Historical Sites and Heritage Locations

John Egge was born in Shanghai China in 1830. As a young man, he worked on a sampan on the Yangtze River. At the age of 16, he sailed to Australia as a cabin boy with Captain Francis Cadell.

Egge was the cook on Cadell’s PS Lady Augusta which raced with Captain Randall’s vessel, PS Mary Ann in 1853.

In 1866 he chartered his first riverboat PS Treviot. By 1870, Egge was established as one of the biggest traders on the Murray Darling and his on-shore business interests had expanded at the same rapid rate as his river trade.

Captain Egge died in Wentworth in 1901 and is buried in Wentworth Cemetery. Walking cemetery guides are available from the Wentworth Visitor Information Center.

A bronze statue of Captain John Egge was unveiled at the Wentworth Wharf on 12 June, 2009, during the 150th Anniversary of Wentworth. The statue was commissioned by the Wentworth Branch of the National Trust and sculpted by Lynne Edey.