About Us
Murray River Paddlesteamers is dedicated to making your journey along Australia’s most iconic waterway, the Murray River, truly unforgettable. And now, we’re raising the bar even higher with our upcoming PS Australian Star: Australia’s first five‑star, wood‑fired paddlesteamer, set to deliver luxury, heritage, and immersive river cruising like never before.
We operate three authentic paddlesteamers out of Echuca...
- PS Canberra Built in 1912 and lovingly restored to steam in 2003, PS Canberra offers short cruises rich in history and charm, perfect for families, first-timers, and those seeking a taste of traditional river life.
- PS Emmylou The world’s only wood-fired paddlesteamer offering overnight cruises, PS Emmylou delivers a boutique river experience with ensuite cabins, regional cuisine, and immersive off-river excursions.
- PS Australian Star Launching in December 25, PS Australian Star will be Australia’s first five-star paddlesteamer, blending old-world steam with luxury cruising, private ensuites, and state-of-the-art amenities across three levels.
Whether you’re stepping aboard for a 1-hour cruise, a Winery lunch, or a few unforgettable nights, you’ll experience the unique charm of river life, complete with the rhythmic thump of the paddlewheel and tales from the skipper about the river’s rich past.
A River Story That Keeps Growing
We started out in 1996, running simple cruises to showcase the beauty of the Murray. Over time, our passion grew—and so did our fleet.
Today, we’re proud custodians of two historic vessels: the century-old PS Canberra, restored back to steam after a major rebuild in 2002–2003, and the world-renowned PS Emmylou, the only wood-fired paddlesteamer in the world offering overnight cruises. She’s a moving time capsule, with all the charm of a bygone era and the comfort of modern, ensuite cabins. And from early 2026, our third vessel, the brand-new PS Australian Star, will debut, setting a new standard for river cruising in Australia.
In 2015, the business was purchased by brothers Craig and Rohan Burgess, together with skipper Neil Hutchinson, a local with a deep love for the river. Under their care, the business has flourished—earning gold at the 2016 Regional Tourism Awards and silver at the Victorian Tourism Awards in 2018.
Something for Everyone
Whether you’re after a short cruise with commentary and a cuppa, a romantic dinner cruise during the summer months as the sun sets over the river gums, or a multi-day escape where everything is taken care of, we’ve got something to suit.
Each cruise is designed to help you slow down and enjoy the moment. The PS Emmylou offers 3 or 4-night boutique journeys, complete with regional dining, off-river excursions, and cabins that blend comfort with heritage style. The PS Australian Star offers 3, 4 or 7-night unique 5-star experiences and on shorter cruises aboard the PS Canberra, you’ll hear the skipper’s live commentary and feel the nostalgia of a true paddlesteamer experience.s
Why choose Us?
- Real paddlesteamers with real Steam engines
- Live commentary from local skippers who know and love the river.
- Heritage cruising with a modern twist: think 5 star ensuite cabins, local cuisine, and warm hospitality.
- A family-run business proud to be part of Echuca’s paddlesteamer legacy.
We’re not here to rush you but help you reconnect with the river, with history and with the slow, steady rhythm of life on the water.
The history
Echuca Moama
Echuca was founded by an ex-convict named Henry Hopwood, who, after serving time in Port Arthur, worked in a tallow plant on the New South Wales side of the Murray River. In 1850 he built a bark and slab hotel on the Victorian side of the Murray and purchased a small punt to ferry people back and forth from his hotel. In just 16 years, Hopwood helped build a town, known today as Echuca.
Much of Echuca’s history is linked to the river. Being the closest town on the river to Melbourne, the Port of Echuca, built in 1865, quickly became the largest inland port in Australia. With the riverboats able to reach inland settlements, the area prospered, and the Murray became a river highway for delivering wool, fruit, mail, other supplies and later passengers – and even towing barges filled with livestock. At the height of its trading days, the Port of Echuca had more than 240 boats traded from its docks.
In the early 1900s, as rail and road transport fastened, the slower river trade slowly declined. These days, a cruise on a paddle steamer or a visit to the historic Port of Echuca is the best way to get a glimpse into the river’s illustrious past.
Today, Echuca Moama, the twin towns on either side of the Murray, offers not only a glance into Australia’s colonial history and river trade history, but a great range of eateries and bars to indulge in, live music festivals, wineries, many outdoor activities and of course, our favourite, a beautiful sunset over the river.
The Murray River
It’s not difficult to understand how the Murray River got her moniker ‘the Mighty Murray’. She stretches over 2,000 kilometres from Kosciusko National Park in New South Wales, through Victoria, to Goolwa, South Australia. The Murray River is the world’s third-longest navigable river, behind the Nile and the Amazon.
Aboriginal communities lived alongside the river for more than 40,000 years, and you can still see evidence of Aboriginal habitation dating back thousands of years. Today, the Murray plays a significant role in the agricultural industry for much of inland Victoria and is a significant water supply for more than 1.5 million households.
The Murray offers a unique destination to discover one of Australia’s beautiful regions; the riverside towns, the wildlife, and of course, a cruise on an old paddle steamer.
Dedicated to making your cruise along the Murray river memorable, we offer a wide range of cruising options across two traditional Paddlesteamers. Offering Australia’s most luxurious boutique inland river cruise aboard PS Emmylou, guests can now choose from 2 to 6 night cruises in brand new cabins with private ensuites.
Each vessel is unique and shows the dedication we have in providing an experience for our guests with all cruises short or long offering live historical commentary from the skipper. From a 1 hour river cruise, lunch or dinner cruise, we have something for everyone to enjoy.
In 1996, Murray River Paddlesteamers began their first cruises along the Murray River and has since expanded to include the PS Emmylou and the hundred year old PS Canberra. After twelve months of restoration during 2002-2003, Paddlesteamer Canberra is to date, the only known vessel along the Murray River to have been converted back to steam.
In March 2015 the business was purchased by brother’s Craig & Rohan Burgess together with local identity & Skipper Neil Hutchinson. The business continues to grow and expand on strong foundations which was acknowledged in July 2016 with the business winning Gold at the Regional Tourism Awards and Silver in the prestigious VTIC, Victorian Tourism Awards again in 2018. We are proud to continue the tradition of overnight cruising on Australia’s greatest waterway with our trademark level of country hospitality aboard an authentic paddlesteamer. We hope you can join us to connect you with Australia’s inland history, geography, culture and cuisine.