Murtho, South Australia
| Murtho South Australia | |||||||||||||
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  Murtho | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°06′S 140°54′E / 34.1°S 140.9°ECoordinates: 34°06′S 140°54′E / 34.1°S 140.9°E | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5340 | ||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Renmark Paringa Council | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Chaffey | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Barker | ||||||||||||
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Murtho is a locality in South Australia. It is northeast of Renmark and Paringa. It is bounded by the Murray River on its north and west sides and the Victorian border on the east.
Land around Murtho today is used for vineyards and orchards irrigated from the Murray River, and cereal crops. It has a boat ramp and shop which supports campers and recreational fishing.
A village settlement was established at Murtho, 2-3 miles upstream of Renmark (on the opposite bank) in the 1890s as a socialist colony.[1] The Village Settlements established under Part VII of the Crown Lands Amendment Act 1983[2] was mostly used by unemployed people seeking a fresh start during an economic depression. Murtho was different in that it required financial commitment by the members and no government handouts. By 1897, Murtho had 60-70 acres under irrigation.[3] However, by 1899, Murtho settlement had been abandoned, like many others.[4]
Before Australian federation in 1900, Murtho was the site of the South Australian customs house known as Border Cliffs, charging import duty on goods being brought down the river from New South Wales and Victoria.[5]
In the 1960s, Murtho almost became the south bank (actually east end of the dam wall) of the Chowilla Dam. This dam would have impounded a vast area (mostly upstream of the state borders in New South Wales and Victoria) in a relatively shallow reservoir to provide security of water supply to South Australia. Preparations were made to build the dam, including a railway line built in 1967 to cart rock for the construction, however the increasing cost estimates and environmental concerns meant that the dam was deferred then cancelled.
References
- ↑ "THE RIVER MURRAY VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS.". South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 17 October 1894. p. 6. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- ↑ "The Crown Lands Amendment Act, 1893 (SA )". Part VII. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- ↑ "THE MURRAY VILLAGES.". South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 15 January 1897. p. 7. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- ↑ "THE VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS.". Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 5 July 1902. p. 32. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- ↑ "Customs House on the South Australian / Victorian border". Discover Murray River. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
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