New South Wales - The West

The Old Bourke Wharf, a replica of the original wharves in Bourke. In the late 1850s, the Darling River was opened up as a key transport route. While the wharf is a replica, it has been constructed showing how the design of the wharf caters for the varying levels of water that occurs on the Darling River. Bales of wool were towed down the river by paddle steamers. River transport was replaced when other forms of transport became available: the last commercial riverboat finished in 1931.