History

The Mannum Hotel built in 1869, and originally known as the Bogan until 1886, offered lodgings and food for travellers from the River Boats, to sales people and itinerant workers seeking employment along the Murray River.

In 1984, due to faster modes of travel and government regulations it was no longer viable to offer these services and the availability of lodgings at the hotel ceased.

Lodgings returned to the Mannum Hotel in 2001. The tourism boom created a need for clean and comfortable rooms for all travellers.

Extensive renovation work was done to bring the accommodation area to a high standard.

There are 14 olde style rooms, single and doublet.

Guests can view the passing river traffic from the balcony outside their room.

Off street parking is provided for guests cars.


c. 1923 photgraph of the Hotel (with the reddish roof) taken from the cliffs

Floods are a common hazzard for river towns

History of the Town

Mannum is sited on the west bank of the Murray River in South Australia, 84 km east of Adelaide.

The town was settled in 1840.

In 1852 William Randell built the first ship to be launched on the Murray River. It was a side-wheel paddle steamer, and shipbuilding continued in Mannum until well into the 20th century.

A number of other manufacturing industries were established in the town, and some continue, although not as large as they once were. The largest heavy manufacturing was John Shearer (later Horwood-Bagshaw) who made farm equipment.

Mannum's significance as a river port declined with the railways reaching Morgan in 1878 and Murray Bridge in 1886.

The largest ship operating on the Murray today is the Murray Princess, a passenger stern-wheel paddle boat based at Mannum offering weekly cruises.

The restored historic paddle steamer PS Marion is also based at Mannum and cruises several times a year. Before restoration, it was a static display in a dry dock for many years.