationalist and founder of Young Ireland , Charles Gavan Duffy , founded Carlyle Township on
1513-412: Is often portrayed as a man) on rafts (or lala ) made from red gums and continually launched spears at his target. But Pondi was a wily prey and carved a weaving path, carving out the river's various tributaries. Ngurunderi was forced to beach his rafts, and often create new ones as he changed from reach to reach of the river. At Kobathatang, Ngurunderi finally got lucky and struck Pondi in the tail with
1602-553: Is the border between New South Wales and Victoria – specifically at the top of the bank of the Victorian side of the river. In a 1980 judgement, the High Court of Australia ruled on the question as to which state had jurisdiction in the unlawful death of a man who was fishing by the river's edge on the Victorian side of the river. This boundary definition can be ambiguous, since the river changes its course over time, and some of
1691-664: Is the largest boinka in the Murray River basin at about 500 square kilometres (190 sq mi), and is an excellent example of a rare type of geological formation. It is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) northwest of Hattah, Victoria . The boinka complex lies to the east of the Sunset Strip, a NE-SW trending elevated block on the west of the Danyo Fault. The boinka is north of Mount Cowra and Wymlet . The Calder Highway running from north to south through Nowingi defines
1780-488: Is the point at which the Murray River empties into the sea, and the interaction between its shallow, shifting and variable currents and the open sea can be complex and unpredictable. During the peak period of Murray River commerce (roughly 1855 to 1920), it presented a major impediment to the passage of goods and produce between Adelaide and the Murray settlements, and many vessels foundered or were wrecked there. Since
1869-607: Is threatened by rabbits, which selectively graze saplings of the buloke woodland communities and thus prevent regeneration. The ground-dwelling threatened Mallee birds are the target of predation by foxes. In 2004 there was controversy over a proposal for an industrial waste storage site near Mildura on the edge of the plain, which could contaminate the groundwater. Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray ) ( Ngarrindjeri : Millewa , Yorta Yorta : Dhungala ( Tongala ))
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#17327945805731958-509: Is widely considered Australia's most important irrigated region. The Murray rises in the Australian Alps , draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains, then meanders northwest across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria as it flows into South Australia . From an east–west direction it turns south at Morgan for its final 315 km (196 mi), reaching
2047-827: The Bland Report of 1972, in May 1973 the Railways (Amendment) Act 1972 passed the management of the Railways from the Victorian Railways Commissioners to a Victorian Railways Board. The board could have up to seven members, with six being initially appointed. This remained until 1983 when the board was discontinued under the Transport Act 1983. The Victorian Railways operated a wide variety of locomotives and rolling stock to provide passenger and goods services. This included equipment acquired from
2136-788: The State Coal Mine at Wonthaggi from the Mines Department. VR also operated Newport Power Stations A and B . Other operations included railway refreshment services, road motor services for passengers, and motor transport services for goods. The railways also operated two tram routes in Melbourne , the Electric Street Railways; the St Kilda to Brighton Beach Street Railway ( 1,600 mm or 5 ft 3 in gauge) from 1906 until 1959 and
2225-401: The river banks have been modified. For 11 km (6.8 mi) west of the line of longitude 141°E, the border is between Victoria and South Australia, in the middle of the river. The discrepancy was caused during the 1840s, when the border was originally surveyed, by an east–west miscalculation of 3.72 kilometres (2.31 miles). West of this sector, the Murray is entirely within
2314-517: The river red gum . The health of the Murray has declined significantly since European settlement, particularly through regulation of its flows. Extreme droughts between 2000 and 2007 put significant stress on river red gum forests, leading to mounting concern over their long-term survival. The Murray has also flooded on occasion. The most significant was the flood of 1956 : lasting for up to six months, it inundated many towns on its lower reaches in South Australia. Between 2.5 and 0.5 million years ago,
2403-490: The 1970s most bogie vehicles wore the logo, until May 1983 pending the launch of V/Line. In 1974, the Victorian Railways was rebranded as VicRail, with a new logo unveiled on 12 April 1976, but the royal blue and gold image was retained until 1981, when the orange and silver "teacup" scheme was launched on locomotives, Comeng trains , and passenger carriages. This was the last livery, with V/Line launched in August 1983 with
2492-630: The 1980s when new bogie wagons replaced them. By 1987, the bogie wagon fleet numbered 5000. When the Victorian Railways (now known as VicRail) was divided into two in 1983, the Metropolitan Transit Authority received the suburban electric multiple unit fleet, while the State Transport Authority took responsibility for remainder for the provision of country passenger and freight services. In 1929, D class comprising larger boilers The Victorian Railways
2581-467: The Cadell Fault. About 25,000 years ago, displacement occurred along this fault, raising its eastern edge, which runs north–south, 8 to 12 m (26 to 39 ft) above the floodplain. This created a complex series of events. A section of the original Murray River channel immediately behind the fault was rendered abandoned (it exists today as an empty channel known as Green Gully). The Goulburn River
2670-543: The Department of Railways came under the authority of the Railway Commissioners, which became commonly known as Victorian Railways. The elaborate headquarters at 67 Spencer Street were opened in 1893. Victorian Railways grew to service all parts of the state, even extending some lines into New South Wales under the 1922 Border Railways Act . In the late 19th century, the railways became something of
2759-598: The F class shunters, Clyde Engineering had a monopoly on Victorian diesel-electric locomotives, as the Australian licensee of General Motors EMD engines and traction motors, fitting them into locally designed bodies. Early passenger services were operated with 4 and 6 wheeled "dogbox" passenger carriages, but larger bogie rollingstock started to appear from the turn of the century. On the Melbourne suburban network electric multiple units were introduced speeding up services. Experiments were also made with various diesel and petrol railcars for use on smaller branch lines. By
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2848-500: The Murray River, after his close friend, Scottish historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle . Included in the township were "Jane Street", named in honour of Carlyle's wife Jane Carlyle and "Stuart-Mill Street" in honour of political philosopher John Stuart Mill In 1858, the Government Zoologist , William Blandowski , together with Gerard Krefft , explored the lower reaches of the Murray and Darling rivers, compiling
2937-422: The Murray and its tributaries by destroying aquatic plants and permanently raising turbidity . Carp is the most common species, and can be found in all segments of the river. Four large reservoirs were built along the Murray. In addition to Lake Victoria (completed late 1920s), these are Lake Hume near Albury-Wodonga (completed 1936), Lake Mulwala at Yarrawonga (completed 1939), and Lake Dartmouth , which
3026-458: The Murray persists in numerous forms in various language groups that inhabit the enormous area spanned by the Murray system. The Wotojobaluk people of Victoria tell of Totyerguil from the area now known as Swan Hill , who ran out of spears while chasing Otchtout the cod. Roonka Flat , near Blanchetown , was a site of occupation since at least 7000BC. The first Europeans to encounter the river were Hamilton Hume and William Hovell , who crossed
3115-466: The Murray short-necked turtle, broad-clawed yabbies and the large-clawed Macrobrachium shrimp, in addition to aquatic species more widely distributed through Southeastern Australia such as common long-necked turtles, common yabbies , the small claw-less paratya shrimp, water rats and platypus . The Murray crayfish , an endangered species, was able to increase its numbers thanks to scientists. The Murray also supports fringeing corridors and forests of
3204-480: The Murray terminated in a vast freshwater lake – Lake Bungunnia – formed by earth movements that blocked the river near Swan Reach . At its maximum extent, Lake Bungunnia covered 33,000 km (12,741 sq mi), extending to near the Menindee Lakes in the north and to near Boundary Bend in the south. The draining of Lake Bungunnia occurred approximately 600,000 years ago. Deep clays deposited by
3293-516: The Raak boinka have been determined using Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). They were formed between 20,000 and 35,000 years ago, and between 70,000 and 85,000 years ago. One of the dunes was dated to around 127,000 years ago. There are a number of Aboriginal cultural heritage sites in the boinka, including large sites with artifacts, ovens and middens. Velesunio shells dated to around 7,650 years ago have been found at an aboriginal campsite near
3382-524: The Red Gum forests, actually travels through the Edward River channel. The Murray has not had enough flow power to naturally enlarge The Barmah Choke and The Narrows to increase the amount of water they can carry. The Cadell Fault is quite noticeable as a continuous, low, earthen embankment as one drives into Barmah from the west, although to the untrained eye it may appear man-made. The Murray Mouth
3471-665: The Victorian Government Tourist Bureau until it was taken over by the state government in 1959. In connection with their role of promoting tourism, the railways ran three guesthouses/ski lodges which were taken over from previous operators: the Mount Buffalo Chalet from (1925–1985), the Feathertop Bungalow (1927–1939) and Hotham Heights (1934–1951). In 1911, the Victorian Railways Commissioners assumed responsibility for
3560-480: The Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations. Most of the lines operated by the Victorian Railways were of 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ). However, the railways also operated up to five 2 ft 6 in ( 762 mm ) narrow gauge lines between 1898 and 1962, and a 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge line between Albury and Melbourne from 1961. A Department of Railways
3649-584: The Victorian Railways. Because of political turmoil in the Victorian Government , Higginbotham was one of 137 officials removed from office on Black Wednesday on 8 January 1878 when the Government was denied supply. He, like a number of other senior officers, was not reappointed. Robert Watson then took over as Engineer-in-Chief. But in 1880, a new Ministry expressed a wish to redress the injustice by re-instating Higginbotham. However, at
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3738-491: The advent of large-scale river regulation , the waters at the Murray Mouth are almost invariably slow and shallow. As of 2010 , the Murray River system received 58 per cent of its natural flow; the figure varies considerably. The border between Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) lies along the top of the southern or left bank of the Murray River. The Murray forms part of the 3,750 km (2,330 mi) long combined Murray–Darling river system that drains most of
3827-433: The area. These conditions are perfect for River Red Gums , which rapidly formed forests in the area. Thus the displacement of the Cadell Fault 25,000 BP led directly to the formation of the famous Barmah River Red Gum Forests. The Barmah Choke and The Narrows restrict the amount of water that can travel down this part of the Murray. In times of flood and high irrigation flows the majority of the water, in addition to flooding
3916-759: The difference. Since the natural salinity of the region makes in unsuitable for agriculture, about 82% of the original habitat remains. The natural vegetation is diverse and includes Samphire ( Tecticornia ) and Low Chenopod Shrubland. Threatened birds include Regent parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides) and Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata). Threatened plants include Bead Glasswort ( Tecticornia flabelliformis ), Purple Swainson-pea ( Swainsona purpurea ), Mallee Hemichroa ( Hemichroa diandra ) and Spiked Pigweed ( Dysphania simulans ). A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia lists about 40 individual wetlands totalling more than 600 hectares (1,500 acres). The Raak Plain
4005-581: The driest continents on Earth, the Murray has significant cultural relevance to Aboriginal Australians . According to the people of Lake Alexandrina , the Murray was created by the tracks of the Great Ancestor, Ngurunderi, as he pursued Pondi, the Murray Cod . The chase originated in the interior of New South Wales. Ngurunderi pursued the fish (who, like many totem animals in Aboriginal myths,
4094-546: The early 2000s, dredging machines have operated at the Murray Mouth for 24 hours a day, moving sand from the channel to maintain a minimal flow from the sea and into the Coorong's lagoon system. Without the dredging, the mouth would silt up and close, cutting the supply of fresh sea-water into the Coorong National Park, which would then warm up, stagnate and die. Being one of the major river systems on one of
4183-569: The eastern boundary. The Hattah-Kulkyne National Park lies to the east of the highway. The boinka lies within part of the Murray Mallee plain. There is a fringe of Lowan Mallee along its south edge. Raak Plains and Pink Lakes, further west in Murray-Sunset National Park, are outstanding examples of the boinka landform complex of sandplains, gypsum flats, gypsite hills, salinas and source-bordering dunes. The country
4272-707: The eastern edge of Lake Alexandrina , which fluctuates in salinity . The water then flows through several channels around Hindmarsh Island and Mundoo Island . There it is joined by lagoon water from The Coorong to the south-east before emptying into the Great Australian Bight (often referenced on Australian maps as the Southern Ocean ) through the Murray Mouth , 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Goolwa South . Despite discharging considerable volumes of water at times, particularly before
4361-621: The final form with the arrival of the B class diesel electric locomotives in 1952. The revised logo was inspired by that of the Erie Railroad in the United States. While the Spirit of Progress carriages wore the royal blue and gold striping, the remainder of the passenger fleet wore a more plain red livery. Additional carriages did not appear in the blue and gold until the 1954 Royal Tour by HM Queen Elizabeth II . Freight stock
4450-541: The first time. The last steam locomotive was withdrawn in 1972. In May 1973, the Railways (Amendment) Act 1972 passed the management of the Railways from the Victorian Railways Commissioners to a Victorian Railways Board. In 1974, the Victorian Railways was rebranded as VicRail, but the royal blue and gold livery used on rolling stock was retained until 1981. In 1983, VicRail was divided into two—the State Transport Authority taking responsibility for
4539-499: The first trips being made by two boats from South Australia on the spring flood of 1853. The Lady Augusta , captained by Francis Cadell , reached Swan Hill while another, Mary Ann , captained by William Randell , reached Moama (near Echuca ). In 1855 a steamer carrying gold-mining supplies reached Albury but Echuca was the usual turn-around point, though small boats continued to link with up-river ports such as Tocumwal , Wahgunyah and Albury. The arrival of steamboat transport
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#17327945805734628-419: The inland of Victoria, New South Wales and the southern part of Queensland. The Murray carries only a small fraction of the water of comparably sized rivers in other parts of the world, and with great annual variability of its flow. It has dried up completely during extreme droughts on three occasions since official record-keeping began. More often, a sandbar formed at the mouth and stopped the flow. The Murray
4717-491: The intervening stretch of the river a series of locks and weirs were built. These were originally proposed to support navigation even in times of low water, but riverborne transport was already declining due to improved highway and railway systems. The disruption of the river's natural flow, run-off from agriculture, and the introduction of pest species such as the European carp has led to serious environmental damage along
4806-558: The introduction of the streamlined Spirit of Progress passenger train, with air conditioning and all steel carriage construction. Diesel power was introduced in 1951 with ten F-class diesel-electric shunting locomotives, followed by B-class mainline diesel-electric locomotives in 1952/53. A standard gauge line connecting to the New South Wales system was constructed in 1961 allowing through trains to operate between Melbourne and Sydney , Australia's two largest cities, for
4895-553: The irrigation has led to dryland salinity that now threatens the agricultural industries. In 2006, the Government of South Australia released a plan to investigate the construction of controversial Wellington Weir . Lock 1 was completed near Blanchetown in 1922. Torrumbarry weir downstream of Echuca began operating in December 1923. Of the several locks that were proposed, only thirteen were completed; Locks 1 to 11 on
4984-663: The lake are evident in cliffs around Chowilla in South Australia. Considerably higher rainfall would have been required to keep such a lake full; the draining of Lake Bungunnia appears to have marked the end of a wet phase in the history of the Murray–Darling Basin and the onset of widespread arid conditions similar to today. A species of Neoceratodus lungfish existed in Lake Bungunnia; today Neoceratodus lungfish are only found in several Queensland rivers. The noted Barmah River red gum forests owe their existence to
5073-468: The late 1970s, country passenger services were run down, and older wooden rolling stock was now approaching their use by date. As a result, the New Deal saw modern steel carriages introduced from 1981. Early wagons were built on four wheeled under frames, but from 1871 bogie vehicles begun to appear. The last four wheeled open wagons were built in 1958, but were not scrapped in large numbers until
5162-501: The linear dunefields. The plain includes a number of islands that rise above the flats, and are parts of the linear dunefield that were cut off from the Mallee as the discharge zone expanded. There are small salinas to the west of the plain, near the rim of the basin. The Raak Plain holds the largest groundwater discharge in the state. There are more than 50 naturally "playas", or saline lakes, and gypseous saltmarsh plains. Probably most of
5251-406: The lowest parts. The depression is bounded by the 40 metres (130 ft) contour. The floor of the boinka is 15 to 20 metres (49 to 66 ft) below the Mallee dunefields that surround it. In the west there is a sharply defined boundary between the gypsum flats and salinas of the boinka and the dune fields. To the east the boundary is less distinct as aeolian sands from within the boinka merge into
5340-756: The management of the Railways Department was initially vested in the President of the Board of Land and Works, this situation remaining until 1884. With the passing of the Victorian Railways Commissioners Act 1883, a board of four commissioners was put in charge, responsible to the Minister of Railways (the Minister of Transport from 1935 onwards). The Chairman of Commissioners of the Victorian Railways were: After
5429-466: The mountain regions) was more than 25 miles (42 km) from a railway line. The period from the end of the 1930s saw a slow decline in route mileage as unprofitable branches were closed. Conversion of the Melbourne suburban system to electric operation commenced in 1919 and was completed by 1930, creating what was claimed at the time to be the world's largest electric suburban rail system. 1937 saw
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#17327945805735518-484: The patterns of the river's natural flow from the original winter-spring flood and summer-autumn dry to the present low level through winter and higher during summer. These changes ensured the availability of water for irrigation and made the Murray Valley Australia's most productive agricultural region, but have seriously disrupted the life cycles of many ecosystems both inside and outside the river, and
5607-526: The plain, has been designated IUCN category Ia (Strict Nature Reserve) as of 1996. It is managed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning of the State of Victoria. The Raak Plain Reference Area is within the Murray-Sunset National Park. Annual rainfall is about 250 millimetres (9.8 in), and annual evaporation is about 2,500 millimetres (98 in), with groundwater outcrop making up
5696-465: The private companies that built the first railways in Victoria. The majority was the fleet was broad gauge, with a specialised fleet used on the narrow gauge lines . In later years, gauge conversion was used to place stock from the main VR fleet onto standard gauge . In 1936, the company owned 590 locomotives, 38 railcars, 819 coaches, 716 brake vans and 20,945 goods wagons. The first locomotives used in
5785-646: The provision of country rail and road, passenger and freight services , and the Metropolitan Transit Authority taking over suburban passenger operations. The State Transport Authority traded under the V/Line name, while the Metropolitan Transit Authority used that name until the Public Transport Corporation ("The Met") was formed in 1989. Between 1996 and 1999, V/Line and The Met were privatised. V/Line Passenger
5874-579: The reflux brine was collected when the climate was wetter than it is today, and most recharge now comes from the main Raak salina when it is filled with rainwater. MacArthur's Lake is an example of a small salina in the southeast of the Raak boinka. It is covered with a shallow sheet of water in the winter, but dries out in warmer weather. Salinity in the lake rises from 149,000 mg/L in July to 206,000 mg/L in September due to evaporative concentration. By January
5963-518: The remaining length of the Murray to finally reach Lake Alexandrina and the river's mouth. The vicinity of the Murray Mouth was explored more thoroughly by Captain Collet Barker in 1831. The first three settlers on the Murray River are known to have been James Collins Hawker (explorer and surveyor) along with Edward John Eyre (explorer and later Governor of Jamaica ) plus E.B. Scott (onetime superintendent of Yatala Labour Prison ). Hawker
6052-426: The river channel is unusually narrow), before entering into the proper Murray River channel again. The primary result of the Cadell Fault – that the west-flowing water of the Murray River strikes the north-south fault and diverts both north and south around the fault in the two main channels (Edward and ancestral Goulburn) in addition to a fan of small streams, and regularly floods a large amount of low-lying country in
6141-645: The river promoted an expansion of farming and led ultimately to the development of irrigation areas (including the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area ). In 1915, the three Murray states – New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia – signed the River Murray Agreement which proposed the construction of storage reservoirs in the river's headwaters as well as at Lake Victoria near the South Australian border. Along
6230-696: The river where Albury now stands in 1824: Hume named it the Hume River after his father. In 1830, Captain Charles Sturt reached the river after travelling down its tributary the Murrumbidgee River and named it the Murray River in honour of the then British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies , Sir George Murray , not realising it was the same river that Hume and Hovell had encountered further upstream. Sturt continued down
6319-595: The river's length. There are widespread concerns that the river will be unusably salty in the medium to long term – a serious problem given that the Murray supplies 40 per cent of the water supply for Adelaide . Efforts to alleviate the problems have proceeded but disagreement between various groups has hampered progress. Introduced fish species such as carp , gambusia , weather loach , redfin perch , brown trout , and rainbow trout have also had serious negative effects on native fish. The most pernicious are carp, which have contributed to environmental degradation of
6408-533: The river. The primary purpose of this is to provide habitat for fish species whose breeding grounds and shelter were eradicated by the removal of the snags. Author E.J. Brady chronicled an eventful journey downriver in a small motor boat from Albury to the coast in 1911 in River Rovers. The volume and value of river trade made Echuca Victoria's second port and in the decade from 1874 it underwent considerable expansion. By this time up to thirty steamers and
6497-447: The shells were brought from a larger Hattah Lake system immediately to the east of the Raak boinka. Some of the land is freehold, and some is State Forest used for grazing and salt mining under lease. About 18% of the boinka is used for grazing, mostly around Nowingi in the northeast. Gypsum is mined in Victoria for use as soil conditioner and for plaster and plasterboard in the construction industry. Brunswick Plaster Mills used to operate
6586-578: The state of South Australia. Major settlements along the course of the river, from its source to the Southern Ocean, and their populations from the 2016 Australian census are as follows. The Murray and its tributaries support a variety of river life adapted to its vagaries. This includes native fish such as the famous Murray cod , trout cod , golden perch , Macquarie perch , silver perch , eel-tailed catfish , Australian smelt and western carp gudgeon , as well as other aquatic species such as
6675-503: The state were small steam locomotives , the majority being imported from the United Kingdom, with later years seeing larger units being built locally. Electric locomotives were acquired with the electrification of the suburban railways, with more powerful units acquired when the mainline to Traralgon was electrified. Dieselisation occurred from 1951, but the B class of 1952 revolutionised main line operations. Apart from
6764-434: The stretch downstream of Mildura , Lock 15 at Euston and Lock 26 at Torrumbarry . Construction of the remaining weirs purely for navigation purposes was abandoned in 1934. The last lock to be completed was Lock 15, in 1937. Lock 11, just downstream of Mildura, creates a 100-kilometre (62 mi) long lock pool that aided irrigation pumping from Mildura and Red Cliffs . Each lock has a navigable passage next to it through
6853-401: The sudden death of Higginbotham in 1880, William Elsdon took over for two years before his retirement in 1882, and Watson then returned to his former position as Engineer-in-Chief, which he held up to the time of his death. On 1 November 1883, assent was given to the Victorian Railways Commissioners Act 1883, 47 Vic., No.767, to construct, maintain and manage the state's railways. The staff of
6942-524: The town of Murray Bridge, formerly called Edwards Crossing. To distinguish this bridge from the many others that span the Murray River, this bridge is known as Murray River road bridge, Murray Bridge Tolls applied on South Australian ferries until abolished in November 1961. Small-scale pumping plants began drawing water from the Murray in the 1850s and the first high-volume plant was constructed at Mildura in 1887. The introduction of pumping stations along
7031-434: The water table is 2 to 13 centimetres (0.79 to 5.12 in) below the lake floor. The salinity of the lake water is about 3.5 times that of the groundwater. The Raak boinka is underlain by Blanchetown Clay . Soils are mostly loose red-brown sands that form dunes in the central part of the plain. Seasonally saturated saline soils predominate in a large part of the west of the plain. The ages of source bordering gypsum dunes in
7120-409: The weir, which is opened during periods of high river flow, when there is too much water for the lock. The weirs can be completely removed, and the locks completely covered by water during flood conditions. Lock 11 is unique in that the lock was built inside a bend of the river, with the weir in the bend itself. A channel was dug to the lock, creating an island between it and the weir. The weir is also of
7209-416: The west of the Raak boinka, along with many artifacts and hearths. The shells indicate the presence of fresh water nearby. However, even though the Mallee was wetter at the time, it is underlaid by groundwater brines, so pools would have been salty. Possibly the freshwater was found in dune soaks, where rainwater filtering through the dune is trapped by a clay layer at its base. Another explanation could be that
7298-400: The women settled on the shore, only to suffer bad luck with fishing, being plagued by a water fiend known as Muldjewangk . They later moved to a more suitable spot at the site of present-day Ashville . The twin summits of Mount Misery are said to be the remnants of his rafts; they are known as Lalangengall or the two watercraft . This story of a hunter pursuing a Murray cod that carved out
7387-490: Was created in 1856 with the first appointment of staff. British engineer, George Christian Darbyshire was made first Engineer-in-Chief in 1857, and steered all railway construction work until his replacement by Thomas Higinbotham in 1860. In late 1876, New York consulting engineer Walton Evans arranged the supply of two 4-4-0 locomotives manufactured by the Rogers Locomotive Works of New Jersey , US to
7476-610: Was dammed by the southern end of the fault to create a natural lake. The Murray River flowed to the north around the Cadell Fault, creating the channel of the Edward River which exists today and through which much of the Murray's waters still flow. Then the natural dam on the Goulburn River failed, the lake drained, and the Murray changed its course to the south and started to flow through the smaller Goulburn River channel, creating "The Barmah Choke" and "The Narrows" (where
7565-452: Was divided up into a number of branches, each with a set of responsibilities. These branches were reorganised a number of times, in 1962 they were: For most of the 20th century, the colours of royal blue and gold were the distinctive feature of the Victorian Railways. It was first introduced on the Spirit of Progress express train in 1937 along with the winged "VR" logo, and was refined to
7654-511: Was franchised to National Express , returning to government ownership in 2002. The V/Line Freight division was sold to Freight Victoria and is now owned by Pacific National . The infrastructure is now managed by VicTrack with the interstate rail freight infrastructure leased to the Australian Rail Track Corporation . Metro Trains Melbourne now operates the suburban railway network. When first formed in 1857,
7743-428: Was launched as a mission steamer, replacing an earlier steam launch, also named Etona , which had been operating on the Murray since 1891. The vessel was based at Murray Bridge , and operated between Goolwa and the Victorian border, stopping at towns such as Mannum , Morgan and Renmark as well as isolated settlements and workcamps. The forepart of the vessel was used a chapel fitted with an altar and organ, with
7832-435: Was painted in a slightly different red / brown with only identifying lettering painted in white on the side. With the coming of the standard gauge line into Victoria in 1961, the Victorian Railways held a competition to find a "symbol, sign or slogan" to be carried on new freight vehicles for the line. The winner was an 18-year-old art student from Bentleigh , with the logo being a stylised VR with arrowheads on either end. By
7921-460: Was welcomed by pastoralists who had been suffering from a shortage of transport due to the demands of the gold fields. By 1860 a dozen steamers were operating in the high water season along the Murray and its tributaries. Once the railway reached Echuca in 1864, the bulk of the woolclip from the Riverina was transported via river to Echuca and then south to Melbourne. The steam paddleship Etona
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