WENTWORTH

If you look hard, one can see the muddy waters of the Darling and the clearer waters of the faster flowing Murray River.

Wentworth, the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers is where the town of Wentworth began.  This confluence was used by cattlemen as a crossing for cattle and sheep, to begin the "Sydney/Adelaide Highway".  Wentworth grew in strength and prosperity during the Riverboat era because of its position at the confluence of Australia's two greatest rivers and the commencement of the grazing industry.  The Murray and Darling River system is the fourth largest river catchment in the world. - Wentworth is the confluence of all rivers west of the Great Dividing Range.

How clever are these gardens.  Houses behind the gardens are used and also the power poles are also incorporated in the gardens.

So much to see and do out here at Wentworth - The TV program "Prisoners" Wentworth Goal.

Fotherby Park was originally developed to house the Paddlesteamer Ruby, built in 1907, was the 4th paddle-steamer to be called "Ruby" and transported passengers and cargo between Echuca, Mildura, Wentworth and Goolwa.
Also at Fotherby Park is The Man called "Possum".  He was a New Zealand shearer who became disgruntled by life during the Great Depression took to living off the land in and around Wentworth.  He slept in trees (thus the name), walked many miles, swam the rivers, living the life of a hermit and avoided human contact for some 50 years before his death at the age of 81 years.  Unfortunately the story via voca-phone by placing a coin in the metal box near the statue was broken by vandals so could not hear more about him!!!!

There is a tractor Monument in town and also this TEA20 Harry Ferguson tractor remembering their involvement in the building of the massive levee banks that protected Wentworth against the devastating 1956 floods.  The cairn of stones where the monument sits is set a t the hwight which water would have inundated the town if the clay levee banks had not been constructed.  "By God and by Fergie we beat the Flood!"

Could not get the photo of the town momument so put this one from Fotherby Park instead.!!

John Egge, a Chinese riverboat captain was Born in Shanghai, China, and came to Australia in 1852. Married, had eleven children, in 1859 the couple worked their passages up the Murray to Wentworth, where they set up a business hawking pies and pasties which they baked in camp ovens.  Trading in the businesses of bakery, butchery, general dealers and kept a boarding-house to cater for the many single men in the area. Chartered the Teviot to trade on the river as a floating shop then chartered more boats to carry cargo then bought the Endeavour to ply the upper Murray between Exhuca and Albury.  He became one of the biggest traders on the river, hence this statue down beside the wharf where he loaded his cargo etc. on board his boats.

Last but by no means least we visited the Perry Sandhills. According to geoligists, the Perry Sandhills originated after an Ice Age (40,000 years ago) and were formed by wind erosion over thousands of years.  Skeletal reamins of giant mega-fauna (kangaroos, lions, emus, wombats and giant goanna) have been found here.  A 500 year old river rud gum tree, known as the God Tree still stands with her trunk buried in the sand allowing one to stand in the canopy of the tree.

Perry Sandhills are 3 kilometres (as the crow flies) from the Murray River.

The large God Tree

Reminds us of The Simpson Desert.