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150th Anniversary of Passenger TrainsPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the 150th anniversary of passenger train services to Echuca which commenced in 1864.
The Melbourne to Bendigo Railway was originally thought of as the line that would form the Main Melbourne to Sydney railway line, running via Echuca. Promoters of the railway were the Melbourne Mount Alexander and Murray River Railway Company, established in 1853, but the scheme was taken over by the Victorian Government in 1856 . The line was completed to Bendigo in 1862 and to Echuca in 1864.
The extension of the railway to Echuca quickly changed the dynamic of the Murray/Darling river trade. The Port of Echuca became the principal port on the vast river system for both exports, mainly consisting of wool, and imports of all the goods required for the operation of the sheep stations and other enterprises along the rivers. The efficient heavy rail connection from Echuca to Melbourne together with the dominant position of the Port of Melbourne helped to cement this route as the dominant route to the Inland of northern Victoria and southern NSW.
Location
| Address: | Sturt Street, Railway Station, Echuca, 3564 |
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| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -36.130617 Long: 144.753519 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
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| Monument Theme: | Government |
| Sub-Theme: | State |
| Actual Event Start Date: | |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1864 |
| Actual Event End Date: | |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 2014 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 20th September, 2014 |
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This plaque commemorates the 150th anniversary of passenger trains to Echuca
The Hon Peter Walsh MLA Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Minister for Water
20 September, 2014
