Wooden Boats
Alexandrina’s rich maritime heritage continues to shape both its identity and its economy.
Goolwa – once one of Australia’s most important River Murray ports – played a pivotal role in 19th-century trade and transport between South Australia and the eastern colonies.
It was also the first Australian river port to engage in shipbuilding and repairs, with 37 paddle-steamers and 23 barges constructed locally between 1853 and 1913.
As Goolwa evolved into a tourism destination in the early 20th century, wooden boats transitioned from working vessels to leisure craft.
Traditional shipwright skills remained embedded in the town, sustained by a passionate community of boat builders and enthusiasts.
Today, Goolwa’s wooden boat sector is a unique economic and cultural asset, blending heritage preservation with tourism and local enterprise.
Alexandrina Council owns nine historic wooden vessels, representing over 125 years of maritime history.
The Paddle Steamer Oscar W – operated by the volunteer group Friends of the Oscar W – offers regular cruises from Goolwa Wharf, a sustainable model of heritage activation.
Armfield Slip and Boatshed manages another five Council-owned vessels, maintaining traditional skills and providing a living link to the region’s shipbuilding past.
Goolwa is also home to:
- One of Australia’s oldest regatta yacht clubs, the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club (est. 1854).
- A rare “steam meets steam” experience, where visitors can journey by both the SteamRanger train and the Paddle Steamer Oscar W.
- A culturally significant “meeting of the waters” for the Ngarrindjeri people, whose wooden canoes were among the first vessels to navigate the River Murray thousands of years before colonial settlement.
The South Australian Wooden Boat Festival
Held biennially at the Goolwa Wharf, the South Australian Wooden Boat Festival is a flagship event for the region.
In 2025, it attracted an estimated 18,000 attendees and showcased over 150 wooden boats, transforming the waterfront into a living museum of Australian boatbuilding craftsmanship.
The upcoming 20th festival in 2027 will mark a major milestone, further cementing Goolwa’s reputation as a premier heritage tourism destination and highlighting the enduring value of the wooden boat sector to Alexandrina’s economy.
