The Echuca-Moama story is tied to the many river boats that call the mighty Murray River home.

One of those boats is the PS Alexander Arbuthnot, which was first built in 1916 as a barge before being commissioned as a paddle steamer in 1923.

In 1947, the PS Alexander Arbuthnot sank, then was salvaged in 1972.

The remarkable story of the PS Alexander Arbuthnot's salvage has been chronicled in a book by Helene Sutherland, ‘The Salvage of the Alexander Arbuthnot’.

The ambitious salvage effort commenced in June 1972, spearheaded by Mrs Sutherland's husband John, who lived by the motto 'possible we do straight away, miracles take a little longer.'

RIV TALKS spoke to Mrs Sutherland, sharing the story of this remarkable salvage.

McPherson Media Group acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country across our regions and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations peoples.

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'Wonderland on the Murray', a spectacular sand sculpture trail featuring scenes from Alice in Wonderland, running from December 13, 2025 to March 9, 2026 in Echuca Moama.

The trail, stretching between the historic Port of Echuca and Kerrabee Reserve in Moama, will showcase eight large-scale handcrafted sand installations created by Sandstorm Events.

The collaboration between Murray River Council, Campaspe Shire Council and Campaspe Port Enterprise brings this unique exhibition to the twin towns.

Sandstorm Events director Sharon Redmond has spent 25 years building Australia's premier sand sculpting company from humble beginnings at a not-for-profit organisation.

McPherson Media Group acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country across our regions and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations peoples.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.