Paddle Steamer Gem

If only the Paddle Steamer Gem could talk.

This beautiful paddle-steamer has had a colourful and sometimes chequered history of work, travel and now restoration.

Known as the Queen of the Murray, she was built in Moama in 1876. By 1882 she was taken to Goolwa to be upgraded for passenger service. Once there she was beached, sawn in half by hand, and the two parts pulled apart by bullocks to allow an extra section to be inserted.

Once in service, the Gem’s lower deck was used for cargo, the engine, the dining room and galley; the middle deck for passenger accommodation; and the top deck for the wheelhouse and the crew. The Gem also had a smoking room on the upper deck for men and a music room for ladies on the middle deck.

The Pioneer Settlement purchased the steamer in 1962. It was expected to take just 10 days to tow her behind the PS Oscar W from Goolwa to Swan Hill, but low river levels left the Gem and her crew stranded for long periods. It eventually took eight months to make the journey.

Today, the PS Gem is undergoing a progressive restoration, to return her to her former glory. After serving as an iconic restaurant in the late 1960s, renowned for its Witchetty Grub soup, then becoming the entry point for the then Swan Hill Folk Museum, the Queen of the Murray has lived a remarkable life.

Take some time to wander around all three decks and get just a glimpse into what she was like in her heyday.