Murray River Paddlesteamers’ Rohan Burgess on his fleet of three

“This is not a job. I pinch myself every day.”

On the river: Craig and Rohan Burgess ( on left ), who run Murray River Paddlesteamers. Picture: Rob Leeson.

A T THE height of the Murray River’s trading era there were about 270 paddle-steamers in Echuca, says Rohan Burgess.

“They would cart wool here to load it on the rail to Melbourne. That was around the 1880s to early 1900s, but of course today there are only about seven big paddle-steamers in Echuca-Moama left.”

And Rohan owns three of them.

Since he was a boy, helping his father restore one of the grandest vessels, Rohan has “loved and had an addiction for” the ships of the Murray. These days, through his business Murray River Paddlesteamers, which he runs with twin brother Craig and skipper (and boyhood mate) Neil Hutchinson, Rohan is giving a modern polish to an old waterway tradition.

Pride of his fleet is the PS Emmylou, which starred in the TV series All the Rivers Run (where she was renamed the PS Providence). The ship has recently been given a $500,000 refurbishment.

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“Emmylou is powered by a beautifully restored 1906 Marshall and Sons steam engine, making her the only wood-fired paddle-steamer in the world offering regular scheduled accommodated river cruises,” Rohan says. “But she’s actually not an old boat. She was built in 1982 using steel with an old look, and will go on forever.”

Rohan also owns the PS Canberra, which celebrated her centenary in 2013. She has been taking tourists on cruises along the Murray, Darling and Murrumbidgee rivers since 1944. In the early 2000s the Canberra was restored from a diesel back to a steamer.

The third boat in Rohan’s fleet is the Pride of the Murray, which began life in 1924 as a barge and has since been converted to paddle power.

Rohan grew up in Melbourne but his love affair with Echuca and its steamers started as a young boy when his father — a senior member of tourism development in the Victorian Government in the early 1970s — helped the region become a paddle-steamer mecca.

“He helped the city of Echuca buy the Pevensey from Mildura and I remember being proud as punch as he came into port on her with the Premier.”

For several years after, Rohan would join his father each weekend as they volunteered to restore the Pevensey, “painting, pulling winches, taking parts home and restoring them”.

Rohan maintained his contact with Echuca, even when he rose through the ranks of the banking and finance industry. In 2012 he landed his perfect job, overseeing the shire’s assets, which included the Pevensey and PS Alexander Arbuthnot. It was during this role he became friends with the then-owner of Murray River Paddlesteamers, buying the business in 2015.

“At the time I asked myself, do I want to do this or not. I immediately realised I didn’t want to be another decade older and regret having not done it,” he says. “This is not a job. I pinch myself every day.”

Craig lives in Melbourne where he works with tourism bodies and manages the business. Neil is the skipper, overseeing six other skippers and nearly 40 staff.

The company has refreshed itineraries, incorporating trips to a brewery, winery and distillery in the region, as well as horse and carriage rides, and activities for the kids.

“I once did a relaxation class where the teacher asked us to go to our happy place. I immediately thought of the Murray and these boats.

“I hope the industry is still here for my grandchildren to see, so they can experience the magic of what this represents — an important part of Australia’s history. The stories here should be kept alive forever.”