The ferry across the Murray near Morgan

Morgan
Historic port on the 'Great Bend' of the Murray River.
Located 165 km north-east of Adelaide, Morgan is situated on a bend in the Murray River which is variously known as the 'North West Bend', 'Great Bend' or 'Great Elbow'. There are two ways to enter Morgan from the south. At Cadell it says 13 kms to Morgan on an unsealed road or 19 kms on a sealed road. The sealed road reaches a ferry across the Murray a few kilometres before Morgan. The unsealed road comes to a ferry at Morgan. Both trips well worth taking.

Prior to European settlement the area was inhabited by the Naralte Aborigines who were described by one early settler as 'very friendly and quickly picked up a smattering of English. They were willing to work ... and attempted to instruct the newcomers in their methods of hunting.' The river provided abundant food and they lived well off a diet of kangaroos, emus, wombats, goannas, lizards, ducks, turtles, fish, snakes and bird eggs. These Aborigines reputedly called the district 'coerabko' meaning 'meeting place of the tribe'.

The first European into the area was Captain Charles Sturt who, being assigned to solve the great mystery of why so many rivers flowed westward from the Great Dividing Range (often known as the question of whether Australia had an 'inland sea') rowed a whale boat down the Murrumbidgee in late 1829 and reached the junction with the Murray River on 14 January 1830. He continued down Australia's largest river passing Morgan in early February and reaching Lake Alexandrina, at the mouth of the river, on 9 February, 1830.

With the development of the river as a major transportation route in the 1850s and 1860s Morgan became an important stopping point for the overlanders bringing sheep to Adelaide.

The town was officially proclaimed in 1878 and named after Sir William Morgan who was Chief Secretary at the time. Town lots were auctioned on 16 May 1878 with some selling for as much as £1540 per acre. The reason for this was that smart investors realised that the arrival of the railway that year would ensure that the town became one of the major transport nodes on the river. They were correct. In a few years Morgan was the second-busiest port (after Port Adelaide) in South Australia loading and unloading both trains and steamers. At its height there were six trains a day leaving for Adelaide and steamers were literally queued up along the banks for loading and unloading.

Slowly the river trade disappeared and the town became a small rural centre and a crossing point for travellers wanting to make their way across the Murray River. Today it is a pleasant, sleepy little town which is used by people who are travelling or holidaying on the Murray.

Things to see:  

Port of Morgan Historic Museum
Located in the old railway buildings on the riverfront, the Port of Morgan Historic Museum's display includes the PW Mayflower (1884) the oldest paddle wheeler in South Australia and an impressive display of memorabilia much of which relates to the town's era when it was an important port. For details of opening times contact (08) 8540 2085.

Morgan Wharf
Built in 1878 this was the hub of all the activity in the town. It is a reminder of the scale of activity, and the level of transportation, which drove the town's economy at the end of the nineteenth century.

Railway Terrace
Close to the river and the ferry, this is the main historic street in town and has a number of old cottages and buildings which date from the earliest years of the town's development. Of particular interest are the Customs House and Court House - a pair of interesting buildings which were constructed around the time the town became an important port (circa 1878). They are reminders of the expectations that the early residents had for the town. Nearby is Landseer's former Warehouse and the Post Office.

Morgan Conservation Park
Located opposite the town this 363 hectare area on the north west bend is predominantly river flats characterised by red river gums, mallee and wattle all of which are home to a wide variety of birdlife.

White's Dam Conservation Park
Located 9 km north west on the road to Burra this park is notable for its arid region vegetation including blue bush, native boxthorn and bladder saltbush. There are over 60 bird species in the park which is notable for its large populations of red and western grey kangaroos.

The Road to Burra
The road to Burra crosses marginal land with scrubby little bushes with sheep hidden between them. The road is 84 kms. The ruins of houses, symbols of the failure of crops and long periods of drought, beside the road bear grim testament to the fact that this is extremely marginal land.

	Tourist Information
	Morgan Visitor Information Centre 11 Railway Tce Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8540 2354
	Motels
	Colonial Motel 1 Federal St Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8540 2277 Rating: **
	Hotels
	Commercial Hotel Railway Tce Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8540 2107 Rating: *
	Terminus Hotel Motel Railway Tce Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8540 2006 Rating: *
	Apartments
	Pine Village Holiday Apts Morgan-Blanchetown Rd Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8540 4053 Rating: ***
	Cottages & Cabins
	Glenbower Cottage Florieton Rd P.O. Box 14 Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8581 0586 Rating: ***
	Morgan Riverside Caravan Park Main Rd Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8540 2207 Facsimile: (08) 8540 2207 Rating: ***1/2
	Caravan Parks
	Morgan Riverside Caravan Park Main Rd Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8540 2207 Facsimile: (08) 8540 2207 Rating: ***1/2
	Houseboats
	Albatross Houseboat Riverfront Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8270 5859
	Restaurants
	Commercial Hotel Railway Tce Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8540 2107
	Morgan Roadhouse Fourth St Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8540 2205
	Terminus Hotel/Motel Railway Tce Morgan SA 5320 Telephone: (08) 8540 2006