Australian Town and Country Journal at KellyGang 19/11/1870
Great Floods on the Murray
ECHUCA AND MOAMA DEVASTATED
THE towns of Echuca and Maoma, the former on the Victorian side, and the latter on the New South Wales side of the Murray, and known to many old colonists the one as Hopwood's Ferry, and the other as Maiden's Punt, have been the scenes of most disastrous inundations during the last fortnight. Echuca is the centrepot of the overland intercolonial trade of Victoria, and is the northern terminus of the Melbourne und Echuca or Murray River railway. It is situated on the Murray and Campaspe rivers, about 517 ½ miles S.W. of Sydney. The township was surveyed in 1855, and its site fixed on a peninsula formed by the approximation of the Murray and Campaspe. The late Mr Hopwood - popularly known as the "King of Echuca "- settled there shortly afterwards, and thinking the place an eligible one for the crossing of fctock, established a largo and excellently constructed punt there. The consequence was that Hopwood's Ferry became the most favourite crossing place, and the Victorian rail way system has long since penetrated to that point. Mr Hopwood built a pontoon bridge over the Murray of 354 feet in length.
The population of Echuca at the last census was about 1500; the number of dwellings of all descriptions about 360, and the area, 4684 acres. The population and buildings have lately exhibited a large increase.
The country surrounding Echuca is almost perfectly flat, and is subject to inundation during the rainy season. The country about Moama, on the opposite side of the river, is also flat and swampy, and thickly covered with stunted gum and apple trees.
It will thus be gathered that the neighbourhood of Echuca is as liable to inundation as Moama; and the recent exceptional occurrence of heavy rains has opened up a complete field of devastation.
Scarcely had the flood of September disappeared, and given the inhabitants time to repair damages, when a fresh flood, still more disastrous in its effects, set in. The Murray rose rapidly up to the night of Sunday week. From that time until Friday the rise was more gradual until the extraordinary height of thirty-eight foot above summer level was reached. The flood of September was not two feet off this.
The "Victoria Government were very prompt in sending up by the Melbourne, a steamer belonging to the Public Works Department, tents and boats for the inhabitants. Ono hundred and fifty tents were distributed among the flooded out residents of Echuca and Moama, and they were pitched on the higher grounds. No loss of life occurred.
The Argus special reporter who was on the 2nd rowed round in a boat, describes how matters stood in the two principal thoroughfares of Echuca. From Human's to Fahey's, exclusive of the first, there were ton buildings flooded out - the principal being Redman's Hotel, a huge building (partly two storied), Moore's timber-yard and buildings, the Echuca Reading-room, and Fahey’s. Mr Fahey's family occupied two of the eight or nine tents standing here. On the left side of High-street, beginning near the corner of a private road, there were to be counted eleven shops, Stanting side by side, below the level of the water, but dry by means of a puddle wall along the edge of the footpath. Ono shop was a draper's, another a grocer's.
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