Up the Mighty Murray! – Episode 13: Where the Billabong Creek meets the Edward River
Episode 13 Where the Billabong Creek meets the Edward River
To Moulamein in the Golden Rivers League
Map of the Murray River
Branching away from the Murray River once more, we make a diversion to Moulamein in the Golden Rivers League. And what an aptly named football league it is right in the heart of the central Murray region of north central Victoria and the western Riverina. Here anabranches, tributaries and parallel streams to the mighty Murray abound. The waters of the rivers are liquid gold to the farmers and townsfolk. The crops they nourish, the golden grain, the dairy produce, the livestock raised. Just as they are ‘gold’ to the wildlife (the birds, aquatic life, reptiles, amphibians and mammals) and the vegetation, in particular the River Red Gum and the Black Box communities.
(source: Google Earth)
Indeed here “all the rivers run” as the saying goes: the Loddon, the Edward, the Wakool, the Niemur, Billabong Creek, Pyramid Creek and many other creeks, the Murray itself, even as far north as the Murrumbidgee at Hay. You don’t motor very far in this country, especially in the south, without crossing a bridge over a water course, driving through land subject to inundation, seeing a wetland or following a waterway lined with river red gums. As we have seen in 2022-23 flooding is a periodic event that breaks the usual pattern of low annual rainfall interspersed with droughts in this section of the Murray-Darling. And then there are the man-made reminders of the importance of water – the channels, laser-levelled paddocks, the rice farms, dairy farms, the irrigation equipment and the farm dams.
Moulamein is the place where the Billabong Creek meets the Edward River on its way westwards to rejoin the Wakool, the river that eventually flows into the Murray downstream from Swan Hill. The name Moulamein is believed to be derived from a local Aboriginal word meaning “the meeting of the waters”.The Billabong Creek is famed as the “longest creek in the world”. The creek’s course, from its source on the south west slopes north of Holbrook, makes its way through a wealth of Riverina football territory before reaching the Edward River at Moulamein. The Billabong visits Culcairn, Walbundrie, Rand, Urana, Jerilderie, Conargo and Moulamein on its slowly winding 350 km journey. In fact it has its ‘own’ footy club – the Billabong Crows. The Crows were formed by the merger of Urana and Oaklands in 2005 and play in the Hume League.
Moulamein claims to be the oldest town in the Riverina. It gained prominence as an administrative centre for the Riverina with an important police court function. In its heyday 1870s Moulamein was a major crossroad where wool from the western Riverina was loaded onto Edward River paddle steamers bound for the Murray.
This is a fishing mecca, with great opportunities to cast a line in pursuit of a Murray Cod or a Yellowbelly. So much so that one of the main events on the town’s calendar is the annual Sunday Fishing Classic co-sponsored by the Moulamein Football Netball Club. Also, at Easter visitors are attracted to an enterprising celebration of freshwater crayfish, at the Moulamein Yabby Races.
Murrabit is a small town located on the Murray River between Barham and Swan Hill. The Gonn Crossing at Murrabit was the first all-steel lift span bridge to be built over the Murray. Its agricultural base is in dairying, cattle and sheep farming, and citrus fruit growing. Murrabit boasts one of the most popular country markets in regional Victoria with its monthly Country Market. The Murrabit Football Netball Club benefits financially from the big day every month by providing barbeque catering. Murrabit also has an annual cod fishing competition organised by the local football club, which attracts big numbers of anglers to the Murray.
Greetings from Murrabit!
A day at the footy in the Golden Rivers Football Netball League
Originally, and for a long time, this area was the home of the Kerang and District Association/League, but after the inclusion of towns more distant from Kerang, firstly Moulamein (in 1958) later followed by Ultima (1979) and Hay (1981) a more representative name was needed. So, in 1998 at the direction of the VCFL, the title Golden Rivers League (GRFNL) was adopted. Like the Picola and District League and the Murray League further east, it is a footy league straddling the Murray with participating clubs, almost in equal proportions, from NSW and Victoria. The GRFNL has two clubs north of the Murray (Moulamein and Hay) and four clubs south of the Murray (Wandella, Macorna, Murrabit and Ultima). The league’s outliers are Hay on the Murrumbidgee, and now that Quambatook have folded, Ultima in the Victorian Mallee country.
But, like many country leagues, its numbers are dwindling. Wakool folded in 2018, then Nullawil moved camp in 2022 and Quambatook departed at the end of the same season. Before that Appin (1994), Kerang Rovers (1990) and Lakes – from Mystic Park – (1985) disappeared from the league. Now there is talk of the Central Murray League, which shares territory with the GRFNL, losing clubs as well. While big towns and regional cities in country football prosper, the smaller places struggle.
Drought is not just a curse for farmers, the flow-on effects for town’s and their sporting clubs are unavoidable. Drought is not just a curse for farmers, the flow-on effects for town’s and their sporting clubs are unavoidable. The demise of GRFNL club Wakool several years ago is a case in point. But when the good years come around, the coffers of footy clubs swell from the finance provided by farmers. Then there is money to attract and hold players, build facilities and recover from the lean years. Moulamein is riding high on that wave currently.
Match of the round: Moulamein v Murrabit
Saturday 1st July 2023
At the Moulamein Recreation Reserve
Swans v Blues
Moulamein joined the Kerang and District League in 1958 and won two premierships in that competition (1961 and then 1988 as the Swans). Previously Moulamein participated in the Balranald-Moulamein and District Association, the Kyalite Association, the Moulamein District Football Association and the Edward River Football Association. The Tigers, as they were known in the Edward River years, won the flag in 1955 and were on track to go back-to-back before the 1956 season was abandoned due to floods. When competition resumed in 1957 they were premiers. In 2022 Moulamein were runners-up to Nullawil in the GRFNL grand final.
Murrabit formed a football club in 1919 playing in the Kerang and District Football Association. In 1930 the club moved to the Barham League and won its first premiership in 1932. After the war Murrabit joined the Kerang and District League and won the flag in 1949. The golden era for the Blues was in the sixties when it won six premierships in seven years, including at one stage, 45 games without a loss. In 2022 Murrabit finished sixth in the competition, with four wins to their credit.
In 2023 the Blues benefited from the ‘Carlton Draft’ which saw former Sydney Swans captain Josh Kennedy (‘the Swiss Army Knife’) play a home game for the club in June. It proved to be their first win of the season, produced an $8000 gate and attracted some past premiership players back to Murrabit for an informal reunion. Club life member, timekeeper and ground mower man Terry Morton said “It was like a grand final.” Assisted by Kennedy, the Blues got home against a fast finishing Wandella by four points. What a great opportunity for the six lucky country footy clubs each year!
(source: Murrabit FNC on Facebook)
The last times they have met: round 7 2023 – Moulamein 11.7 (73) defeated Murrabit 10.6 (66) at Murrabit; round 10 2022 – Moulamein 12.8 (80) defeated Murrabit 9.11 (65).
Moulamein Recreation Reserve
With just one win to their credit in 2023, the prediction is that Murrabit will struggle against Moulamein who are well positioned this season with seven wins from ten starts.
The Match
A windy afternoon at Moulamein caused some errant kicking for goal by the home team in the first three quarters, however it proved to be a one sided contest and a percentage booster for the second placed Swans. For the winners, football journeyman Josh Flight booted seven goals. In the Reserves, the Blues pushed the Swans hard but fell short in the end by three points
Scores
Moulamein 5.6 8.13 13.17 19.17 (131)
Murrabit 0.1 3.1 4.2 6.5 (41)
Goal kickers –Moulamein: J. Flight 7, A. Silva 2, H. Moloney 2, D. Aarsman 2, K. Stovell 2, A. Farrell, R. Reeves, C. Farrell, L. Shannon
Murrabit: D. Cupido 2, B. Turvey 2, D. Blake, J. Aujard
Best – Moulamein: James Moroney, Michael Morson, Eddy Schifferle, Morgan Turvey, Anthony Daw, Lachie Martin
Murrabit: Dustin Blake, Tobie Cameron, Jono Aujard, Morgan Randall, Brayden Turvey, Benjamin Gillingham
Around the grounds of the Golden Rivers League
Hay defeated Ultima by 17 points at Hay
Macorna defeated Wandella by 4 points at Macorna
Meanwhile … in the leagues we will visit next:
In the Heathcote District League the winners were Lockington-Barnawm, Heathcote, Mount Pleasant and Leitchville-Gunbower.
In the Murray League Finley, Mulwala, Congupna, Nathalia, Cobram and Numurkah took the points. Numurkah enjoyed a 216 point victory over Rumbalara who have not won a game since late in the 2021 season.
In the Goulburn Valley League the winners were Euroa, Mooroopna, Kyabram, Seymour, Shepparton Swans and Echuca.
In the Picola and District League there were some very uneven contests. Katamatite, Picola and Strathmerton enjoyed huge wins. In the other games, the winners were Jerilderie, Waaia and Katunga.
Golf on the Murray …
Barham, just a hop, skip and a jump from Murrabit, boasts a golf course well worth a visit.
CluBarham, as it is known, is regarded as one of the major golfing destinations along the Murray River. Nestled amid natural bush surrounds lies a sequence of magnificent grass greens and challenging bunkers that make up a visionary 18-hole championship golf course.
Have any Almanackers played golf at Barham?
Next episode: to Leitchville and Gunbower in the Heathcote District League
Read all episodes of ‘Up The Mighty Murray’ and Peter Clark’s previous series Here.
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About Peter Clark
is a lifelong Geelong supporter. Hailing from the Riverina, he is now entrenched on the NSW South Coast. His passion for footy was ignited by attending Ovens and Murray League matches in the 1960's with his father. After years of watching, playing and coaching, now it is time for some serious writing about his favourite subjects… footy, especially country footy, and cricket.
I have not played golf at Barham, but I’ve had a beer there.
Enjoyable as always, Peter.
Peter, my wife has a hankering over covering the Murray from source to sea in discrete chunks and has been enjoying your saga immensely. A strong Cats fan, she perhaps has less interest in the local footy clubs. I’m wondering if you have come across any Indigenous players with local clubs. My research was focussed on the stations/missions in which they were confined for much of the second half of the nineteenth century including Ebenezer between Horsham and Dimboola near Antwerp and Cummeragunja just over the border into New South Wales. The Marks family produced lots of players for clubs in the former area in the post-First World War years and they are still remembered today.
Good work again Peter.
You really do capture the nature and flavour of the region.
Is there any chance of Wakool coming back?
I fear for Hay in any re-organisation of the competitions.
They went without inter-town footy for several years in the early 70s after the demise of the Barellan league.
Just as they had when they started in 1876, Hay ran an intra-town comp.
Their request for entry into the Echuca league,and the South West league were rejected..
Eventually the Mid-Murray league admitted Hay in 1976 – then they transferred to their current league in 1981.
Two buses full of footballers and netballers head south for away games on Saturdays…
the juniors at 6am, and the seniors at 7.30 am.
I just hope the Hay footy netty club doesn’t get stranded up the river on the Murrumbidgee again.
Damien Cupido is a seriously well-travelled footballer- Essendon Brisbane and now he kicks 2 goals for Moulamein. in between played everywhere.
Kicked 5 one year in the ANZAC day game.
Roy, I plan to feature the Rumbalara Football Club when we reach the Murray League in episode 15 (26th July). The continuity and contribution of Indigenous football from the Cummeragunja club of the late 19th C. to the present day Rumbalara club in the Murray region is a long and fascinating story. Your research into the history of Aboriginal people and Australian Football is extremely valuable. Thank you.
I would welcome information about notable Indigenous players from any of the football clubs along the Murray. Sir Doug Nicholls was one who led the way, but he was not alone.
I’m glad you and your wife are enjoying the series.
Riverina Rocket,
I fear Wakool may not come back. Chris Hammer wrote a very readable book about the Murray-Darling, called ‘The River.’ He devoted a chapter to Wakool – the town, the people, the farmers, the footy club. I can highly recommend it. You can understand why Wakool folded and also what the loss meant to the community.
As for Hay, I think they are stayers. Distance and travel does not seem to have dimmed their desire to compete. I agree, they don’t deserve to be stranded up the ‘Bidgee. Their affiliation with the Golden Rivers League is the best option considering the standard of football and having Moulamein as a companion and a ‘halfway house’ on the long journeys.
Damien Cupido – well spotted Dan.
Smokie, I have played at Barham once, in 1979. Beer also.
Peter – & Roy
Yess, a lot of good indigenous players from along the Murray, most of whom plied their skills in local competitions.
Roy’s ground-breaking research revealed how the Aboriginal missions were a rich source of players both for their own teams and near-by community clubs.
Cummeragunja, which is on the NSW side of the Murray, is a wonderful example.
Sir Doug Nicholls is the best known and most famous.
Andrew Walker (ex Carlton) and the current coach of Echuca told me he can trace his origins back to Cummera.
Coincidentally, Andrew is launching the Archie Walker Indigenous Round for the Murray Bombers tonight (13 July) before the match against Kyabram on Saturday – where Jeff and John Cooper from Woorineen were stars in the late 50s/early 60s for Ky – Jeff won Morrison medals in 1958 & 1961 along with my old Stanhope coach Charlie Stewart also coached Ky (after playing in Footscray’s 1961 GF) and won the Morrison medal in 1963. Charlie played in premierships for river towns Cobram (1959) and Lemnos (1960) – and Ky in 1958.
Players named Briggs, Morgan, Nelson, Atkinson, Whyman, and Charles – all originally from Cummera have played for generations for clubs such Echuca, Echuca South, Tongala, Nathalia, Picola, Lemnos, and Mooroopna. Wonderful players and contributors.
Andrew’s father, Robbie was a terrific player for Echuca and Echuca South.
Always on the ball Riverina/Rochester Rocket!
Thank you for those names .. I shall follow-up.
Hi Peter, I enjoyed reading this article as I am a child of the Murray..Born at Echuca, grew up at Gunbower, played tennis in the heat at Barham, Wakool and Moulamein. Played netball in the district and taught at Kerang in the 70’s. Fabulous years and great sporting memories.