Our story
The South Australian Wooden Boat Festival is Australia's oldest wooden boat festival and one of South Australia's most distinctive cultural events.
Since its beginnings as a community-led gathering of passionate boaties back in 1989, it has grown into one of Australia's most loved maritime festivals while retaining its warmth, authenticity and strong sense of community.
The festival is shaped by its extraordinary setting at the meeting of the Murray River, the Lower Lakes, the Coorong and the Southern Ocean. As Australia's oldest inland river port, Goolwa has long been a place of connection, trade and storytelling, and its rich maritime heritage remains at the heart of the festival.
From Goolwa’s iconic paddle steamers, to sailing boats, putt putts and beautifully restored wooden vessels, visitors can experience living traditions, meet the people behind the boats and celebrate a culture of craftsmanship and community spirit.
More than a festival, it is a gathering that brings together river, lake and coastal communities to celebrate the stories, people and place that make Goolwa unlike anywhere else in Australia.
The historic Goolwa Wharf Precinct
For more than 170 years, the Goolwa Wharf has been at the centre of life on the Lower Murray, witnessing the rise of river trade, the arrival of rail transport and the evolution of Goolwa from a busy working port into one of South Australia's most treasured heritage destinations.
The original wharf was built in 1852 on the recommendation of Governor Sir Henry Fox Young and expanded several times as river trade flourished.
More than just a river port, Goolwa was the crucial link between inland Australia and the sea. The wharf played a vital role in connecting communities along the River Murray with South Australian ports and international markets, enabling wool, grain and other produce to travel from river settlements to the wider world.
Following the opening of the River Murray to navigation in 1851, Australia's first public railway was constructed to connect Goolwa with Port Elliot. Completed in 1854 and extended to Victor Harbor in 1864, the railway allowed cargo and passengers to move efficiently between riverboats and ocean-going vessels, strengthening Goolwa's role as one of the colony's most important transport hubs.
The wharf itself was a masterpiece of practical engineering. Rail tracks ran directly onto the wharf, where large turntables enabled wagons to be rotated and positioned alongside waiting paddle steamers and barges for the efficient transfer of cargo.
Many of the precinct's historic buildings remain today. The former Railway Goods Shed, built in 1879 and now home to Fleurieu Distillery, was designed with railway tracks running through its centre to streamline the unloading of cargo. Nearby, the Wharf Shed, constructed in 1877-78, served as the bustling heart of the port during its busiest years and today houses the Goolwa Riverboat Centre and booking office for the PS Oscar W.
In recent years, the precinct has undergone an $18 million revitalisation that has carefully restored and reimagined this historic waterfront for future generations. The project included restoration of the Wharf Shed, reconstruction of the boardwalk, new public spaces and artworks, and the transformation of Signal Point into the Signal Point Experience Centre. At its heart is the award-winning Yuntulun Ku:li-war exhibition, which shares the Ngarrindjeri, environmental and post-colonial stories of the region.
Today, the Goolwa Wharf Precinct is a vibrant destination where heritage buildings have found new life as galleries, hospitality venues and visitor experiences. Paddle steamers still embark from the wharf, heritage steam trains continue to arrive at the station, and the stories of river, rail and sea continue to be told through the people and experiences that make this one of South Australia's most remarkable heritage precincts.
Few places tell the story of river, rail and sea as vividly as the Goolwa Wharf Precinct, making it a fitting home for the South Australian Wooden Boat Festival.
“The SA Wooden Boat Festival attracts a diverse audience who revel in the history and nostalgia. Alexandrina Council is proud to host this unique and iconic festival”
Mayor Keith Parkes
Traditional owners
The Goolwa Wharf Precinct is located at “The Meeting of the Waters”, a significant site for Ngarrindjeri where the Murray River (Murrundi in Ngarrindjeri) and Coorong (Kurangk in Ngarrindjeri) would meet to allow significant fish species to reproduce. The area has always been ‘life bearing and significant’ for Ngarrindjeri.
You can learn about the Goolwa First Nations story at the Yuntulun Ku:li-war exhibition at the Signal Point Experience Centre, Goolwa Wharf.
