Historic Murray River paddle steamer Pride of the Murray moves to Longreach

After an epic 2300-kilometre journey from country Victoria, an historic paddle wheeler is starting a new life in outback Queensland.

The week-long operation to move the 100-tonne, delicate and ageing Pride of the Murray was made possible by a team of more than 40 people, a police escort and nerves of steel.

Outback Pioneers founder Richard Kinnon said while he was excited to see it arrive safely at its new home on the Thomson River, it’d been an emotional ride.

He bought the vessel after it was put on the market recently.

“When we were leaving the Murray River down there (Victoria) and the Emmylou went past for the last time, she blew her horn and said goodbye to her sister,” Mr Kinnon said.

Mr Kinnon said it would be the last time the vessel could survive a relocation on such a large scale, but it had arrived in “great shape”.

Originally concerned about the final leg through an infamous, oblong roundabout in Longreach, the team were surprised that the boat “breezed” through without a hiccup.

“Looking at it in hindsight, the last bridge coming over the Murray River at Tocumwal was probably the biggest challenge,” Mr Kinnon said.

A truck driver guided the mammoth vessel through 12 kilometres of railing leading up to and across the bridge with just 50 millimetres to spare either side.

Can’t take the bush out of the boat

As the word got round that the piece of pioneering history was on the move, the crowds came in droves to cheer it on.

Charleville local Karen Tully rode the Pride of the Murray in 1985 and was overcome by nostalgia watching the convoy.

Mr Kinnon said the boat, originally built in 1924 to move wool down the Murray River, had a special connection to the bush.

He said it only seemed fitting the boat would now make Longreach home, in the merino wool capital of the world.

“You see where the chains at the back pulled the rudder from either side … the stories that that rudder could tell.

Mr Kinnon said the Pride of the Murray had done over a million kilometres in the Murray River in its time.

The upper deck of the boat that was dissembled in order for it to be transported safely to Longreach.

It would be reassembled this week.

Full steam ahead despite slow start to tourist season

Longreach Regional Council said a slow start to the tourist season had been reported after a once-in-a-decade rain event caused road closures for weeks at a time.

Mayor Tony Rayner said numbers were returning to normal, but it wasn’t clear if the outback would reach the record-breaking numbers it saw during 2020 and 2021.

“Realistically, they were probably a couple of exceptional years for clear reasons because people couldn’t travel out of Australia and therefore, they travelled within Australia,” Cr Rayner said.

He said the kind of tourism experience the Pride of the Murray could bring would be a boost to the region and added to the town’s pioneering story.

“It’s very early days yet but we are looking at the possibility of a sister river association with two famous rivers in Australia,” Cr Raynor said.

Longreach local Doug Allpass said the boat was a major drawcard for the region which had endured prolonged drought before recent rain events.

“If there’s a drought on or things are a bit tight in other areas, you know that tourists come out here to spend a few dollars, so we’ve gotta look after them.”

Mr Kinnon said the first cruise was scheduled for Saturday and Pride of the Murray cruises had already been booked out online for a month.