The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales.

Its position at the closest point of the Murray to Melbourne contributed to its development as a thriving river port city during the 19th century.

[6] Present-day Echuca was founded by one of the most enterprising figures of the early colonial period, an ex-convict named Henry Hopwood.

In 1850 he purchased a small punt to ferry people and goods across the Murray River near the Campaspe junction.

Paddle steamers would arrive at the 332-metre long redgum Echuca Wharf, were unloaded by hydraulic crane, and the goods then transported by rail to Melbourne.

[citation needed] Wool, wheat, other grains, livestock, and timber were the most common commodities transported to Echuca.

More than 80 pubs/hotels serviced the needs of the town, but it is rumoured that many more sly-grog shops, wine shanties, and beer houses, circumventing licensing laws existed in the area.

[8] The expansion of the railways from Melbourne to most parts of Victoria, as well as improvements to roads and fickle river conditions all combined to lessen Echuca's importance, and by the 1890s the paddle steamer fleet was in decline.

[11] Annual events held in Echuca include the Southern 80 waterski race, the largest waterski race in the world, (February), the Riverboats Music Festival (February),[12] the Echuca-Moama Weddings Expo (May),[13] the Echuca Rotary Steam, Horse and Vintage Rally (Queens Birthday weekend in June)[14] and WinterBlues Festival (July).

[15][16] In 1983, the Australian television mini-series, All the Rivers Run, based on a novel by Nancy Cato and starring Sigrid Thornton and John Waters, was filmed in and around Echuca.

[citation needed] In 1985, parts of the Australian telemovie My Brother Tom (based on the book by James Aldridge) were filmed in Echuca.

The ABC aired an episode of Get Krack!n on 6 February 2019 satirising morning television segments about regional food and wine tourism.

There was some concern locally about how the episode depicted the town and its effect on tourism, although the intent of the segment was to "[poke] fun at commercial morning breakfast shows and their often-condescending portrayal of rural and regional areas".

[17] Echuca is connected over the Murray River to Moama by the Echuca-Moama Road Rail Bridge, completed in 1878.

[21] Situated at the junction of the Murray and Campaspe Rivers, Echuca lies on the Northern Plains Grassland.

St. Joseph's College, a Catholic co-ed secondary school, occupies the site of a former Brigidine convent that opened in 1886.

[30] Echuca has numerous other teams competing in regional and state sporting leagues, including netball, soccer, and field hockey.