Paddle Boats : Murray River Paddle Steamers : The Alexander Arbuthnot

Some views taken around the Alexander Arbuthnot paddle steamer on the Murray River around Echuca. The boat was buit by the Arbuthnot Sawmill in Koondrook as a barge in 1916. A wood fuelled Ruston & Hornsby10 hp engine was fitted in 1923. It was then used to tow barges to the forest to collect logs for the sawmill until the 1940's. It was then sold to Charcoal producers in Barmah, who used it to bring bagged charcoal to the wharf at Echuca during World War 2. In 1947 after the war had ended the AA was no longer needed and retired, and eventually sank.

In 1972 a group on volunteers from Shepparton raised the AA for use in a theme park. In 1989 the AA was bought by the Echuca City Council, and was restored and re entered service in 1994.