Media Release 

ABC-TV Sunday, January 12th at 12noon

A Story of Passion and Love!

The Centenary of Federation's Source to Sea event took more than three years to plan and three months to complete.

It's one of the most memorable journeys ever undertaken down Australia's greatest river  - the Murray - from its source in the Kosciusko high country to the sea at the Murray mouth town of Goolwa.

A television crew was part of the flotilla that undertook the 100-day journey.

The result is the documentary Source to Sea - the Story of the Murray Riverboats. The program will be seen on ABC Landline at 12 noon on Sunday, January 12th.

"This is a story about passion and love - passion for old paddlesteamers and love of a river,” said Executive Producer Ian Doyle.

“Australia has more original paddlesteamers than anywhere else in the world.

“Never before had such a flotilla been assembled on the Murray River.

“At times the fleet included more than 200 heritage and leisure craft, paddlesteamers and riverboats - some more than 100 years old.”

Source to Sea - the Story of the Murray Riverboats (produced by South Australian documentary maker Ian Doyle and directed by Paul Williams) includes memorable vision of many of the paddleboats that took part in this historic journey - including the stunning PS Oscar W, the PS William Randell and the Akuna Amphibious.

The program also includes never before seen private family archival footage and historic photographs and celebrates the unique story of the Murray riverboats.

Source to Sea - the Story of the Murray Riverboats brings to life the colourful history of a number of the old riverboats and shows dedication of an increasing number of 'passionately mad' wooden boat restorers.

The documentary includes the story of steam, the hard work, the humour and the romance of the river trade in the late 1800's when several hundred paddleboats and barges opened up much of inland Australia along the Murray, Darling and Murrumbidgee Rivers.

"Compared to the stories of drovers, shearers and squatters, very little is known about the important role these boats played in the history of Australia,” said Ian Doyle.

“Things would have been much different had Lawson and Patterson written about the Murray and her riverboats as Mark Twain did about the Mississippi.

“It would have placed the Murray more in the centre of Australians consciousness and the current problems facing the Murray would have been less serious than they are today."

Source to Sea - the Story of the Murray Riverboats was made with the assistance of Peter and Jan Teakle from Akuna Station and the South Australian Tourism Commission.

Proceeds from the sale of the extended 68-minute wide screen director's cut video version of Source to Sea - the Story of the Murray Riverboats are in support of the Royal Flying Doctor Service

For Royal Flying Doctor Service Corporate Affairs Katrina Head (08) 8238 3333