Barham Koondrook 1-hour cruise departing Koondrook Wharf

The Paddle Steamer Melbourne is a celebrated piece of Murray River heritage. Construction commenced in 1912 at Koondrook, and the hull was launched on 17 July 1913. Its trial run from Koondrook to Echuca was completed the week before Christmas that same year, witnessed by several Victorian Government ministers. Commissioned as a public works vessel, the Melbourne was fitted with a powerful winch to remove snags and assist in building bridges, weirs, and locks along the Murray. Its first official day in service began at the Moama slipway on 1 January 1914.

Later sold to Evans Brothers in Echuca, the Melbourne was used for picnics and excursions until 1942. From 1948 to 1964, it remained moored at Echuca, where R.J. Evans carried out major hull repairs, installed new timber decks, and waterproofed the deckhouses — work that ultimately preserved the vessel during a period when many other paddle steamers were lost.