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Morgan, SA

An historic town and popular holiday retreat on the Murray River, Morgan was the busiest port in South Australia at the height of the paddle steamer era. It preserves its history with flair.

The restored wharf precinct captures the early river trading days and the town’s museums bring to life the stories of the paddle steamer era. A ‘must do’ for visitors is Morgan’s heritage walk, taking in historic landmarks and leading to a panoramic view of the town and river.

Charles Sturt passed the site of the town on his voyage down the Murray and back in 1830. Known originally as North West Bend, the Great Bend or the Great Elbow, it became a point for overlanders, on their way to Adelaide with stock, to leave the Murray and make for Adelaide. In 1878 the town was proclaimed and the Kapunda to Morgan railway officially opened. The purpose of the railway was to tap the river trade from the Darling and Upper Murray regions by providing quicker access to a coastal port and thereby forestalling similar efforts by the Victorian Government. In its glory days, as a port, Morgan was the second biggest port in the state, behind Port Adelaide, dispatching six trains a day to Port Adelaide and saw long queues of laden steamers and barges stretching downstream from the Morgan wharf awaiting their turn to unload. Reminiscent of Morgan’s early days was the great River Ramble of 1986, when two flotillas, 536 craft of all shapes and sizes, converged on Morgan at the culmination of this week-long Jubilee 150 event.

Where to stay?

Experiences

  • Fishing

Popular Activities

  • Off Road Driving
  • Skiing - Water
  • Swimming
  • Fishing
  • Golfing
  • Off Road Driving

About Morgan

  • Locality: Urban locality
  • Morgan Postcode: 5320
  • State: South Australia
  • Region: Murray River Lakes and Coorong
  • Latitude: -34.03596
  • Longitude: 139.67151
  • Elevation: 26m
  • Population: 489
  • Median Income: $21892
  • Area (Sq/km): 172.478
  • Timezone: Australia/Adelaide

Accommodation In Morgan

Discover some of the accommodation in and around Morgan

Tours In Morgan

Discover some of the tours options around Morgan

Explore The Outback

Australia has a vast remote interior, much of it largely untouched. By night, the outback is deathly quiet, with the only light provided by the stars and the moon - a perfect oportunity for stargazing. Explore the isolated heart of the country, meet and connect with Aboriginal people and experience one of the oldest living cultures in the world. Go ‘walk-about’ and immerse yourself with Australia’s endless outback horizons.

Outback Experiences

Luxe Accommodation

Enjoy a distinctly Australian luxury experience, such as the unforgettable reefs, islands, beaches and coast; rugged mountain ranges, rainforests and vast national parks; and the many vibrant food and wine regions. Take a once in a lifetime adventure and discover the sheer indulgence of experiencing the wonders of Australia in style and stay in total luxury.

Australia has wide variety of accommodation options to suit most budgets and travelling preferences. Choose from luxury lodges, boutique hotels, serviced apartments, motels, bed and breakfasts, caravan parks as well as youth and backpacker hostels.

Accommodation

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The Glasshouse Mountains in the hinterland of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast are actually the cores of 20 million year old volcanoes. The sides of the volcanoes have eroded away leaving only the hardened rock spiremountain cores we see today. Learn more about this awe-inspiring landscape.

Glasshouse Mountains