Paddleducks
Paddler Information => Research => Topic started by: thewharfonline on September 29, 2006, 10:22:44 AM
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Welcome to APAM the Directors Cut, which is pretty much the APAM articles that were lost without a lot of the really nice comments you all sent me! So let us begin!
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APAM- Yes Australian Paddler Appreciation Month- or how ever long it takes for me to get through what I want to get through! Australians may be a minority on this forum and as international members you may not know a lot about our Australian boats and how important they were to Australia's history. So over the next few weeks, months, years- however long it takes- I will take you all on a tour of some of the Towns and the remaining paddlers Australia has. Each article will contain images of the boats/towns and other Aussies feel free to post extra comments about the boats or facts that I may have left out. Or if you've made a model post an image of it! So let's first cover some basic facts! The first paddle steamers on the Murray River were the 'Mary Ann' built by William Randell and the 'Lady Augusta' built by Francis Cadell. The 'Mary Ann' was built to see if products could be taken to the Australian goldfields- a great market at the time, Cadell in the 'Lady Augusta' was after the money offered by the government for the first paddle steamer on the river- however neither of the boats qualified for this money anyway! The 'Mary Ann's' boiler can still be found at Mannum, South Australia. Its interesting square design required it to be chained down to stop it expanding too much- somewhat like an accordion, but what do you expect for home made! The Murray River is 2530 km long and stretches from the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales to Lake Alexandrina and the ocean in South Australia. The Murray-Darling river system covers four states, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. Our Murray River Paddle Steamers though made their way to Tasmania, New Zealand and Western Australia as well! The Darling river, one of the Murray's tributaries is actually longer than the Murray at 2739 km long. The junction is found at Wentworth in New South Wales. The Murray winds its way for most of its course with tight bends. It was and still is a hazardous river with snags, reefs, sunken objects and other nasties in the river not to mention the cross winds that blow over the river flats which could easily push a paddler into the bank. The river however is very picturesque with varying landscapes. Yarrawonga offers hundreds of dead red gums- a sad reminder of Salinity issues, but also weird grey statues that seem to float in the river. Huge Red Gum forests can be found at Barmah, the grand wharves of Echuca and Morgan (among others) still stand tall after all these years, bright green grass and palm trees in Mildura and Renmark, vineyards, orchards, the mighty Murray Cliffs some 45 metres in height and then the great Lake Alexandrina and the Murray Mouth, where Fresh Water meets Salt Water...or did once, now it's pretty much salt water meets salt water! Our river is unique, our paddle steamers adapted. Top Ender Boats- Albury to the South Australian Border flew a different flag and were in tough competition with the 'Bottom Enders'- Goolwa to Renmark (or there abouts). The Top End boats had to fit in with some of the toughest bends and troubles of the river, as such side wheels were the best option as they allowed the maneuverability of the boats to be far greater than a stern wheel, however in South Australia more stern wheelers could be found! All along the river are amazing stories, all of which I can't tell here, but now you have an overview so on to Albury where the first APAM article will take place on the Paddle Steamer Cumberoona!
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Albury is the first place along the Murray River to be able to ride a paddle steamer, and is fondly called 'Gateway to the Murray' Through the construction of the Yarrawonga Weir it is no longer possible to travel from 'Source to Sea' as such Albury is locked away from the rest of the river. The P.S Cumberoona is a modern paddle steamer, built for Albury's Bicentenial celebration in 1988 (The settling of Australia was in 1788 with the arrival of the 'First Fleet' a group of convict transportation boats). Cumberoona is Aboriginal for 'Crooked River' very fitting for the Murray which is crooked for most of its length. Along with the boat Upper Murray Steamship Co. was formed to operate the boat. There is more to the Cumberoona's naming than the river though. The first Paddle Steamer to work in the Albury Area- when the river wasn't controlled as it is today- was the P.S Cumberoona. The Original Cumberoona was built in 1866 for the use of carting grain, wool and other products up and down the Murray. The new P.S Cumberoona only carries passengers and was launched in 1987. The Cumberoona is 84 feet long, 20 feet wide with a pair of 16hp Buffalo Pitts steam engines (1906) and a Maxitherm 130psi boiler. P.S Cumberoona is alone in its class as the only steam operating paddler with independently driven wheels on the Murray. The side wheels are housed by round paddleboxes The boat is liscensed to carry 200 passengers and operates (river permitting) three times a day. Unfortunately when I was at the Cumberoona the river did not permit a cruise, however my girl friend has cruised on her, but again was at the hands of the river- it was in flood and as such the Cumberoona could not go under a bridge! 'Events on The Murray', a tourist leaflet on the Cumberoona, describes the construction of the Cumberoona as being "fashioned from recycled timber to recreate the feel and charm of by-gone days". The Cumberoona bears a green and cream colour scheme with two wooden decks, nicely undercover for when the rain falls, and n enclosed room on the lower deck of the boat for when the weather is particularly foul! The boat can be rented out for functions- either to cruise or not- and is often the home of blues, jazz and other special events. If you're planning a trip on the Cumberoona take a look at their website www.cumberoona.com.au ____________________________________________________________ This article was created by Sean Bryan, please seek permission before use. Article created for APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciation Month, appearing on www.paddleducks.co.uk Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987 Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005 Events on the Murray Wilkinson Printers
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The next major stop along the Murray is Echuca, the largest inland Port in Australia and third largest Port in Australia- after Melbourne and Sydney. Echuca was originally known as Hopwood's Crossing because of a punt that was used to cross the river...owned by Henry Hopwood! Henry Hopwood was a convict sent to Tasmania to serve out his sentence. (Coincidental enough Hopwood was tried on the same day as James Maiden the founder of Moama, Echuca's twin border town on the New South Wales side of the river) After becoming free Hopwood made his way to what is now Echuca and though 'What a lovely spot to set up a punt' even though there was one down the road. Hopwood's monopoly had begun! Echuca was founded in 1853, soon after the Mary Ann came down the river to Echuca! Hopwood became known as 'King Of Echuca' and built buildings such as the Bridge Hotel. (Which he reviewed in a newspaper as being 'The finest hotel outside of Melbourne, as such nothing further need be said') Today you can still visit the operational bridge hotel and visit it's remade period room. Hopwood was a proud man, not fond of competition, in fact when one man 'borrowed' his pitch pot he felt inclined to take the man to court, however the the man was found not guilty...so Hopwood just charged everyone that used his punt a little extra to get the money back! The Echcua Wharf, the towering structure that is now only 1/5 of its original length was built in 1856, but at first was more like the length it is today. As trade by river became increasingly more popular extension of the wharf was necessary. As such the wharf was extended to 1.2km long and included 5 railway tracks to accomodate awaiting trains that would take the boats cargo to Melbourne. The wharf was stripped around WWII to feed the fires of industry in Melbourne and as such support our troops in foreign lands. Luckily 150m of the Wharf were left, and that still remains today. After the river trade died down so did the wharf, paddlers tied up and sunk when their hulls dried out. Some Paddle Steamers like the Melbourne were bought by other companies and restored- that's another story though! The Wharf now became an ideal diving board for youths. In the sixties and seventies Echuca began the progression from trading town to tourist town. The Paddle Steamer Canberra arrived and began operating tourist cruises and the PS Adelaide could be found cemented in the Hopwood Gardens. Much of the area was claimed as being of historical significance by the National Trust in 1969 and soon after the Wharf was taken over. Restoration of the wharf took place and opened to the public for 20c, only offering a good view...nothing like the museum of today! Apart from the Wharf Echuca boasted another large feat, around 70 hotels...or pubs if you prefer! Yes that's right the citizens of Echuca in 1866 had their choice of many a great pub, some still exist today and operate just as they used too! And of course when you got kicked out of one New South Wales was still 25 minutes behind Victorian time, so you could have another beer in Moama! When prohibition was enforced..kind of, many of the hotels were shut, which only promoted another interesting idea in Echuca. The Underground Bar in the Star Hotel- opposite the Port Of Echuca, was dug after the Star Hotel could no longer be used to drink in, as such river men would walk across the road from the wharf, go down some stairs and drink the night away...at least until a police man came when they would scamper down one of the escape tunnels, specifically dug for this purpose! Today Echuca is a thriving town, the river has once again become a popular place for paddlers to tie up with approximately 23 paddlers in the area. Six tourist paddlers currently operate, with a Seventh, the Hero, on its way! (Slowly) The wharf is in a great condition with a superb collection of historic and interactive river trade related items. If you think you've seen the Port before- apart from my pictures, it was used for the filming of 'All The Rivers Run' Parts 1 and 2. Many of the other historic buildings have also been restored, old shops operate with new products, old pubs still supply grog to the river boat men...hey it's a hard life smoking 8 hours a day! So welcome to Echuca. THis article ended up bigger than I expected...and doesn't contain half the amount of information I would have liked to include...so stay tuned for my report on the Adelaide very soon! ___________________________________________________________ This article was created by Sean Bryan, please seek permission before use. Article created for APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciation Month, appearing on www.paddleducks.co.uk Sources: Morris, Allan, Rich River 1953 Christopher, Peter Paddlesteamers and Riverboats of the River Murray 2000 Phillips, Peter J Redgum & Paddlewheels Australia's Inland River Trade 1980
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The Paddle Steamer Adelaide is the Port Of Echuca's 'Grand Old Lady' and for good reason! This beautiful boat is the Oldest Wooden Hulled Paddle Steamer in the world. Compared to other paddlers in the world my understanding is that the Adelaide is about the fourth oldest in the world. The Adelaide was built at Echuca between 1865 and 1866 and was launched on the 21st of July 1866 for an interesting life on the Murray River. The Adelaide began life looking pretty much as she does now, with round wheel boxes and the sunken cabin on the stern. There was much hype in Echuca around the day when the Adelaide was to be launched. The first steam crane on the Echuca Wharf was used two days before the launch and broke all unloading records held so far! The Adelaide was launched successfully with great cheers from the crowds. But her trials offered an embarrassing situation. Just downstream from Echuca the Adelaide ran into the bank after her reversing gear failed. Overhanging tree branches hit the top deck and a Mr Lewen was knocked from the wheelhouse, suffering a broken leg. Apart from this small incident the Adelaide was highly regarded as a fine boat with some reporting that she was "All that money could procure or taste design". Adelaide spent it's first years darting between jobs and owners and was mostly used around Swan Hill until she returned to Echuca to begin a long life in the logging industry as a tow boat. The Adelaide is a relatively small boat with little room to store cargo on her decks. Instead she was used as a towing steamer. The Adelaide has incredible towing power. She has larger than normal paddlewheels (being 14'' in Diameter) and two eighteen horsepower engines...a total result of 36hp. The Adelaide has an Australian made boiler and Engine built by Fulton and Shaw of Melbourne. The Adelaide is 78 feet long, 16.5 feet wide and weighs 142 tonnes. The draught of the Adelaide, like many of the Murray paddle steamers was only a matter of 2-4 feet depending on how much the boat was carrying. The Adelaide then spent most of her life after 1872 towing the timber barges for Murray River Saw Mills, which still exists today. Two barges would be towed behind the Adelaide to the forests of Barmah where red gum was harvested for many years. The barges that would travel to Barmah were known as ‘Outriggers’ and are another interesting vehicle, which I believe is unique to the Murray. Red gum has many unique properties such as the ability not to rot in fresh water and be incredibly hardy. By far its most unique though is the fact that it sinks in water. Unlike along other rivers where logs could be floated down stream the red gum had to be loaded onto barges. To do this large logs were laid across the decks (these were what gave the barge their name) then the logs needing to be loaded were rolled into the river. Grappling hooks picked up the logs and they were chained to the outriggers, as such the logs were hanging over the sides of the boat as if they were actually floating in the river. Often the barges would then drift back down stream for a bit as the crew on board the Adelaide would prepare the engine for work. Then the Adelaide would pick up the barge and tow it back to the saw mills where the wood would be turned into a variety of products- boat hulls, furniture, railway sleepers etc. In 1924 the Adelaide’s look changed a bit when the round paddle boxes were replace with square boxes, which allowed more cargo to be carried because of their flat surfaces. The rear sunken cabin was also brought above deck. The Adelaide worked for the sawmills up until the 1950’s when railway and even roads had finally stolen the trade from beneath her wheels. In 1957 Adelaide retired from river trade, new owners in 1958 wanted to take her down to Renmark. Around this time it is believed a set of owners wanted to remove the decking and paddlewheels and turn the hull into diesel driven barge. We’re obviously blessed to still have the Adelaide around, the 1958 plan didn’t work to well and in 1960 Adelaide was purchased by the Echuca Apex Club and was shipped back to Echuca. Here the Adelaide was lifted into the Hopwood Gardens through a series of Coffer Dams where the Canberra, Emmylou and Pride Of The Murray now tie up. In the gardens Adelaide was filled with cement, her final resting place would allow the boat to be shown off to the sudden tourist boom for Echuca. Here the Adelaide sat, square boxes, hull deteriorating every day. Then along came an ambitious plan to return the Adelaide to the river. The purchase of the PS Pevensey had brought not only the boat but also shipwright Kevin Hutchinson down from Mildura. The final resting place for the Adelaide was suddenly no longer a garden! The Adelaide returned to the Murray in 1984 and was fully restored, with round boxes again in 1985 where recommissioning took place by Prince Charles and Princess Dianna while they were out on a royal visit. Since recommissioning the Adelaide appeared in ‘All The Rivers Run II’ where an exact scale model was produced so that they could blow up the Adelaide or crash into it…or something of the like! Adelaide then only ran every so often. Used occasionally to demonstrate towing with the D26 Outrigger Barge. For the Adelaide’s 75th birthday she was taken to Barmah with the D26 and an outrigging session was held, the logs returned to Echuca…and I swear they are still the same logs attached to the barge today! Soon after this Adelaide gained a ticket to allow her to carry passengers, 12 to start with and ran trips in the off-season. Now Adelaide is capable of carrying 47 passengers and operates slightly more often. Her speed is incredible with people allegedly being able to water ski behind her! She is by far the fastest boat in Echuca, not even the POTM, a diesel boat, being able to match her speed. The Adelaide is truly a fantastic boat, handling incredibly well and still operating fantastically for her old age! She takes pride of place at the Port Of Echuca and fascinates all who step aboard her deck. The Adelaide operates from the Port Of Echuca, for more details visit www.portofechuca.org.au ____________________________________________________________ This article was created by Sean Bryan, please seek permission before use. Article created for APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciation Month, appearing on www.paddleducks.co.uk Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987 Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005 Coulson, Helen Paddle Steamer Adelaide McCabe Prints 1985
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Ok so thats some of the articles back. Unfortunately I have to get going and as I am not at home I cannot repost the pictures.
So have fun taking a look again at these articles and I'll have the rest for you again soon!
Sean
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The river at Alburyis often too shallow for cruising. The level here rises and falls rapidly according to releases from Lake Hume, and the amount of electricity being generated at the hydro station there.
Cumberoona is sometimes stranded on the bank at this mooring.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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PS Cumberoona was the only paddleboat to convey the Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton. The baton had followed and crossed Murray River many times:
At Goolwa it was carried over the bridge to Hindmarsh Island.
At Morgan, it crossed aboard the vehicular punt.
At Renmark it cruised on a modern houseboat.
At Mildura it was carried over the bridge, with local paddleboats and other vessels assembled as a guard of honour below.
At Euston/Robinvale it was carried across the bridge.
At Echuca it was carried across the bridge.
At Yarrawonga it was carried across the bridge, then was carried on a wooden speedboat in the upper reaches of Lake Mulwala (the Ovens River arm).
At Corowa/Wahgunyah it was carried over the historic bridge (from which a famous speech was made in the campaign for federation).
It crossed from Wodonga (Victoria) to Albury (NSW) aboard PS Cumberoona. The official website photos concentrated on the runner and the baton, and not on the vessel.
The website is still available, as a historical reference document.
http://qbr.melbourne2006.com.au/?s=qbr
You could surf for hours looking at the program, the photos and downloading the videos. The one of Cumberoona shows the engine at work and the paddles churning (1 MB & 4 MB versions available for downloading).
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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The original PS Cumberoona was one of the fastest vessels on the upper Murray. It once ran Howlong - Echuca in 36 h, including stops for wooding, passengers and cargo. The railway reached Echuca in 1864, but didn't reach Wodonga until 1873. For 9 years, the fastest and most comfortable Melbourne - Wodonga journey was by train to Echuca, then by paddleboat. The evening train would be met by four boats, all touting for business.
For close to 20 years, the most comfortable Melbourne - Adelaide journey was also via Echuca and a riverboat. The coastal voyage was rough and dangerous (west coast Victoria is known as the 'shipwreck coast'. The direct overland journey by horse-drawn coach was rough; by the 1870s a hybrid journey from Adelaide used road to Milang, lake boat to Meningie, road to Casterton, then train. The Murray River voyage was a slower route, but more comfortable and very scenic. By the late 1880s, Melbourne and Adelaide were connected by through train.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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PS Adelaide in the park at Echuca being readied for its return to the water. I have also a photo of it in the park when return to the water was not contemplated. There is a good paddleboat video with a lengthy sequence of Adelaide being removed from the water to be placed in the park.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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The Paddle Steamer Pevensey is the biggest paddle steamer in Echuca and was one of the true workhorses of the Murray!
The Pevensey began life as the barge Mascotte, built in 1910 on the Moama slipway. It was built as a barge because the engine, being shipped from England, had not yet arrived. As to not waste the work that had been done so far the hull of the boat was used as a barge for a year before turning into the Pevensey. There was another engine mix up though which would create another situation for the Pevensey. Not only had one engine been shipped out but three engines were shipped out and as such the Pevensey gained two sister ships. The Wanera and the Ulonga.
The PS Wanera had the hull of the previous barge T.P and was completed as a Paddle Steamer in 1911 and like it's other two ships was used heavily in the wool industry towing barges and carrying wool in its mighty holds. At one stage the Wanera was in use as a hawking steamer and set the record for a return trip from Echuca to Hay in 21 days. In 1947 the Wanera's engine was replaced with that of the PS Maggie. In 1972 Wanera was out of business, but a new streak of life came in 1975 when she was purchased by Wanera Tourist Line and was refitted for the tourist trade capable of carrying 33 passengers. Just to prove that even well looked after tourist boats could be destroyed the PS Wanera burnt down on the 20th of January 1985 while at Wentworth. The hull of the vessel however has been purchased and there are plans to rebuild the boat.
The PS Ulonga was the Pevensey's other sister ship and was built in 1910 and fitted with the identical engine to the Pevensey a 20hp Marshall and Sons, Wanera only had a 7hp Marshall and Sons. The Ulonga operated the wool trade for a long period of time and was one of the last two wool boats operating from Echuca, the other was the Invincible. The Ulonga was then bought and shipped to Renmark where she was used to cart firewood before she was sold again and sent to Goolwa where she sailed out into Port Adelaide under plans to make her a schooner. There is still footage of the Ulonga on the ocean, looking very out of place and very worn down. The Ulonga sunk in Port Adelaide and has not been recoverd.
The PS Pevensey though has lived a much greater life than her sisters. Used to cart wool by 'Permewan , Wright & Co LTD'. The Pevensey is capable of carrying 120 tonnes of cargo in her two massive holds in the bow and stern of the boat and is powered by a 1910 Marshall and Sons 20hp, twin cylinder engine which requires 75 PSI to operate and blows its safety valves at 125 PSI, it might not have in its day though! The Pevensey itself weighs in at about 130 tonnes and is 111.6 feet long and 23 feet wide. The Pevensey was one of the largest tow and cargo boats on the Murray River.
On October 11 1932 the Pevensey caught alight and all deckhousing was destroyed. What saved the Pevensey from completely burning was one of the Murray's unique design features. The Murray is a very dangerous river with all it's snags and sand bars and red gum is a very hardy wood. So below the water line red gum was used to protect the hull as it stood a good chance against the snags and would not rot. However when out of water red gum easily dried and changed thickness as such creating large gaps between planks. As such iron topsides were installed as these would not create any gaps and would still protect the boat. Around the edge of the hull as such along the top of the deck run an iron lip- the sponsons are made of wood but there wouldn't have been any decking over the holds like there is today. This iron lip would have protected the hull from catching alight. The machinary and wheels were also ok so the Pevensey was able to work the rivers again in 1935, a close call for the 'Clydesdale of the Murray'.
In 1950 the Pevensey was bought by a new owner and moved to Mildura where it again changed hands a few times until it was laid up in 1958 at Renmark. In 1967 Pevensey sank at her moorings, a regular occurrence to boats that were left on the side of the river as river levels rose and dropped, making the timber hulls vulnerable when not caulked properly. In 1968 the boat was refloated by Bill and Norm Collins who then sold the Pevensey back to Mildura. At this stage the Pevensey still had its derrick crane at the front of the vessel, an item which many enthusiasts of today wish she still had. In 1973 the Pevensey was purchased by the Port Of Echuca and $20,000 later Pevensey was steaming back to Echuca from Mildura on the 22 July 1973 arriving on August the 5th with Kevin Hutchinson, who is now the Port's Chief Shipwright. The Pevensey was in a shabby state, pumps made the Pevensey stay afloat on her cruise home...and they didn't stop pumping the whole way! The wheel boxes were falling apart and the deck housing looked a bit worse for ware, but they spruced her up with some coloured flags.
Restoration began in 1974 but floods prolonged the restoration and on the 29th of October 1976 the Pevensey returned to the water and was towed to the wharf to finish of the machinery and other internal restoration works. After this was all complete the Port of Echuca had a boat to use for the tourism industry but it was the 'All The Rivers Run' telemovies that would boost the popularity of the Pevensey!
In 1982 film crews arrived in Echuca to begin filming with the newly restored Pevensey as the lead role in the film with John Waters and Sigrid Thornton co-starring! In the film the Pevensey was renamed to the 'Philadelphia' in honour of Sigrid Thornton's character. The film was not only shown in Australia but internationally which boosted tourism to this day for the Port Of Echuca, and they still have the Philadelphia name board in the Cargo Shed Museum.
Pevensey has recently undergone a machinery refit with new Gear wheels being installed, the originals lasting 90 years. She also has had a roofing structure built over her stern deck to shade people from the sun and rain along with a newly designed canvas covering for the bow of the boat! Passengers can sit on wool bales on the front deck or benches on the stern. Passengers can also explore the tiny cabins and often lunch for the crew is cooked on the original wood fired oven in the galley!
The Pevensey can carry 100 people (47 on the top deck) and the best way to descend the ladders is backwards! Deckhands like myself will rip your ticket and like the rest of the crew you can ask us as many questions as you want! (It makes our day more exciting) The Pevensey now burns a ton of wood a day but in her era she would have burned a ton and hour. About eight tonnes of wood are stored below deck and these piles are replenished each evening when the crew wood up! Red gum is provided from the Barmah forest where a deal has been made that the Port will get the branches of fallen trees as fire wood.
Pevensey operates mostly through the school holidays when the crowds are biggest and when not out on cruises can be explored through a Port Day Pass. For more details visit the Port Of Echuca website at www.portofechuca.org.au
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This article was created by Sean Bryan, please seek permission before use. Article created for APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciation Month, appearing on www.paddleducks.co.uk
Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987
Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005
Christopher, Peter Paddlesteamers and Riverboats of the Murray River[/i]
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PS Emmylou is now located further in the series
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22nd Eddy Matthews Friday, August 04, 2006
Great articles Sean - I'm sure we're all learning a great deal about the Aussie paddlers from them. I know I certainly am!
I have to be honest and say I didn't know that Australia had such a long and fascinating history when it comes to their river paddlers. Were there ever any ocean going paddlers down in Oz?
Keep up the superb work - You won't always get a response to your articles, but rest assured were all reading them with great interest....
No number Friday, August 04, 2006
In reply to ocean going paddlers yes there were! In fact some of the Murray boats even ended up on the ocean! I know the Shannon was destroyed off Tasmania after working for IXL Jams for awhile, that was after leaving the Murray!
Apart from Murray boats I know there were a few that operated in Port Phillip By as ferries- there were three to my knowledge- photos can be found in Mornington McDonalds as well as other Mornington locations and Sorrento etc for you Victorians that may know what I mean! But do you consider the Bay an Ocean- I don't know! You might need to get another Aussie to check out those facts for you...I'm not sure!
Thanks for all your support guys!
21st Derek Warner Saturday, August 05, 2006
Hi - PD's - it appears that many more Australian paddlers went out of the Murray-Darling via Goolwa to distant places:
PS Decoy steamed from SA to to Perth WA [4000 KM]
PS Despatch steamed from SA to Melbourne VIC
PS Ethol Jackson steamed from SA to Townsville QLD [4000 KM]
PS Gundagai steamed from SA to Wanganui NZ [south-west coast of North Island, on Whanganui River, the home of PS Waimarie today]. PS Lioness - was brigantine sail rigged in Liverpool UK, sailed to our land off OZ, then much later steamed from SA to Greymouth NZ [west coast of South Island].
PS Shannon - Sean confirmed her fate as to the Tamar river in TAS
PS Thistle - steamed from SA to Queensland, then later from QLD to Suva Fuji [4000KM]
Now all of the distances as mentioned here were probably achieved originally in Knots, Nautical miles, Cables, Chains or Leagues, so any incorrectness is probably due to that metrication thing - I mentioned last night – Derek.
20th Martin Blanchard Monday, August 07, 2006
Ya caught me. I just looked at a map and stuffed it up!
19th Wednesday, August 09, 2006 8:48 PM
Well our internet downloads went over for awhile so I wasn't allowed on for awhile...and look what happens APAM turns into APgoingtoNZAPM lol nah it's cool it's a well known fact that Aussies love to adopt NZers! Anyway what I do have for you all is a massive bag of goodies, yes I wrote I think four articles, which to tease you more I shall post one by one! Tonight I will post the Pride Of The Murray- of course if I get bored you'll get the Hero as well! By the time I post all the articles I will have finished Echuca and we can all move on to Swan Hill!
Responses to some of the articles
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PV Pride Of The Murray is now located further in the series
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One of the latest additions to the Echuca fleet of historic boats is the Paddle Steamer Hero which after working a hard life on the river has returned from her watery grave to become a magnificent five star floating hotel in a new lease on life.
The Hero was built in 1874 at Echuca to work the Murrumbidgee River as a general-purpose tow and cargo steamer. The Murrumbidgee, like the Darling, was one of the Murray’s dangerous tributaries. Much smaller than the water level and the width of the Darling with far more bends the Murrumbidgee proved to be a dry grave for any paddlers that got stuck as the waters dropped. On the upper reaches of the Murrumbidgee was where the Hero was destined to work for the start of her life.
The Hero then changed hands quite a few times until Permewan, Wright & Co. Ltd, one of the big paddle steamer fleet operators, bought her and returned her to Echuca. Again for a period of time the Hero was used as a cargo and towing steamer until she was purchased by the Chislett Brothers who operated a sawmill and wanted to use her as a towing steamer for their barges. Into the 1940’s the Hero worked as a towing boat for the sawmill transporting the large logs to Boundary Bend where the sawmill was located. It was here when the river trade ended that the Hero was abandoned.
A second chance for the Hero occurred though when the great flood of 1956 swept across the length of the Murray and as one of the few operative paddle steamers left on the river she was given a new crew and sent out to rescue those stranded by the floods, which were mainly cattle and other farm animals. The 1956 flood was a ‘one last shot’ for many of the Murray’s river identities- boats and men, with stranded people, animals and cargo out of reach of the railways and roads that had killed off the river trade the paddle steamers were once again the kings of the river. After the flood in 1957 the Hero was again abandoned at Boundary Bend.
In historic ‘newsreel’ footage the Paddle Steamer Success is shown rescuing stranded sheep along the Murray. The Success was built in 1877 and was 82 feet long and 17 feet wide. She was used as a snagging vessel for many years and was sold many times to various river identities until the register was closed in 1954 stating their was ‘no trace of vessel’ which makes the 1956 footage very interesting. After the floods the Success sunk and has more recently been sold to the Old Mildura Homestead who are currently restoring her. During the 1956 floods the skipper ‘Brick’ Pollard renamed the boat Noah’s Ark after it’s many trips to stranded stations near Wentworth to rescue sheep holding them in specially made pens on the stern of the boat.
The Hero burnt and was deliberately sunk to put out the fire and preserve the hull on the 19th of January 1957. Here the wreck of the Hero lay for many years until purchased in 1986 where plans of refloating the boat and restoring it were made. Nothing happened though until 1998 when finally the Hero was raised out of the river and sent to Echuca by road. It was here in Echuca, where the Hero was built, that the Hero would gain new life. Placed in the ‘Shipwrights Yard’ at the Port of Echuca Kevin Hutchinson and a team of shipwrights began the task of restoring the boat with many of the hull planks needing to be replaced. When the hull had been finished it was slowly lowered back onto the Murray on the 13 September 2001 by two cranes.
Here the boat was moved to just below the old Evans Brothers Sawmill where work began on the deck housing of the boat. On the 19 of October 2002 the Hero’s new boiler arrived. Originally a twin cylinder, 28 hp Atlas Engine Works steam engine, built in Melbourne, powered the Hero. This engine could still be found in the Hero when she was sunk at Boundary Bend and was removed from the wreck where it was believed to be in a restorable state. However it was going to be cheaper and more efficient to replicate the engine. The completely new boiler has so far been made, looking exactly like the original boiler, however the rivets that appear on the new engine are all for appearance and are actually fake. Unlike the old boiler, which had been riveted together, the new engine has been welded together. The replica steam engine is yet to arrive. Upon the arrival of the Hero’s new boiler both the old and the new were displayed together in Murray Esplanade on a low loader. One was a rusted out piece of metal, the other a shining maroon boiler.
The Hero is 92 feet long and 17 feet wide and is still in need of many elements including paddle wheels, the original wheels belonged to the Pride Of The Murray for a period of time but now only the hubs remain, before her restoration is complete. A new sign along with paintwork has been completed on the boat along with pressed metal ceilings and stained glass windows in all the cabins. Brass will feature all over the boat with door handles, railings, light switches and non-slip stair pieces all made from brass and many containing the letter ‘H’ on them. I believe the brass work has been made and imported from America. There is no doubt no expense has been spared on the Hero.
Hero was originally intended to be finished for the Centenary of Federation in 2001, this date was not achieved and since then many dates have been set where the Hero was meant to be finished. Still the Hero sits in the wet dock- she was moved to here from under the Old Sawmill at some stage after the area was cleared and the B22 barge moved to open up what used to be a section of the Echuca Wharf. Ever so slowly the Hero is moving towards completion and there is no doubt she will be a superb boat upon her recommissioning, they even say she could rival the Adelaide in speed- I’d like to be there to see that race!
The Paddle Steamer Hero can be seen at the Port Of Echuca, a day pass will allow you to gain access to the Hero so you can step aboard and take a look for yourself or if you are lucky talk to the shipwrights. For more information visit: www.portofechuca.org.au
Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987
Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005
*UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE*
The Hero has, since this article was originally posted, had her engines installed, linked with a Stephensons Link
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It will be good to see the hero up and running as it is certainly getting very crammed for space, when we saw her last she was squeezed between peter Mcleods new paddle steamer,and his old one the adventurous which had just been sold,there was also the paddle steamer barmah and billytea getting repairs aswell as barge 22 stuck to the side!
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It will be good to see the hero up and running as it is certainly getting very crammed for space, when we saw her last she was squeezed between peter Mcleods new paddle steamer,and his old one the adventurous which had just been sold,there was also the paddle steamer barmah and billytea getting repairs aswell as barge 22 stuck to the side!
Yeh the wet dock has become very busy lately. B:22 was moved there because originally she was blocking the wet dock area. Hero of course with the floating shipwright shed takes up enough room as it is, the little boat such as Billy Tea have crowded aound for a few years now, Barmah has returned to her normal mooring, but the new boat...yeh she's pretty big, currently unnamed!
For those wodering I'll post some images of the frames of this new boat. Mind you another boat has just been launched in Echuca now too!
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Quick update:
Hero is now out of wetdock down where she was for ahwile at the end of the Wharf. F05 Peter Mcleods boat now has upper walls (kind of) painted in weather proof pink....why oh why do they make it that colour!
A big thank you to all those that have come back to take a look at APAM. I just noted only 16 posts but 232 views so thank you so so so so very much for supporting me.
Roderick and I are working on a complete register of all Murray boats which we'll try to get up asap, most likely a few weeks after my play is over!
I suppose Roderick and I will also try and add a photo for every boat which would be handy so you can see them all!
Thanks for your support with APAM
Sean
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Quick update:
A big thank you to all those that have come back to take a look at APAM. I just noted only 16 posts but 232 views so thank you so so so so very much for supporting me.
Sean
You deserve every credit Sean, there's not many people who would have even attempted such a daunting task as outlining the history of all the Aussie paddlers!
Even more so when you consider that you've not only done it once, but TWICE because of my ham fistedness (is there such a word?).
Well done, your efforts are definately appreciated!
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sean,
I am trying to find as much information on peter Mcleods second paddle..Murry queen I have heard the vessel was sunk delibarately and later offered for sale......I have been told it sold but was transported from Echuca to tassy any way of confirming this...?
The other paddle steamer is "roy" I have been trying to get as many pics together as possible on this little fishing boat and it's power plant it is ment to be in the process of being restored at the cobdogla Irrigation and steam museum but I cant get any info on it progress
if you could help I would appreciate it
thanks
p.s did you have a look at gemma! :)
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I enclose information from this last week, and a photo, from another keen paddleboat enthusiast (Michael, from the Echuca area). I have posted some of his photos before, and he has appeared in some recent pictures posted to Paddleducks. Sean and I are convincing him to join and become a regular.
PS Hero was towed to Onion Patch [a stretch on the Victorian bank, just upriver of Echuca port] on Mon.9.10 evening by PS Adelaide. It had its paddlewheels fitted on Tuesday before returning to its downstream mooring.
Enclosed Michael's photo.
To answer Anth, Murray Queen is in Tasmania, but I don't know the location.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Roderick also forgot to mention two other private Paddlers: PV Florence Annie and PV Wanguai both located outside of Echuca.
Hero's Wheels are on and the crank shaft fitted aswell, just needs the boiler connected to the engines. She is rumoured to offer daily excursions PS Emmylou, Canberra PV POTM owners aren't impressed!
PS Murray Queen was taken to Tasmania early 2000ish and is located outside a local boat museum, at Port Hewan, on the Hewan River.
PV Gemma is back at its owner's property where it is slowly being worked on, only had the trash cleaned out of the hull and the roof removed.
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A Warm Welcome to Michael, great that you could join in with us here. Look forward to getting your perspective of the Murray river area too and any other areas that interest you.
cheers
Jim
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thanks for confirming that guys it's a shame the murry queen didnt stay up on the murry,I have a picture of the queen with gemma or should i say emma when she was only 20 so feet looking a lot different to the gemma today.
so can anyone help with the last question the roy and it's power plant..? :D
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Anth,
Could you please post your Roy with Emma photo?
I have some of Michael's of Gemma after the fire: I enclose one with this reply. I am emailing a friend in Tasmania tonight: he is restoring his tram in a shed adjacent to the location of PV Murray Queen; I am asking him to take a photo which I can post to this forum.
Ferries crossing Bass Strait have been a long-standing tradition (I have written a whole 9-part article for Australian Ferry Society Newsletter). FPV (fake paddle vessel) Lady Stelfox (mentioned in a different thread) was built for the Launceston excursion trade, and is now on hard stand in Melbourne. It was conveyed by barge across Bass Strait.
Have you bought the Plowman book yet? It could answer some of your questions.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Thanks for the warm welcome guys. PS Roy: Built 1908 Mildura. Removed from the river in the 1960s and was restored in 1977-8 where in entered the Great Paddle Boat Race with PS Eterprise and PV Florence Annie, Enterprise winning. Sank twice, removed from the river in 1984 and placed in Wilabalangaloo Reserve. Being moved again to Cobdogla in 2003 to be restored, but as far as I know nothing has happened!
My mistake with Murray Queen, its Huon river, and a photo of the two vessels would be terrific.
Hopefully I can attach a photo of Roy in 1977
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Okay before we get too off track I'd like to add a vessel which we must have not seen when cruising downstream, think we were distracted by Roderick looking for his bottle of plonk!
Barooga, knid of between Yarrawonga and Echuca full of vineyards, orchards and lovels sandbars along the river.
Here we find the paddle boat PV Julie Fay designed and built by Peter James at Filipi's Boatyard, Port Adelaide, once launched it travelled under its own power out of St Vincent Gulf and into the Murray River, not very seen these days! Built 1978 with a 45ft x 11ft steel hull and fitted with a 6cyl diesel engine thru a tractor axle and connect to the paddleshaft via two chains. She operated in South Australian towns of Morgan and Mannum as a excursion boat running short daily cruises. In 1985 she was sold and travelled to Echuca to run as an excursion boat under a new name PV Lady Jane.
Due to competion from more original boats in the town the boat was sold and travelled further upstream to Cobram to run as an excursion boat with another new name PV Lady Joan, running during the warmer periods of the year from 1986.
Still having very little success she was sold again and was back in Echuca by 1990 used as a private houseboat.
Being used very little she eventually ended up lying up on the bank just out of Echuca for a few years. In 2001 she was sold and moved back up to Barooga and was renamed back as her original name PV Julie Fay, also getting a new coat of paint. Her owner operates and orange orchard and use's the boat for entertaining friends during the summer time.
Hopefully Rod can put a photo of her on the site, as my computer is not playing by my rules!
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I enclose two photos of PV Julie Fay, and two of PV Roy. Michael's has been extracted from a version which he posted, but buried in a Word document.
I visited PV Roy at Cobdogla museum on Sat.9.12.06, with a group of railway enthusiasts. The museum has a working narrow-gauge railway, with equipment formerly used on the Cobdogla - Loveday tramway (a line serving a plant making concrete channel-sections for irrigation schemes). It also has a rare Humphrey pump in working order. Mechanically ingenious, the pump has few moving parts and uses the tube of water as an internal-combustion chamber; the pulsation of the water creates the upward movement. It also houses PV Roy. Here are my notes of the day, sent to an Australian paddleboat newsletter:
I climbed onto PS Roy, but couldn't obtain a key to the mesh gates protecting the cabin, and so couldn't view the photo display or the history panel. It had been owned by National Trust as part of its riverside property Wilabalangaloo (7 km upstream of Berri). It has since been deeded to Cobdogla, subject to it being restored. I thought that it looked in poor shape. I was told that all engine components are there, but I felt that some had been removed (maybe on site, but not on the boat). To my untrained eye, the hull looked ok, but a lot of the superstructure and sponson timbers have deteriorated. The metal paddleboxes were quite battered, which is odd: they are inside a wooden cover. If it does run again, it could be moored in the inlet channel to the Humphrey pump station, with easy access back out into the main river.
I was unable to view the boiler at close range; nobody had a key to the protective mesh barrier. Parsons doesn't give any specifications, but does have a photo of the engine on p32. My Plowman is currently inaccessible.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Hey everyone,
This is what I wanted for APAM, for everyone to jump in and write what they know about these boats.
I have images of Roy at Cobdogla, not on this computer though.
Sorry this is only a brief post. Yay Michael and James joined...anyway I must be going to check out all the other info I have lost.
Quick note...I like the burnt colour of the gemma with the deep maroon red...could be a colour scheme for my boat if I match it!
Sean
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Sean,
Â
Oki Doki, I will once again, be right on to the paddle ducks and checking it out... And maybe I could supply some info, who knows?!?
Â
And yes, go ahead, that would be a superb colour!!!
Â
Cheers,
James
----- Original Message -----
From: thewharfonline (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2006 5:59 PM
Subject: RE: APAM- The Directors Cut!
Hey everyone,
This is what I wanted for APAM, for everyone to jump in and write what they know about these boats.
I have images of Roy at Cobdogla, not on this computer though.
Sorry this is only a brief post. Yay Michael and James joined...anyway I must be going to check out all the other info I have lost.
Quick note...I like the burnt colour of the gemma with the deep maroon red...could be a colour scheme for my boat if I match it!
Sean
APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciaiton Month
Show your support for Aussie Paddlers this month on www.paddleducks.co.uk (http://www.paddleducks.co.uk)
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http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9017#9017 (http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9017#9017)
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Well Done Sean!! I see the recovery is going well... and the APAM is most useful!!! But I might be needing to speak to both you and Roderick about a website, so just wait around and I will let you know!! Great work again..
Cheers James
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The paddle steamer Australien was built in 1897 in Echuca and found a great deal of use in the construction of the Yarrawonga Weir, where she then stayed for many years as there was no lock to let her leave Yarrawonga.
Australien is 78 feet long and 16 feet wide. She had iron topsides and a wooden lower half of the hull, common on Australian paddle steamers and known as a ‘composite hull’. She was powered by a 2 cylinder horizontal 16hp Marshall steam engine with a rope drive. The boiler faced the stern of the boat instead of the bow like on board the Pevensey, the Alexander Arbuthnot and many other boats. The forward facing boiler and little lower deck housing on Aussie paddlers was built for a reason, the extreme heat of the out back in summer and a boiler don’t mix very well so the open lower deck allowed the wind and air to pass through the boat taking much of the hot air away. The rear facing boiler may have been even more effective at this and it can be seen on such boats as the Melbourne in Mildura and the Cato.
Around 1899 PS Australien was a general trading boat in the Mildura area. Australien changed hands various times but mainly seemed to stay in the hands of two families the Wilson family and the Wallins family. Her final sale was in 1980 with a trust formed in 1987 to restore the vessel. As far as I am aware this trust is still in order.
Australien was used extensively in the building of the Yarrawonga weir where along with the Invincible she towed and carried various tools and materials for the construction of this massive weir. However no lock was built for the weir and as such no boat can travel beyond Yarrawonga without being taken out of the water. This makes Cumberoona stuck in Albury. After construction was complete Australien was stuck behind the wall of the Yarrawonga weir and was abandoned here to fall apart.
The paddle steamer Invincible was built in 1889 with a 25hp direct acting steam engine built in Ballarat by the Phoenix Foundry. Invincible worked for some time for the Arbuthnot Saw Mills before being used for Weir construction at Yarrawonga. After this work was complete she was turned into a house boat and moored at Goolwa where she sunk. In 1978 she was raised and moved near Berri where the Milang Historic Steam & Shipping Group plan on restoring the vessel. I am unaware on progress of this vessel or wether it still is around.
In 1958 plans were made to install a diesel engine on the Australien and use her as a tourist vessel on Lake Yarrawonga, but this never happened and the boat began to deteriorate. The Australien was then moved to Echuca by the trust where she currently remains with restoration plans, however little seems to be happening. The top sides being sand blasted at some stage with some materials brought in to replace the rusty parts.
As seen on another part of Paddle Ducks there are a few of us interested in the restoration of this boat and she is still in a restorable state. Maybe one day PS Australien will be found on the river again.
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There's an article for you all on the Paddle Steamer Australien, the paddle Steamer Edwards is also under restoration at Echuca, if I can get some photos....wink wink nudge nudge Michael/Roderick... I'll write an article on her too.
There are currently quite a few original boats under restoration up and down the river.
Hero, Canally, Australien, Edwards, Success, Daisy, Ruby and the barge T.P which was at one stage the Wanera. Cato is currently under construction and is a replica of the original Cato and will use her original engine upon completion.
As you can see there are many boats being restored or having planned restoration. Many other new boats are being constructed so the Murray really has an ever growing fleet of paddlers and the comments made in many books of the paddle boat era dying here are truly false. I do believe there hasn't been a time when a paddler was not operating in some form on our rivers.
More APAM to come soon! I still have some articles to salvage too!
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Where exactly is the PS Edwards... Is it in or around Echuca???
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I would be really interested if you need photos, as I studied Photography and Digital Photography at school recently... 8) So if you want photos give me a holla and maybe, hopefully, I can help out a bit eh?
It would be an excellent opporutnity to photograph some amazing boats too!!! :D
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In my teenage years, my family May or September holidays were spent caravanning to a Murray River town, as my father had spent his teenage years within earshot of the river near Swan Hill. In May 65 we were at Yarrawonga, and drove across to Mulwala to view the derelict Australien. At that stage, there was still superstructure (mainly framing without cladding). IIRC the boiler and engine had been removed.
I thought that most riverboats had rearward-facing boilers. This put the smokebox in line with the paddle shaft, and the firebox-door forward. The forward hull could then be used to store firewood, in a more accessible location for wooding. PS Marion has this arrangement. On smaller boats (eg Ranger), this allows single-person operation, as the wheel is just in front of the firebox door (and feedwater and lubrication controls).
The composite hull was a solution to the problem of the fierce Australian sun causing shrinkage of timbers which were above the waterline, and hence leaking when the vessel was loaded. A lot of boats spent 6 months of the year stranded on mud when the river was low.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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It is the Melbourne that has a different engine arrangement isnt it? Because I remember something was different, and I am sure it was the engine!!!
Also the Industry's engine is a cross between the AA and the Adelaide I found out to!! Its motor works are under the boiler!!
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Actually the Australien had a 1cyl McDonald engine fitted into her and it basically 'shook her apart'. The steam engine was taken and scrapped and the diesel engine was also gone when she was refloated.
I went and took some photo's of Edwards tonight, she is looking very bad now. So get that article up and you'l have some photo's to add!
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Ahhhh, i didnt think that the Australien had been refloated or even operational in recent times, but must be with the diesel engine removed!!
Who is restoring the Edwards?
I also heard from the owner of the PS Etona that the PS Perricoota is up for sale??? According to Rob, the owners new wife wants him to sell it!
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Yeah quietly a few boats are for sale Ranger was, Henry Charles is, Perricotta has been for a while, if you have $200,000 lying under your bed! I think Edwards has past its 'used by date'! She is just a pile of timber twisted and warped. If you wanted to rebuild her you would have to build a new hull, maybe use the wheels, winch, and there is a portale there also which was to be restored when the boat got restored. The original engine is like Hero's, rust!
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Well, Michael, If i had the money i am sure as sure can be that the Henry Charles would do me just fine!! Also i would love to restore the Edwards, or any boat really!!! But the money is just a bit of a problem... I might go and start looking for loose coins under the bed eh?!!!!!
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PS Edwards built May 1975, Echuca, wooden hull,wooden frames. 82.8ft long by 16ft wide. Fitted with a 12hp steam engine.Owned by James Laing. Sold 1889 to Lawrence&son and a 15" centrifugal pump was fitted in her forward hull which ran of the steam engines flywheel, this delivering 6,000 galons per minute to irrigate the Lawrence property on the banks of the Murray, Murrumbidgge and Wakool rivers. Sold 1901 to John Webb then to William Maloney of Barmah in 1907 where she was fitted with a new engine and boiler. Sold to R.Evans in 1919 and used for towing outrigger barges, and 'inside' barges to and from the Barmah forest to their sawmill below Echuca wharf. As the paddle steamer era came to an end, Edwards was rarely used and her seams opened up and she sank below the Evans Sawmill Sept 1958, as the mill caught fire in 1959 the vessel was never salvaged.
She was refloated and had her machinary removed in 1981 and trucked to her present site outside of Echuca, where she sits in front of a house falling apart, there was talk of restoration, but she is too far gone now to rebuild her. All her machinary are in a paddock nearby aswell.
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Here are the photos Michael took of the warped hull and the machinary of the Paddle Steamer Edwards.
I think restoration is still a possibility...simply because look at the Hero, there is very little 'Hero' left instead she has been restored simply by renewing her register and mainly rebuilt. My theory use as much 'Edwards' as possible, try to restore as much as you can, if you can't well if Hero can get away with it so can Edwards!
I think Michael also meant she was built in 1875...
I also think although yes Warped the wood seems to look pretty good I mean even the bits next to the Stem Post are in tact...on my boat a similar bit looks in worse shape! I reckon she could be saved yet!
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Well I certainly hope that the PS Edwards hasnt passed the salvageable stage, because it would be absolutely brilliant to see another one on the river. And yes if the Hero can do it, so can the Edwards :!: :!:
It does really look like a lot of work, but it can be done, I am sure of it!! And the wood is not as bad as I pictured it either!!
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The Paddle Steamer Emmylou was built between 1980 and 1982 by Anthony Browell and was designed by Warwick Hood. Although the Emmylou was built as a new Paddle Steamer she was designed along the lines of the Paddle Steamers of old, which would include boats such as the Ellen, Gem and Ruby. The Emmylou is 90 feet long with a steel hull and wooden deck housing with three decks.
After construction the boat was used privately by Anthony Browell- apparently under a green colour scheme. However in 1984 the Emmylou was sold and a new company was formed- Emmylou Enterprises and the Emmylou began operating purely as a tourist boat. The Emmylou is fitted out with dining facilities and tourists can cruise on lunch and dinner trips along with over night accommodation at certain times of the year in ten cabins.
The Emmylou is powered by a 1906 Marshall and Sons steam engine which was restored and refitted to operate the paddlewheels of the boat and like all the steam boats in Echuca and the Murray is powered by wood- red gum from Barmah, which my friends great uncle supplies, it’s a small world! Emmylou is the tallest boat in Echuca offering great views from her wheelhouse where the skipper controls the forward/reversing of the wheels, speed and steering, which is similar to the Adelaide.
The Emmylou is also a star of the screen appearing in All The Rivers Run as the paddle steamer Providence which races the Pevensey at one stage in the movie. She has also appeared in several television advertisements and is a favourite for television travel shows. In fact the Emmylou is probably one of Echuca’s favourite boats simply because she was never a working boat, she has sleek lines instead of the more boxy work horses that appear shabby compared to this well groomed maiden of the river. Of course the locomotive whistle assists her likeability. (I have to boast how nice she is because it’s mum’s favourite boat!) However enthusiasts and people who realise the importance of the river, and men who get fascinated by steam, tend to ignore the looks of the Emmylou and hang out around the engine!
The Emmylou is now operated by Murray River Paddle Steamers which also operate Pride of The Murray and now the Canberra. Usually all three boats operate daily along with one boat from the Port all at slightly staggered times, which can often lead to interesting radio conversations and funny river situations. Last time I was up at Echuca the skipper of the Emmylou got ‘bored’ and with the low river trapping the Hero in the wet (now dry) dock decided to try some ‘free dredging’ to get her out. More simply the Emmylou was driven directly into the river bank- apparently this wasn’t the first time. Of course then the situation got slightly sticky, literally. The Emmylou has a hull more like a yacht than a paddle steamer and as such gets easily stuck onto the bank. Here the Emmylou floundered, one wheel in the water and the skipper getting impatient, of course the passengers must have thought it was interesting.
Radio chatter between the Pevensey, Emmylou and Pride of the Murray offered a few laughs as we (the Pev) threatened to give the Emmylou ‘a boot up the bum’ to get her off the bank. Unfortunately for our passengers we didn’t get to do this as the Emmylou got off the banks. After this I was told about many other funny happenings of long boat reversing streaks downstream for a six-pack and other similar stories. The next day I was back at the Port as a tourist and the Emmylou was at it again, pictures at the bottom of the article!
The Emmylou is currently Echuca’s only floating hotel- the Hero is slowly getting there though- and operates one or two night trips for a certain amount of time during the year. Tourists can also grab a snack or a meal on the boat on any of the other cruises throughout the day.
For more information visit: http://www.emmylou.com.au/About%20Emmylou.html
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Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987
Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005
23rd Thursday, August 03, 2006
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The Pride of The Murray was built as the barge C24 in 1924 which was used for the logging trade as an outrigger barge like the B22 and C24, very little else is known about the barge but at some stage the barge sunk near the Moama slip collecting 250 tons of silt. The C24 was bought for $100 and raised out of the river in 1972. Restoration took place in 1973.
The Pride Of The Murray is 84 feet long and 16 feet wide and was rebuilt with two decks, which have recently undergone remodelling to change the boats appearance, the boat looked very similar to the Canberra so the top deck was remodelled and better facilities were installed inside on the lower deck. The Pride Of The Murray is the party paddler of Echuca. The diesel engine allows the boat to be quickly put into action and easily caters for large amounts of people, you can even rent a captain like mascot to walk around on deck and entertain the party goers. Dusk BBQ nights are often held and are popular due to their music, food and good night out!
The Pride of The Murray is the only paddle vessel in Echuca that has independently operating wheels, a trinket that was tried out (a lot) during her trials. Donuts, speed tests and other similar activities proved to be great sport for the skippers of the Pride Of The Murray.
The Pride of the Murray is named after a sternwheeler built in Echuca in 1875 but should not be confused with this boat as they are both different vessels; their name is the only link. The original Pride was 81.7 feet long and 15.6 feet wide with two decks, the lower completely enclosed by deck housing and the upper deck having two deck houses and a wheel house. There has been some dispute over the boats wheel location upon launch as it was launched into the river sideways. However it is agreed that the wheel was always at the stern of the boat, which photos prove. The original Pride of The Murray was used as a towing boat and was one of the few sternwheelers found along the Upper Murray where stern wheels were not very suitable. In January 1866 a rainstorm flooded the boat and made her sink but she was raised again a few days later. The Pride of the Murray was recorded as being broken up in 1910 although the hull was said to be sold twice after, the last one however was probably for demolition as she was sold for 25 pounds. The stern wheel Pride of The Murray features in many famous photos of the Echuca wharf.
The most notable change to the new Pride of the Murray after her refit are the changes to the upper deck. Before alteration the Pride Of The Murray had a similar upper deck to the Canberra but unlike the Canberra a wheelhouse existed at the front of the deck. This open box structure was one of the first things to be replaced to make the Pride of The Murray look more like a ‘traditional’ paddler. As such the wheelhouse has become a smaller box structure and the top deck now remains open with only a veranda like roof covering passengers from the elements. But if it does start to rain the lower deck is perfect. The remodelling of the lower deck included the moving of the ‘red gum bar’ so that passengers have more room to move. The lower deck can also be fitted out for dining occasions and large functions.
For more information on the Pride Of The Murray visit: http://www.emmylou.com.au/About%20Pride.html
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Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987
Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005
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The Paddle Steamer Etona was built in 1899 in Milang by the Ross Family and was to become one of the most interesting paddlers on the Murray leading a very interesting life.
The Paddle Steamer Etona was the second vessel on the Murray to use the name but the previous vessel, a steam launch, served the same purpose. The Etona was sponsored by Eton College in England and was to serve as a Mission Boat for the Church of England. As such the Etona was fitted out especially for this role. Originally the top deck had only the wheelhouse, this was later extended to a set of small quarters. The lower deck contained a sunken saloon in the bow of the hull and in the stern a small church complete with alter. The Etona would travel from Morgan to either Mannum or Renmark and have services along the river in towns that did not have churches. When the Bishop and his family came to visit the front saloon was used as accommodation and at other times was used to house the crew. Adorning the roof of the wheelhouse is a small white cross; symbolising that Etona was in fact a floating church.
The Etona is 60 feet long and 12 feet wide and is powered by an 8hp Ransomes, Sims & Jeffries Steam Engine. She carries a blue and white colour scheme and has uncovered wheel boxes. The Etona has sunken rooms in both the bow and stern of the boat and a small upper deckhouse, which includes the wheelhouse. The Etona’s nice lines and designs are a delight for those wishing to build their own small paddlers and as such elements of the Etona can be seen in modern paddlers such as the Barmah and William Randell.
In 1912 the Etona was sold and she became a fishing boat for Archie Connor, a well-known river identity and great fisherman. The Etona worked in the fishing industry until 1944 when she was abandoned on the Murrumbidgee and became a chicken coop. In 1956 the widespread floods saved the life of the Etona. The Etona was put into service once again on ‘mercy missions’ to stations stranded by high waters, delivering food and supplies and rescuing those in dire need. After her efforts though the Etona was again abandoned, this time at Boundary Bend.
In 1961 the Etona was purchased by a group of people from Echuca and she was steamed to Echuca with a crew of nine people including two women and four children. In 1962 restoration began, a slow process, which was eventually completed in 1965. In 1973 the Etona raced the Enterprise just outside of Echuca in a ‘Great Riverboat Race’ somewhat like the races of old when the old skippers would race to their cargo often risking their boats and their lives. The Etona won the race and the Enterprise was relegated to Canberra- well not really relegated, you’ll find out all about the Enterprise very soon! In the 1980’s the Etona featured as herself in the mini-series All The Rivers Run when Brenton Edwards and Philadelphia Gordon get married on board! She also features in many background shots loading wine barrels…it must be Holy Wine!
In 1999 the Etona returned to Milang in celebration of her 100th birthday. Today Etona is a private boat which usually steams at sail past events in Echuca. More recently she has been on slip with major work being done all over the boat from decking planks being replaced to cabin restoration and paint work. The last time I was in Echuca they were extending the slip so that they could return the Etona to the low river and the first time I saw the Etona on slip I got swooped by a magpie!
The best chance to see the Etona operate under steam would be one of the sail past events held at various times of the year at the Port Of Echuca. For more information on these dates visit: www.portofechuca.org.au
Here’s a quick recap on the Etona’s very interesting career:
Church mission boat
Fishing boat
Chicken Coop
Mercy Mission Rescue Boat
Pleasure Cruiser
What an amazing boat!
Oh and just a quick note I’m pretty sure you can’t rent the Etona out for weddings!
9th Wednesday, August 16, 2006
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The Paddle Steamer Ranger, although looking like one of the newly made small pleasure paddlers, is actually a 1909 fishing boat beautifully restored over a period of 30 years changing hands many times and facing a few alterations.
The Ranger began life as a fishing boat in 1909. She is 46 feet long and 10.1 feet wide with a red gum hull and now operates on a newly restored single cylinder 7hp Marshall and Sons Engine. Archie Connor operated the Ranger as a fishing boat for many years, unregistered as the Ranger was for many years of her life.
At some stage the Ranger was sold to Barham Sawmills where her name was changed to Barham. Here the small paddler towed wood barges to and from the sawmill. In 1926 the boat was finally registered as Barham but changed ownership. The Barham was now owned by Permewan Wright & Co Ltd. But very little is known about what the Barham did for the company. After her work for the company though the Barham was abandoned near Echuca.
The Barham was purchased by the Collins brothers in 1962 and moved to Mildura for restoration. Here the name of the boat was reverted to Ranger. Restoration began on the small boat, but bigger boats were much more important for the Collins Brothers and as such in 1989 when both the brothers had passed away the Ranger was still not complete. The Ranger was put up for sale.
David Fitton of Echuca then purchased the Ranger and returned her to Echuca by road. As restoration now continued the new 7hp Marshall and Sons engine was installed and in 1992 the restoration was finally complete and the Ranger returned to the Murray. For a period of time plans were made to operate Ranger alongside Emmylou as a tourist boat capable of carrying approximately twenty people on the quiet days when it would be uneconomical to run Emmylou. However Emmylou was purchased by a different owner and the project never took shape.
The Ranger then had a small cabin fitted to the back of the boat and a car stereo system installed. Now the Ranger operates as a pleasure craft and is often used for camping trips by the Fitton family and friends along with other boats such as the Billy Tea, a recent addition to the Echuca boats having been built in Canberra, completely by the owner. (That includes the single cylinder steam engine and boiler!) She was launched in Yarrawonga on the 8th of August 2003. She is 47 feet long and 10 feet wide and has now travelled to Nyah.
The Ranger and Billy Tea can both be seen in Echuca either downstream from the wharf or in the wet dock. Both boats are usually in operation at sail past events.
8th Wednesday, August 16, 2006
And so we wind down on Echuca and begin the journey downstream to Swan Hill.
Of course there are many Echuca boats that I didn't comment on! Boats with all sorts of interesting stories! But there simply isn't the time or the place to report on all the paddlers in the Area!
So hope you've enjoyed up to Echuca but I'm sorry to tell you that it’s just the beginning...we've got a lot more paddlers to go through!
-Thanks to Michael for some better details on Ranger and Billy Tea...hahaha I just remembered Billy Tea's whistel....POOF! (that's the sound it makes!)
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Yeah his whistle is abit like that, tho he's built a new engine with a larger bore and also a larger tube bank for his boiler so the whistle will actually toot!
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Here are a couple of PS Ranger photos.
Update: As at Tues.13.1.07, Ranger is for sale for AUD150 000. No e-mail, you must phone in Australian business hours (use the PD time-zone converter)
03 54 806394, which should be 061 3 54 806394.
So, if you are sick of smog or snow saturation, sell up and shift to sunny shores.
AFAIK, owning Ranger provides automatic entitlement to a free berth at Port of Echuca, with the obligation of operating for four ceremonial events per year.
It does have a wooden hull (ie ongoing maintenance), and is a historic vessel.
Built 1909; 50 ft (15 m) long; 10.5 ft (3.2 m) wide over the hull; wider over the paddleboxes.
7hp Single Cylinder Marshall: Valid ticket for 120psi
Restored to Survey Standards
Currently with a toilet (and shower?) in one sponson cabin; a kitchen in the other; a rear cabin with room for two to sleep (possibly closely intertwined).
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Can you confirm something I heard or read somewhere, that she was named after the Country Music star Emmylou Harris?
Â
Alistair
----- Original Message -----
From: thewharfonline (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 9:27 AM
Subject: RE: APAM- The Directors Cut!
The Paddle Steamer Emmylou was built between 1980 and 1982 by Anthony Browell and was designed by Warwick Hood. Although the Emmylou was built as a new Paddle Steamer she was designed along the lines of the Paddle Steamers of old, which would include boats such as the Ellen, Gem and Ruby. The Emmylou is 90 feet long with a steel hull and wooden deck housing with three decks.
After construction the boat was used privately by Anthony Browell- apparently under a green colour scheme. However in 1984 the Emmylou was sold and a new company was formed- Emmylou Enterprises and the Emmylou began operating purely as a tourist boat. The Emmylou is fitted out with dining facilities and tourists can cruise on lunch and dinner trips along with over night accommodation at certain times of the year in ten cabins.
The Emmylou is powered by a 1906 Marshall and Sons steam engine which was restored and refitted to operate the paddlewheels of the boat and like all the steam boats in Echuca and the Murray is powered by wood- red gum from Barmah, which my friends great uncle supplies, it’s a small world! Emmylou is the tallest boat in Echuca offering great views from her wheelhouse where the skipper controls the forward/reversing of the wheels, speed and steering, which is similar to the Adelaide.
The Emmylou is also a star of the screen appearing in All The Rivers Run as the paddle steamer Providence which races the Pevensey at one stage in the movie. She has also appeared in several television advertisements and is a favourite for television travel shows. In fact the Emmylou is probably one of Echuca’s favourite boats simply because she was never a working boat, she has sleek lines instead of the more boxy work horses that appear shabby compared to this well groomed maiden of the river. Of course the locomotive whistle assists her likeability. (I have to boast how nice she is because it’s mum’s favourite boat!) However enthusiasts and people who realise the importance of the river, and men who get fascinated by steam, tend to ignore the looks of the Emmylou and hang out around the engine!
The Emmylou is now operated by Murray River Paddle Steamers which also operate Pride of The Murray and now the Canberra. Usually all three boats operate daily along with one boat from the Port all at slightly staggered times, which can often lead to interesting radio conversations and funny river situations. Last time I was up at Echuca the skipper of the Emmylou got ‘bored’ and with the low river trapping the Hero in the wet (now dry) dock decided to try some ‘free dredging’ to get her out. More simply the Emmylou was driven directly into the river bank- apparently this wasn’t the first time. Of course then the situation got slightly sticky, literally. The Emmylou has a hull more like a yacht than a paddle steamer and as such gets easily stuck onto the bank. Here the Emmylou floundered, one wheel in the water and the skipper getting impatient, of course the passengers must have thought it was interesting.
Radio chatter between the Pevensey, Emmylou and Pride of the Murray offered a few laughs as we (the Pev) threatened to give the Emmylou ‘a boot up the bum’ to get her off the bank. Unfortunately for our passengers we didn’t get to do this as the Emmylou got off the banks. After this I was told about many other funny happenings of long boat reversing streaks downstream for a six-pack and other similar stories. The next day I was back at the Port as a tourist and the Emmylou was at it again, pictures at the bottom of the article!
The Emmylou is currently Echuca’s only floating hotel- the Hero is slowly getting there though- and operates one or two night trips for a certain amount of time during the year. Tourists can also grab a snack or a meal on the boat on any of the other cruises throughout the day.
For more information visit: http://www.emmylou.com.au/About%20Emmylou.html (http://www.emmylou.com.au/About%20Emmylou.html)
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Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987
Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005
23rd Thursday, August 03, 2006
APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciaiton Month
Show your support for Aussie Paddlers this month on www.paddleducks.co.uk (http://www.paddleducks.co.uk)
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Here are a couple of PV Pride of the Murray.
* A construction photo, taken by my father on a holiday when I was not present.
* One cruising in 2003.
In mid 2005, I was overnighting in my own boat at Echuca East. Pride went past twice during the evening, on a wedding-reception charter, looking like a floating wedding cake: a magic memory.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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That is what is stated on the company's website
www.emmylou.com.au/About%20Emmylou.html
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
Alistair D
Can you confirm something I heard or read somewhere, that she was named after the Country Music star Emmylou Harris?
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Yes, I also have read about the PS Emmylou being named after the singer Emmylou Harris, I think it was in Paddlesteamers and Riverboats of the Murray River
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Emmylou was named after Emmylou Harris, as it was supposed to be dismantled and shipped over to AMerica to run on the rivers there, but the plan fell through and she ended up steaming to Echuca and operating there ever since!
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Enclosed,
A photo from my father, of Australien out of use at Mulwala (the NSW shore, opposite Victorian Yarrawonga) in May 1965.
I had at that stage given him a copy of the first edition of Mudie (hardcover). We knew that the boat was there, and went out in search.
We didn't go aboard, so I didn't get to see the rope drive, which may have been removed by then. Michael reported that the steam equipment was replaced with a vibrating diesel, but didn't give a date. Probably this had happened well before 1965. I suspect that this site was not the site at which the vessel sank (and from which it was later retrieved). I suspect that it was relocated, as this site would have been redeveloped with golf links, marinas, resorts and lakeside housing.
You can see how no trees were removed when Yarrawonga Weir was built (c1938), forming Lake Mulwala. I wonder how many water skiers have been killed or neutered hitting these trees?
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Once before, APAM was split over Preserved and Research.
Now a lot of Australien material has appeared in the offtopic forum, and it is certainly on topic. I am a full-time research editor in my retirement, so I am bringing forward the relevant text from that thread to this one, while posting another photo from Michael Snell showing the current state. I have also reposted Michael's earlier photo.
So far there have been two main posts and a couple of minor ones on PS Australien in APAM, starting on p3.
Michael: A fair bit of her topsides have been sandblasted and Gary Byford dumped a load of scrap steel beside her to replace the rusted parts. I think most of her timber bottom will need replacing, she has a strange arrangement. Steel frames on the side but wooden on the bottom!
Michael: The front is probebly the only bad part the rest of the hull is in good nick, some places may only need a good caulk and hardening.
Australien had a unique engine system, the boiler faces aft - like McLeod's boat or PS Melbourne, It has a single paddlwheel shaft with a large gear, which is connect to the engine by rope. It also had another gear on it which was used to tension the rope. She had a large canopy that covered the front deck, photo's show her with a car onboard, and other times she had the derrick crane on the front, something the Echuca boats don't have.
Sean: When I was flicking through some of my books I noticed quite a few paddlers had rear facing boilers. You can tell by the location of the funnels. Do you think it's a top ender bottom ender thing?
Derek: When we read & study our OZ paddler history, the method of construction or reconstruction is endless:
1) steel frames + wooden sides + wooden bottom
2) steel frames + steel sides + wooden bottom
3) wooden frames + wooden sides + wooden bottom
Ray: Composite hull construction was not at all unusual, many of the old clipper-ships were built that way. but the iron topsides-planked bottom was more common on the Murray boats. It saved a lot of strife when the boats were laid up over the summer months with no maintenance and planking dried out. I believe it made for very hot quarters down below , but they were tough men in those days. As for rope drive, I think you will find that was used a lot on vessels whose wheels could possibly hit bottom when rolling on corners and heeling when towing, it gave a degree of flex coupling in the drive train and so lessen the shocks. The funnel-firebox location also depends on whether the the boiler is a thru flue or return flue. Many of the boats had through-flue (locomotive style) boilers, these can be seen by the position of the towing mast ahead of the funnel. The mast was generally on or just ahead of the paddle shaft line
Michael: Australien was designed to operate on low river, used alot to collect the clipping from the stations on the Murrumbidgee. I have plenty of photo's of Australien in her working days and was able to picture her layout. The lower deck was all open, except for a box cabin at the front of the boat covering the boiler's smoke box. She had large canopoy/upper deck than ran nearly both ends of the boat. The forward section being cut back in the 1930's and then she had a derrick crane fitted when she was working on the Yarrawonga weir and then above Yarrawonga with Federal barge collecting timber.
I am going to look up on how and if Australien can apply for grants, as at the moment its the only way she's going to get back in the river. I am also going to try and clean up inside; her bilge is like a fire hazard ready to burn, lots of dry grass and kindling. You will also be able to picture how high off the ground she is as you can see the ute in the top right hand side.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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in regards to aussie paddle boats I am sure iron was more commonly used for the construction of rib's and hull plates (3/16 thickness)
it's ability to resist rusting is much higher than steel ,I say resist, therefore it was used above the water line to avoid the planks opening up and causing sinking which was common after dry periods
Captain sturt and Decoy were I think :oops: the only fully constructed iron hulls and they paid the price for this I heard captain sturts hull was patched towards the end with concrete!
cheers Anthony... :)
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Hi PD's & Anthony, yes.... PS Decoy has been my :rant project construction since Y2000
Back in 1878 [when Decoy was built as a KNOCK down vessel in Scotland] iron was still produced in reduction furnaces, however secondary metallurgical processes :boom converted this to steel :clap2
PS Decoy was termed as an iron clad [as built], however the differentiation here is steel over wood :shhh
She [Decoy that is] was lengthened in 1881 by approx 23 foot - but in our OZ of 1881, we didn't have a blast furnace nor a reduction rolling mill :hammer :hammer :oops :hammer so they used steel plate from below the water line & extra wood in the lengthening process - Derek :D
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in I heard captain sturts hull was patched towards the end with concrete!
cheers Anthony... :)
That's possiblyt more because of her 'House Boat' status when she was concreted into the ground to make her stable...now she's falling apart and I believe her massive stern wheel has disappeared.
I would say there were more iron steamers especially at the beginning of River Trade. By photos I would say the paddler 'Cadell' was an iron steamer maybe even Emu...only going off the top of my head we could also look and see if Albury was iron or wood...
I like the long Australien picture showing the length of the hull and it's conditions. Michael hadn't sent me that one yet.
By the sounds of his plans I think Michael is going to take an active step in bringing Australien back...anyone else think so?
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Thanks for that Derk,
I am curious out of the two types of metals iron and (aussie) steel which one performed better in the murry?
apparently I had nothing better to do on a sunday afternoon :lol: captain sturts hull had running repairs so to speak in 1934 this was due to pitting with rust and cracks and small holes it was common practise to repair these hulls by using concete :? ...Hmmm don't think that wold help the displacement... :lol:
is this what you were talking about sean or was she set in concrete later?
On a lighter note I have really enjoyed the educational input of the aussies on our own paddle boat's so too all keep up the good work
with out everyone adding there two cents worth we wouldn't know as much as we do! :D
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Hi PD's - again Anthony, iron is produced in a blast furnace & has highly variable levels of carbon & other elements in the order of 0.002 to 0.2 to 2.0% variance viz the total 100% blend/mix
Steel by secondary processes is the refined product which can be rolled into sheet that forms :hammer our tin cans or bonnet panels of our cars & as used on our early paddlers
I am involved in the steel industry under contract [24/7 :rant ] but am not a metalurgist, so please my comments are only to understand the differientation as a 3/16" section of cast IRON would be very brittle as compared to a refined & rolled 3/16" thick steel plate - literally like chalk & cheese............Derek :)
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thanks derk
the penny just dropped :oops:
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In the UK, and most of the rest of the world, apart from the inland waters of the colonies, steamers started being built with iron around the 1830s and with steel around the 1880s
Hi PD's - again Anthony, iron is produced in a blast furnace & has highly variable levels of carbon & other elements in the order of 0.002 to 0.2 to 2.0% variance viz the total 100% blend/mix
Steel by secondary processes is the refined product which can be rolled into sheet that forms (http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/images/smiles/hammer_1.gif) our tin cans or bonnet panels of our cars & as used on our early paddlers
I am involved in the steel industry under contract [24/7 (http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/images/smiles/ranting2.gif) ] but am not a metalurgist, so please my comments are only to understand the differientation as a 3/16" section of cast IRON would be very brittle as compared to a refined & rolled 3/16" thick steel plate - literally like chalk & cheese............Derek (http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif)
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I was at Metung today (Lake King, Victoria), retrieving Jessie II for days at Sale, then in Melbourne. The supermarket & bottleshop had historic photos of Tambo River navigation, including several of small PS Tanjil.
At the time, the river was navigable to Mossiface. This year, the only way I could go that far over sandbars was to raise the motor, and have a deckhand tow me through (Jessie II floats on 10 cm, but the motor needs more).
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
(currently at an internet cafe in Sale, with Jessie II moored at the historic port).
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At Sale, the site of a former boatyard at which some of the paddlesteamers were built is still visible: an inlet to one side of the canal. The mouth is silted and weeded, so I wasn't brave enough to cruise into it.
The boats were launched sideways.
Port of Sale has some excellent interpretive panels showing the early shipping: most were screw rather than paddle.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Ok as you may have noticed APAM has come to a stand still. Originally you see APAM featured three more articles, one of them I still have it was 'saved from the wreckage' but two articles did not make it and currently are awaiting a re-write. One of these is Canberra.
The good thing about the new APAM of course is that we feature articles on Australien and Edwards thanks to the help of Roderick and Michael.
Roderick is always asking that I patch up the gaps by placing the other three articles back on however currently I am very busy with a new play and exams so they will be back on asap.
I will also then continue flowing down the river talking about the other boats! That's the best I can offer!
But for now to keep your tastebuds alive and wanting more here is a short article on something you may find interesting!
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Echuca-Moama is home to a series of Murray River Wrecks including some of the rivers most famous boats.
The area boasts at least 17 wrecks and many of these can still be seen on low rivers or lying on the bank.
The vessels known to be in this area include:
Freetrader, Clyde, Whaler, Impulse, Riverina, B22(The Moving wreck you could say!) Jam O Shanter, Murray, Nile, Murrumbidgee, Nelson, Orange, Murray, Polly, an unknown barge and one of the more famous paddlers the Lady Augusta.
The Lady Augusta is opposite the current section of the wharf...under many layers of sand and silt. As the river changed it's course the Lady Augusta was slowly placed under more sand and silt, making removal from the river impossible in todays time however one day when the river changes course again maybe the Lady Augusta will once again be visible and people that come to the river will be able to see the second oldest boat on the Murray once again. This would however only even possibly occur if the river sunk deeper and the banks rose higher to become more cliff like.
However some wrecks that are slightly more visible include the Whaler barge which can be viewed at the slipway...breaking down amongst the trees. Obviously the barge was tied up on high waters and as they receeded it was left high and dry on land, at a time when no one wished to restore a vessel.
Freetrader can be viewed when the waters are very low, it pokes out of the bank like a fish skeleton, no ribs remain it is simply the bottom of the hull that is left. I will add a picture of Freetrader when I can.
The bow of the Murrumbidgee can be viewed with entry to the Port down near the Wet Dock as well as the moving wreck B22...there are plans (somewhere) to restore B22 and Michael was involved in moving the barge to its latest location.
If looking at wrecks is your thing the wrecks near Echuca and Moama all have GPS locations and more information including a map (slightly outdated though) can be obtained from the Echuca Historical Society.
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Hey Sean, for your article I will try and get some photo's of the local wrecks the next couple of days
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Okay here we go fresh off the camera the B:22 barge with PS Adventurous and the bow of PS Murrumbidgee.
I've seen Murrumbidgee, B:22, Murray, Tam O'Shanter, Scottish Chief. Clyde doesn't exist anymore.
Downstream I've seen Kookaburra, Vega, Moorabin, Naomi, Susan
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You see more and more of B22 after every photo!
It will be Namoi by the way, I useed to think it was Naomi but it's actually named after a tributary!
As you can see Michael also knows where quite a few of the wrecks are. Isn't Vega in Swan Hill at the pioneer settlement? Was there another Vega barge or do you mean the boat Vega...hang on I think I mean Ventura which reminds me of Lady Rae...
You would have seen Whaler Michael...she's next to the slip and possibly Freetrader as well during winter she was visible on the 'natural winter low'
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Yeah well I reckon Vega is a wreck as there's nothing happening to her, same with Ada. Yes I forgot Whaler and Impulse is there aswell.
If your talking about that wreck downstream of the slip seen during low water it is actuall the Scotish Cheif, Freetrader is down where Gemma is moored
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there's not much of her anymore had a look last june.
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While Sean is becalmed, I enclose the notes which I prepared for 'Australian Ferries', the quarterly magazine of Australian Ferry Society. They are briefer than Sean's essay, but will fill a gap until he recreates his item.
I also enclose all three of Michael's photographs of this paddlesteamer.
I do have one of the vessel in steam, from another friend, which appeared in colour in the 50th edition of AFS Newsletter (the original name of AF).
I have deleted my temporary replacement post, in the 'Preserved' thread.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
PS Enterprise
This 17.3 m paddlesteamer was completed in Echuca in 1878, for use on the Edwards and Murrumbidgee rivers. It spent many years as a fishing vessel. It was restored in SA from 1973. In 1984 it was sold to Museum of Australia (National Museum). It was fitted with a new boiler; the engine was overhauled. It was trucked to Lake Burley Griffin, and is steamed on occasions for the museum, but is not allowed to carry commercial passengers. Molonglo River is a Murrumbidgee tributary, so paddlesteamers in the Murray-Darling basin have operated in Queensland (rarely), NSW, ACT, Victoria and SA.
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I really think that the Enterprise should be back on the Murray, although it is maybe a good thing for something like that to be at the National Museum..
I remember seeing it stationery when I was in Canberra a while ago.. cant remember the dates though!
Nice photos, and the engine, is that chain drive? Looks interesting
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Yeah she is chain driven, altho it was changed in the 1980's as it origanally had a belt chain like Etona has, and Ranger and Viola also had.
Her boiler is only rated to run no higher than 50psi so I wouldn't get a great thrill if they were ever to race Etona again. However she's in pieces at the moment to, she is also back at the wharf.
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HaHa I got to Swan Hill first....
PV Pyap. Built 1896 as a brage for Captain Oliver, constructed of iron topplate and frames and redgum bottom. It was then built into a steamer in 1898 ands operated as a hawking steamer in the lower Murray and darling river regions. She measured 94'x16.8' and was powered by twin cylinder 10hp portable steam engine by Marshall and Sons. Sold in 1913 and its engine was replaced by a twin cylinder 16hp portable steam engine by Richard Garret and sons, she still ran as a hawking steamer untill sold in 1932 to Les Newitt of Mildura and was converted to a fishing steamer. During the 1950's the Collins brothers bought the steamer removing the steam plant and converted it to a houseboat for their parents to live aboard.
In 1970 it was sold again to Toby Henson who brought it to Swan Hill and replaced the wooden bottom with steel and installed a 225hp diesel engine. She then ran excursions cruises from the pioneer settlement.
In 1972 it cruised downstream to Merbein to tow back the Vega barge which was refloated with the help of the Reliance.
On the 27 September 1978 it caught fire and the superstrucre was destroyed although the engine and hull were in good it wa rebuilt. Purchased by the Victorian Government in 1984 but continued to run at the pioneer settlement.
It made a trip to Echuca in the 1980's on a high river.
In October 2005 it went to Mildura where it spent a few months on the Buroonga slip where it had its bottom replaced, and interior rebuilt.
She returned to Swan Hill early 2006 but has issues with trips due to politics and local council
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...ahem...actually you didn't get there first Michael, I had a Pyap article, unfortunately it went down with APAM and as I never got a chance to finish Echuca I did not get a chance to replace it again as that article still exists.
So first my article on Enterprise: (First Published 4th Sunday, September 17, 2006)
The Paddle Steamer Enterprise now resides in our nations capital Canberra on lake Burley Griffin but unlike most Murray River paddlers of today she doesn't carry passengers!
Enterprise was built in 1877 in Echuca with a 12hp steam engine. She was built as a tow boat for use on the Edwards, Goulburn and Murrumbidgee rivers. She had an incredibly small draught of ten inches upon completion. She was 56.8 feet long and 15.6 feet wide. Her hull was made of red gum and most early river boats before the 1900's were. The Enterprise is believed to have been one of the boats that sailed down Echuca's main street when the river was in flood to help rescue stranded people and also sail into Queensland on flooded rivers.
Originally Enterprise worked carrying gerneal goods and wool, towing the Stella Barge. In 1919 the boat changed hands and began to work in the Fishing industry. At this time Enterprise still had no upper deck. This was to change after 1945 when the Enterprise was turned into a houseboat and changed hands various amounts of times. The upper deck was constructed and then made bigger and bigger until the boat was too top heavy to sail and as such she remained in Mannum. Two stainless steel pontoons were then added to keep the boat afloat after 3 tons of lead sheeting were added to the boat to keep her watertight. The Enterprise wouldn't be going anywhere for a while!
In 1973 the Enterprise was bought again and this time was to be turned into a boat able to paddle again. The deck structure changed and for awhile the boat could be found at Murray Bridge. During the 70's Enterprise made her way up to Echuca where she raced the Etona, but lost!
In 1984 the National Museum of Australia purchased the Enterprise and in 1987 the Enterprise arrived in Echuca. Work commenced on restoring the boat (next to the saw mill at the Port, now known as the 'Shipwrights Yard') and in 1988 the hull was completed. In April of 1988 the Enterprise returned to the Murray and on teh 28th of August 1988 the Enterprise was officially handed over to the National Museum. On a trial run before the ceremony the Enterprise blew a gasket but the problem was fixed just in time for the ceremony. Then the Enterprise was taken apart, loaded onto a low loader and driven to Canberra where she was placed on Lake Burley Griffin.
Enterprise now has the common 'square' paddle boxes and box like deck structures. She appears like the Adelaide when she had square paddles and the raised stern deck housing. However I don't believe the Enterprise ever looked like this when she operated on the Murray. Now the boat is brought into styeam for special events and for public viewing but is not licensed to carry passengers.
The following photo comes from Martin (lner). This is from about the time when the Enterprise raced the Etona.
I'm sure Roderick will also supply some photos of the Enterprise as I personally have never seen the boat!
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(Articles First Published 2nd Monday, September 18, 2006)
Welcome to Swan Hill famous for the Pioneer Settlement which was the first open aired museum in Australia and a giant Murray Cod! Swan Hill was named by explorer Thomas Mitchell who was kept awake by honking swans all night!
Swan Hill is also famous for the finish line of the race between the first two paddle steamers the Mary Ann and the Lady Augusta. Lady Augusta won the race and arrived in Swan Hill first. This race was re-enacted in the Randell Cadell run.
Murray Downs station, a white mansion including a tower to defend the people of the station from indigenous Australians, was for some period a big tourist attraction for the area but is now privately owned. Tyntynder Homestead, a restored homestead still remains open to the public and is a short drive from Swan Hill.
Swan Hill is home to two old paddlers and various private owned paddlers including a few being newly constructed. The Gem, the Queen of the Murray, is one of the big draw cards of the Pioneer settlement and for some time was the entrance to the Museum. The PV Pyap operates cruises from the Pioneer Settlement wharf.
After dinner my report on the PV Pyap!
_______Pretend it's after dinner!________
The Paddle Vessel Pyap was once driven by steam and before she was a tourist boat operated as a floating shop.
The Paddle Steamer Pyap was built in 1896 but like the Pevensey as a barge. She was built in Mannum in it's famous dry dock builtby William Randell. In 1898 Pyap became a paddle steamer and began operation as a hawking boat or floating store powered by a 10hp Marhsall & Sons engine. Pyap was 94 feet long and 16.8 feet wide.
Around 1913 the Pyap's engine was changed into a 16hp semi-portable Richard Garret & Sons engine. This engine was belonged to the paddle steamer Victor. Victor was built in 1877 and in 1907 was owned by Eudunda Farmers Co-op Society which also bought the Pyap in 1913. The Victor sunk in 1912 but was one of the few boats to reach Wagga. After sinking the engine was exchanged to the Pyap.
In 1932 Pyap changed hands and became a fishing vessel which operated this way until 1945 when the Collins brothers bought the boat and converted her into a houseboat. In the 70's by the Pyap sailed down from Mildura to Swan Hill to begin her new life. The trip took 13 days and was filled with troubles. Pyap's new engine weighed less than her old engine and as such she floated higher in the water. As such the paddlewheels did not hit the water and the boat had to be weighed down by concrete. Then the Mildura bridge was too small for the Pyap to pass under so part of the towing pole had to be cut off. The drive rope was also a problem as it continued to stretch, it was replaced with a drive chain and then finally made it to Swan Hill.
However upon arrival at the Pioneer Settlement the Pyap sunk after cracks in her hull which had built up over time allowed water to enter the hull. The 'Little Murray' or Marraboor River also rose at the same time leaving the boat even further under water.
After being raised again Pyap underwent the change into a tourist steamer. The hull was replaced with a steel hull, the engine replaced with a diesel engine, cabins were removed, hand rails installed and was licensed to carry 200 passengers. It took 8 months to make these changes to the boat, and those 8 months were about to go down the drain.
On the 28th of September 1978 the Pyap caught fire and burnt to the waterline, no one knows why the Pyap caught fire. Six weeks later the Pyap had been reconstructed completely. In 1988 the Pyap was given to the Swan Hill City Council and today she operates two cruises daily from the Pioneer Settlement Wharf.
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Here is PS Pyap at Mildura in Sept.63.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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That is the only photo I have seen of the Pyap that wasn't taken after restoration, so I thought that the superstructure had completely changed, but it hasn't.. I have been on the Pyap only once and that was when I was 9 so I cant remember much, only that it was a lot like POTM!!
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I like that photo Roderick! It's definately good to see the boats before their restorations as little are kept the way they were originally made. Especially if boats are designed to carry tourists.
Consider Pevensey, originally walking on decks and sitting on wool bales like today would not have happened as these decks cover the two giant holds of the Pevensey where cargo would have been stored.
I can only supply photos of boats that are in a current form...(I am but young)... so even I get a giant thrill when I see photos such as Roderick's of the boats and the olden days, even if they are of the end of the era.
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Yes, I really do love seeing photos of the boats before their current form..
That is why I am searching and buying many books from the 50's-90's on the paddle steamers (that have many a good photo in them)..
I found a few interesting ones of the Pevensey in one of them at Mildura, the Gem sunk, the Murrumbidgee burning etc...
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That Enterprise photo was taken in 1978 when it raced PS Roy and PV Florence Annie at Renmark.... you can see PS Roy at her stern!!
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Pyap as she is today, well last weekend
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I am more worried about that river level though.. is that the actual width of the river!!!
The Pyap is a nice looking boat, pity she is diesel though.. It would be a lot better as steam.. I remember cruising on her in Grade 3 - we had school camp in the Pioneer Settlement - and I remember that it was dissapointing to find out it didn't have a steam engine...
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I just quickly have to nip back to Echuca for a moment to write an article on the Canberra which got lost in the Great APAM Loss!
Here goes!
PS Canberra was built in 1912 in Goolwa as a single deck fishing vessel for a fishing fleet owner David Connors. She was originally powered by a 12 hp Marshall and Sons portable steam engine which drove the paddle shaft through a chain drive system. Canberra is 74ft long and 15ft wide and has a draught of 18 inches.
Canberra operated as a fishing vessel for many years and sometimes as a cargo boat. In the 1940's though Canberra gained her upper tourist deck and worked for Norm and Bill Collins as a tourist vessel in Mildura. Canberra operated at Mildura for a few years before she moved to Renmark and offered cruises from there. The tourist trade ended for Canberra in the 1950's when she became a houseboat, this didn't last too long though before Norm and Bill Collins had bought the boat again and transported her again to carry 150 passengers in the Mildura District from 1963. Echuca was beginning to see it's tourist prospects at this stage in time and were looking into purchasing a paddler to operate in the district, Canberra was purchased on 19 November 1966 and on Cristmas Eve 1966 Echuca recieved an early Christmas present of a paddler to operate at the once crowded Echuca.
In 1971 a diesel engine was installed as the steam engine was proving to be getting old and in bad shape. The diesel engine though was cleverly rigged so that it would still power the pistons and make it appear as though Canberra was still being powered by her steam engine. At this time Canberra bore the Red and White colour scheme which she would carry until her major refit.
Canberra was purchased in 2001 by Murray River Paddle Steamers who now operates Emmylou Pride of The Murray and Canberra. In 2002 Canberra was placed on slip and the refit began! The diesel engine was removed and a new Marshall Portable steam engine was installed. Much of the deckhousing was remade along with many of the planks of the hull being replaced. Canberra then gained her new colours of blue and creme/coffee creme and returned to the tourist industry in 2003 where she continues to operate.
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Here are my two Sept.63 photos of PS Canberra, transferred from the Preserved forum.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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The Queen of the Murray river is the PS Gem, now located in a pond at the Pioneer Settlemet of Swan Hill.
She was built in 1876 at Echuca as a barge with iron frames and wooden planking. She was only a year old when she was converted to a paddlesteamer with a 40hp steam engine installed. At this stage she was two levels and measured 93.4ft long and 20.4ft wide, and she was used for towing and carrying general cargo around Echuca, then the lower stretches of the Murray in South Australia and then the lower reaches of the Darling river.
In February 1882 she was pulled out of the river in Goolwa and the hull was cut in half, and pulled apart by bullock teams. A new 40ft hull was built in between, of wooden bottom and steel topsides. The hull was re-joined and now measured 133.6ft long. A new superstructure was built being 3 levels high, being able to accomodate 100 passengers, including a smoke room, ladies room, and a large dining room.
The Gem now operated in the passenger trade travelling inbetween Morgan SA and Mildura Vic. The boat was laid up during the wars, with all the other rivercraft (that would have been a sight to see). In 1948 she hit a snag on a shortly after leaving Mildura, one passenger died due to a heart attack.
The Gem was laid up in Mildura in 1952 and was used as a hostel for one of the local schools. In1962 the Shire of Swan Hill bought the Gem anmd left 1 October 1962 under tow of PS Oscar W, the trip taking 9 months due to low river. She arrived in Swan Hill in July 1963and was placed in a pond where she became the entrance to the Pioneer settlement.
In 2003 she under went restoration, with the hope she would be returned to the river, altho she got a new hull and the two lower decks got rebuilt.
A loco boiler from Echuca was to be installed into her, but nothing else has happened to her since.
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Vega barge: was built by F.O.Wallin in 1911 at Moama,NSW. She was 104ft long and 20.7ft wide built of composite with steel topsides and framing and redgum below the water. She was used for transporting wool along the Murrumbidgee, Wakool and Murray rivers, in the 1930's PS Australien and PS Invincible towed her long distances to and from Yarrawonga for the construction of the weir to form lake mulwala. In the 1950's she was located at Mildura and was revived for the 1956 floods when used behind PS Success for collecting sheep station's wool from the Darling River to Mildura for railway transport to Melbourne. During on of the trips the PS Success had engine trouble not long after entering the Murray from the Darling River and were tagled in trees untill the engine was in action again. She was later abandond on the bank downstream of Mildura. In the early 1980's she was refloated and towed to Swan Hill by PV Pyap where it was placed in a pond at the Pioneer Settlement and used as a static display, once with fake wool bales onboard but now just a bare hull in a dry pond, with no future plans of restoration.
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That Enterprise photo was taken in 1978 when it raced PS Roy and PV Florence Annie at Renmark.... you can see PS Roy at her stern!!
You would be about right as to when the photo was taken - however, the race was in this instance at Mannum.
My mother took the photo from our ski boat. (Incidentally yes she was racing against the Roy, but I am stuffed if I can see it hidden in that photo) If my memory serves, the race was from the Reserve at Mannum up to the punt and back. The Roy won as The Enterprise completely stuffed up the turn.
I seem to recall there was also a race between the Enterprise and the River Murray Queen that day.
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This photo was taken soon after PS Gem was placed at the site of what would be developed as Swan Hill Pioneer Village.
Notice that it is still at river level. Since then, the entry was blocked and the level changed. The grounds have been modified extensively, and many buildings have been trucked in from district sites.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Okay we depart Swan Hill and go though a few smaller river towns and arrive at Robinvale & Euston where the Paddle Steamer Canally is undergoing restoration.
She was built in 1907 at Koondrook- between Echuca and Swan Hill, and has a wooden hull and frames. She measured 92ft long and 21ft wide. She was designed to be a tow boat and its is reported that her first engine/boiler came from a locomotive. It was often seen towing the T.F barge which was a replica of the Canally hull. They were used for transporting wool arounad the riverina area and then used for shipping crates of dried fruit around the South Australian area. Her first skipper would open the throttle and aim for a camp of people on the river bank, turn the boat at the last second and send a wave of water over them, the vicitims were sometimes spotted around the next bend with a shotgun aimed at the wheelhouse!
She later had a 2cyl 14hp portable fitted.
Canally was sold to Norm Collins in 1929 and he removed the steam plant and sold it in 1942. The Chislett sawmill bought the Canally hull and the PS Hero and used them for collecting timber for their Sawmill at Boundary Bend. PS Hero caught fore and sank in January 1957 and not long after the Canally barge sprung it seams and sunk upstream of PS Hero.
In 1998 Canally was refloated and towed in tandem behind PV Mosquito and barge A:11. She was then sank at Mildura untill restoration could comence. She was refloated in 2003 when restoration commenced on the hull. Her hull was finished by mid 2004 and was towed to Euston where very slowly the rest of the vessel has been constructed, so far the decking has been done aswell as the sponson decks, next is the paddle boxes. A 12hp 2cyl Marshall portable has been obtained for her engine.
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I enclose a photo of the hull after its restoration was completed.
At the time, it was on display at 2004 Wentworth Junction Rally (a combination of paddleboat, machinery and vehicle enthusiasts). The rally is held every 3 years. Later, the hull was towed to Euston / Robinvale for the restoration to cruising condition to be completed in time to celebrate the centenary. This is what triggered the plan for this year's major rally: from Morgan (SA, where centenarian PS Ruby was built) to Koondrook / Barham (Vic. / NSW, where centenarian PS Canally was built). The fleet would pause at Wentworth in mid journey to be at the 2007 Junction Rally.
The organiser tells me that Canally will be ready as a vessel for the rally, but fitted temporarily with diesel propulsion.
I have mentioned before the pessimism re water levels this year: four states are suffering from a major drought, and water storages are severely depleted. Irrigation entitlements have been cut.
A decision on if (and how) to modify the rally plan will be made at the end of March: in other drought years, rain has fallen at that time and has improved river flows.
As I have mentioned before, of the planned 26 locks and weirs, only 1-11 plus 18 & 26 were built. The river is navigable in all seasons to Colignan (above Mildura); above there is dependent on flow.
Echuca's fleet can run all year round, as the river level there is maintained by Torrumbarry Weir.
Euston / Robinvale is the location of weir 18, so there is always a stretch there available for cruising.
There is a tricky spot above lock 6, which NSW refuses to dredge (greenie influence). In poor flows, large vessels (more than 90 cm draught) can't get through.
Because the river forms the boundary between Victoria and NSW, most towns come in pairs.
Mildura (Vic.) is opposite small suburbs Buronga, Gol Gol & Dareton.
Robinvale (Vic.) is opposite Euston (NSW)
Tooleybuc (NSW) no pair.
Swan Hill (Vic.) no pair
Koondrook (Vic.) is opposite larger Barham (NSW). Koondrook had (and has) the major sawmill.
Echuca (Vic.) is opposite Moama (NSW)
Tocumwal (NSW) no pair
Cobram (Vic.) is opposite smaller Barooga (NSW)
Yarrawonga (Vic.) is opposite Mulwala (NSW)
Wahgunyah (Vic.) is opposite Corowa (NSW)
Wodonga (a major Vic. rural city) is opposite the even-larger Albury (NSW).
Above Lake Hume, settlements are smaller and on only one side of the river.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Well I thought it was about time to write another article for APAM...as Roderick has always been trying to get me to write another one. As I haven't done one for such a long time I feel you all deserve something special. Michael covered Gem which I was going to cover...but now I'll need to think of something else! Well not entirely...the next article I shall write is not specific to one Port of call but instead talks about four vessels, and then their modern counterparts.
So onwards to the latest APAM article:
The Four Queens Of The Murray an APAM Special Edition Article
The modern Murray River is a different river to what it was in the era of the Paddle Steamers but there is still something incredibly similar in regards to the type of work some of these boats performed. Tourism is the link that keeps the paddle boat era alive, and not truly dead. In the era of the Paddle Boats there were four queens of this industry, they were at the time the largest of the boats and were responsible for many passenger cruises for both the holiday maker and people needing to get from one town to the closest city.
The boats were the Gem, the Ruby, the Marion and the Ellen. Three of which survive today and are either in the process of being restored or are actively partaking in the role they played in their day. Each of these boats stood several stories high and were of a great length compared to many of the work boats of the river, and each of the boat has it's own interesting and unique stories.
Take the Gem for instance. The Gem when originally built was nowhere near the size she is today. Originally built in 1876 as a barge Gem was 93.4 feet in length, she was tranformed into a Paddle Steamer in 1877 and in 1882 was cut in half to be lengthened in Goolwa. A bullock team pulled the two halves of the boat apart and a new section was added to the vessel making the total length 133.6 feet long. Along with the new length came new deck structure, three decks of superstructure, which was slightly added to every so often as the boat progressed 'down the river of life'. The boat was now able to accomodate 100 passengers...and an elephant!
And elephant you say, how absurd! No, apart from Gem being mainly a passenger steamer she was still quite capable of carrying large amounts of cargo as well, including a circus elephant! A photo can be found in the Godson collection.
Of course the Gem, like all boats, was not unsinkable and in 1948 the Gem was involved in a serious accident 60 miles below Wentworth. The accident was a common one on the river, being snagged. Gem was quickly steered to shallow water, but this didn't stop her sinking. Luckily her height left her sticking out of the water some bit!
The Gem was one of the boats famous for her Christmas cruises but her 'last cruise' was to be one of her most interesting. For some time the Gem had been tied up by the side of the river and was even used as a child care centre and hostel near Mildura (1952). In 1962, seeing the grat importance this vessel played in the history of the river and needing a centrepiece for their Museum the Pioneer Settlement of Swan Hill bought the boat and set out to have it towed to their location by the Paddle Steamer Oscar W. The journey took a great deal of time as the river dropped during the journey. The trip began on the first of October 1962 and ended in July 1963!
The Gem now sits at the Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill in a specially made lake, quite a distance from the river. She lists to one side (which she did all her life) and almosts looks depressed in her pond as various people work on her to get her back to her former glory. For some time she acted as the entrance to the Museum, but is now more of a centrepiece to attract people to the tourist park...I'm pretty sure you can see her from the McDonald's.
Another vessel that sat in a specially made lake for some time was the Paddle Steamer Ruby which is slowly getting closer and closer to completion. Originally built in 1907 Ruby was one of many vessels named this name of the river. She was 130.7 feet long and 18.7 feet widewith three decks and accomodation for thirty passengers. (It is here you begin to realise the true size of the Gem). She was originally powered by a 20hp Robey & Co Steam engine but this was replaced in 1911, and later in 1918. Once again the machinary was replaced in 1922.
Ruby operated mainly between Morgan and Mildura and it's journey's are not free from troubles. In 1921 Ruby was 'pushed' by some great winds near Swan Hill into the bank and it took some great thinking and quite a few boats to free her from the bank. In total six steamers were needed to haul Ruby from the bank she was stuck on. The problem was there was no trees to attach the long wires that would help pull the boat from the bank. Eventually they were tied around almost 100 saplings and then anchored with dead logs which were dug into trenches. The boats were then all joined together and the heaving power of the six boats was enough to pull Ruby free. Mind you the operation wasn't cheap costing about 2,000 pounds.
Today Ruby can be found in Wentworth and is about to be relaunched to perform her old task of passenger cruises. For some time Ruby was a houseboat in Mildura (Roderick has some photos) before being abandonned near Wentworth. In 1968 Ruby was purchased by the Rotary Club and restoration was organised. But for a period of time Ruby sat in a park, as she waited for the details to be fully organised.
In 1996 the restoration was handed over to the Wentworth Shire Council and by 2001 the hull has been restored. In January of 2002 Ruby was refloated in her own little pond (similar to Gem) and in 2004 left the pond and travelled a very short distance to the Wentworth Wharf for a recommissioning. This year marks her 100th Birthday, plans have been made for a large flotilla to assemble (the 2007 River Run) but water levels will decide whether this goes ahead. When fully completed Ruby will operate eco-cruises with passengers able to sleep on board.
In Part 2 of "The Queens Of The Murray an APAM special"
The Marion, the overnight cruiser performing her old job of carting passengers on over night cruises, the story of her 'last cruise', her restoration and some adventures that she had.
The Ellen, the only Queen not to be restored or still afloat today. The amazing 'water collection' story and her rather large extension.
The modern Queens, the boats doing the overnight cruise jobs today.
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roderick,
did you find out any information on roy's power plant
eg hp,boiler size ect
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No Anth, as I was unable to gain access.
I have just edited my post on PS Roy (p2 of this thread) to include a photo taken through the mesh.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Hey all... I know this post is probably a bit late, but if you're interested in seeing pics of the boats in their working days, the State Library of South Australia has a huge online collection. The following link is to their search engine. Just put in the name of the boat you're looking for & you should find at least something. Even on a lot of the more obscure vessels.
http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au:1084/search/d
By the way, I've noticed Roderick_Smith that you've been posting a few pics of boats taken in the 50's & 60's which I've never seen before. Are these ones you've taken yourself? If so, do you happen to have any of the EXCELSIOR taken during this period?
And just to fit in (again a bit late), I thought I'd add a pic of the HERO I took when I saw her on slip in October.
Mac
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The photos from the 1950s and 1960s are from my collection, taken by father or by me.
Generally I am putting up only one of each boat, in the APAM list of survivors thread, and saving the oldest views for when Sean reaches that vessel in the APAM director's cut thread (next entry predicted for 13.11.07, the day after the last year 12 exam).
I seem to have missed Excelsior.
According to Parsons, its last voyage was Mannum to Mildura in 1947. Its wheels went into the construction of PV Coonawarra ~1950. I have a photo of barge Reliance at Wentworth, but not of the houseboat Excelsior at Mildura, or of the hull.
I don't have any photos of PS Roy which reveal the plank sizes any better than the existing ones; and Derek has put up some figures of the common sizes. On my day on PS Oscar W from Wentworth to Mildura it was carrying a plank-steaming tube: either returning it to Mildura from a loan to Goolwa, or lending it to a Mildura yard for forthcoming work on a vessel there. The size of the tube would limit the size of plank timbers, hinting that there was a common standard. The tube doesn't show in any of the photos which I took that day.
Please introduce yourself and your paddle interests. There is a forum set up for this purpose. See you at Goolwa?
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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The EX was converted to a houseboat in 1948, being owned by the Stone family & then the Hill family before sinking one saturday in March 1961. The boat sat by the bank in front of the Mildura rowing club for a bit with only part of the upper deck showing, before Paddy Hogg came along with a tractor & chain & ripped the superstructure off. Apparently parts of this were used to rebuild parts of the OSCAR W, which Hogg owned. Max Anderson was then contracted to remove the hull. The plan was to wrap a chain around the bow of the boat, attach it to a bulldozer on the other side of the river & drag the hull across the riverbed, pull it up on the bank & scrap it. But... about halfway across the river the chain pulled part of the bow loose & the attempt was abandoned. The hull currently sits there, full of silt (maybe even covered by it).
There have been a couple of dives on the boat in the past couple of decades & it has been found to be in reasonable condition (aside from about 10 foot of the bow). Because the timber has been immersed in the water & mostly covered by silt, it has been pretty well preserved. One guy I spoke to even seems to think that the sponsons may still be intact. Which would be amazing, since they rarely survive on any of the Murray wrecks.
Just a quick bit of background on the boat. She was built in 1873 at Goolwa and only had one major rebuild in her 75 year working life. This was at Mildura in 1908 (there are photos of this). At this time she had a completely new superstructure built, a new boiler installed & most probably the engines and wheels of the PS FLORENCE ANNIE (I) installed. Meaning that the wheels currently in the COONAWARRA have now served 3 seperate vessels for over 125 years! Almost continuously. The EXCELSIOR was just over 117 foot long (as most Murray boats were measured from the inside of the stem post to the inside of the stern post, she was probably approaching 122 ft without the rudder), 17 ft wide & is the only vessel I've ever seen where the counter stern meets the deck behind the stern post.
Since 1996 I've been owner of the wreck. Hence my interest in any photos in private collections. Oh, & if anyone wants to loan me a couple of million to salvage & restore the boat, my account # is...
Pics... I'm only posting links as these are copyright
Excelsior in the 20s
http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au:1084/search/dexcelsior/dexcelsior/1,4,18,B/l856~b1111175&FF=dexcelsior+paddle+steamer&6,,13,1,0
A very early pic...
http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au:1084/search/dexcelsior/dexcelsior/1,4,18,B/l856~b1111169&FF=dexcelsior+paddle+steamer&13,,13,1,0
And of her sunk in 1961
http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au:1084/search/dexcelsior/dexcelsior/1,4,18,B/l856~b1119109&FF=dexcelsior+paddle+steamer&1,,13,1,0
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Those Mortlock Library photos are better than the one in Parsons.
Even so, the quoted passenger capacity of 51 just had to have been for day voyaging; there could not have been 51 bunks.
The 1948-61 houseboat life at Mildura slipped through my collection.
I have some late 1930s photos from a friend: before Excelsior was there.
My own first visit (and my father's first visit) was in Sept.63. I photographed Pyap still at the site (the photo has been put up somewhere in an APAM thread), but nothing shows of Excelsior.
The interesting boat in the third Mortlock photo is MV Riverina, rafted off Pyap. I have a photo of that boat in 1963, but have no history, and no knowledge of where it went next.
How will you fare with the shipwreck act? Does ownership give the right to raise the wreck? Other wrecks are now covered by the same law which covers sunken ships: no interference is allowed. There is a wreck in front of the wharf at Goolwa. At the last wooden boat festival, somebody lost an anchor when it tangled in the wreck.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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I've looked into the shipwreck act a little... And, it's pretty murky. There are several people I've spoken to who say that ownership is absolute, but the answer at NSW Heritage is somewhat different. Probably the most telling thing is that they went after Gary Byford when he salvaged the HERO, but ended up dropping the whole case. Besides, the act has several clauses where a wrecksite might be declassified & the EX fits a lot of these. It's really open to interpretation. But, since it's unlikely that I'll ever have the means to salvage the boat, the whole thing is really only academic.
Although, you've got to wonder what value the vessel has as a wreck considering it's in the middle of the river, under 30 foot of water. And, it's not as if the sinking was significant in itself, like the BUNYIP or RODNEY.
Anyway...
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In reference to PS "roy"
The paddle steamer Roy was built in 1908 by a boat builder by the name of R Brown.
The entire boat was built from surplus redgum and apparently this was sourced from Risbbey's sawmill in Mildura.
The boats dimensions are 36 feet in length with a 8 foot beam.
Head room was said to be around 6'6'' hull 3 feet deep carvel planked with a draft just under half a meter.
The total mass of this little fishing boat is around the 8 tonne mark.
Roy was fitted with a little steam engine not much is known about it's original machinery except that it was around 1.5-2 hp
Mr brown lost his son in a machinery accident on the boat hence it's name "roy" after his son death.
Roy was sold off and it's history becomes scattered up until the 1930 were it was reported to have been stripped and abandoned up until 1936.
Two brothers by the name of Bill and Norm Collins rebuilt the vessel in 1936 and it was rumoured they used timber from other paddlers languishing in the murry at that time.
Roy was sold off yet again and converted into a small house boat by the new owner Frank Beveridge who later ran Roy aground near Berri.
In 1960 Roy was bought by the Berri War Memorial Community Centre, they made an effort to raise funds to restore Roy and this was completed in the late 70's, again roy changed ownership and was offered to the national trust where the boat was placed in a fauna reserve and remained there for nearly 20 yrs
2003 saw Roy obtained by the Cobdolga Irrigation and Steam Museum under the agreement that the museum would restore the vessel.
2007 As can be seen by the pictures supplied by Roderick on page 2 not much progress has been made with Roy.
The engine that is in Roy is not the original and is one fitted by the collins brothers built in 1880 and will hopefully have another fire warming her belly once again.
I have been researching Roy for a little while as it is my favorite little paddler hope this information forms some interest in another aspect of murry paddlers"The little fishing vessels"
cheers Anthony
-
With the shipwreck act anyboats are able to be refloated within 50yrs of when they sank, thats why Hero and Canally got away. The only boat i think that is still able to be refloated is PS Kookaburra, but theres bugger all of her left. There are a couple of barges in a lagoon just above Lock4 i think there still in tact but doon't no about when they were put there. Then you would wonder about Tarella!!
-
That gives the EXCELSIOR another 4 years. But, there are wrecks less than 50 years of age which have been protected because they fit other criteria.
As for the TARELLA, I don't think she's been classified as a wreck because she's been in constant use & is still relatively intact. Plus the shipwreck acts are state legislation, not federal. Which means that what is correct in NSW may not affect vessels in SA.
-
Unless I've missed something (quite probable!) I haven't seen anything in the Aussie threads about passenger carrying paddlers, or paddle ferries for cars/trains or whatever...
I mean boats that were originally built for that purpose, not vessels that were later converted to carry passengers etc....
Did such things exist? Surely they must have?
-
On the Murray Eddy the boats were mainly used as cargo and work boats- passenger boats tended to just be a work boat with a spare cabin for someone to cruise on. Ferries weren't really a thing on the Murray- large distances between towns.
I'll get onto a map.
Car ferries (non paddler) are still used at some points along the river (Berri for instance) and I know that one or two of these were once powered by small paddlers.
For paddlers that are more like ferries I think you would have to look slightly further far afield.
PS Ozone, Hygiea and...the third one I can't remember on Port Phillip Bay in Victoria were passenger ferries. (Or as far as I am aware)
Then there are the Manly ferries...I think...in Sydney.
I think the use of paddler ferries wasn't too big here because of the distances between towns. Remeber Australia is much bigger than the UK so it often takes hours (by road) to get from town to town.
As for Rail Ferries I am aware of none.
-
Thanks for the reply Sean - I would have thought that the larger distances between towns would make passenger ferries more likely, not less likely?
Going back before the days of the internal combustion engine, travelling by road was a slow process, so passenger ferries were widely used - Just look at the USA for many examples!
Hence my confusion over not seeing anything in the Aussie threads - And ferries for carrying road vehicles, originally horse drawn and later perhaps cars or trains, must have been used before bridges were built? It's much cheaper to build a boat than a bridge!
Perhaps this is an area that deserves further research? I'm fairly confident that these vessels must have existed in Australia...
-
Check out the Manly Ferries
----- Original Message -----
From: Eddy Matthews (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 5:33 PM
Subject: RE: APAM- The Directors Cut!
Unless I've missed something (quite probable!) I haven't seen anything in the Aussie threads about passenger carrying paddlers, or paddle ferries for cars/trains or whatever...
I mean boats that were originally built for that purpose, not vessels that were later converted to carry passengers etc....
Did such things exist? Surely they must have?
Regards
Eddy
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Purpose built passenger ferries were used in Australia, but mainly in areas like Sydney Harbour, Port Phillip Bay (the third vessel Sean mentioned was the Weeroona), the Gippsland Lakes, the Hawkesbury & the Swan rivers. In these areas, though, the day of the paddlesteamer was pretty short lived. Australia progessed to screw propulsion fairly early.
On the Murray there were only a couple of purpose built passenger vessels. Due to the river conditions, the lower population density & the large distance between towns (especially by river where the distance travelled was generally 2-3 times the distance by road), the Murray passenger boats were very different from those you would see on other systems. The current Ruby & the Pearl of 1891 were both purpose built passenger steamers.
The only area on the Murray where there were services similar to what you'd see elsewhere was Lake Alexandrina. Here there were vessels such as the Jupiter & Milang which operated ferry services. Their deckhouses were very simple compared to other boats. No upper deck & a lot of open space everywhere. The Jupiter was converted to this role, but I think the Milang was built for it. Although, other than the deckhousing, the Milang was similar to other boats in her hull & machinery.
-
Hi PD’s & hullo PJ…….here is a listing of the paddle vessels that plied from waters of Sydney harbour in Australia & were termed as the Manly ferries or combined with duties of ferries/tugs
Â
The Brothers 1847>1886
Warlingtin 1851>?
Herald 1854>1884
Nora Creiner 1854>?
The Huntress 1854>1857
Planet 1855>?
Black Swan 1854>?
Phantom 1858>1878
Clommel 1859>1878
Culloden 1867>?
Breadalbane 1853>1884
Goolwa 1864>1919
Cobra 1871>1873
Commodore 1878>1898
Fairlight 1878>1912
Brighton 1883>1916
Â
This listing is courtesy of …Mead. Tom….Manly Ferries of Sydney Harbour ….ISBN 0 86777 091 0….[1988]
Â
It appears that in the early days [1854>1857] any unsuspecting passenger from Circular Quay enroute to Manly [40 minute trip] may have experienced the Captain of the ferry/tug approaching the heads of Sydney harbour… seeing an incoming sailing vessel…and promptly divert to assist with the tow back to the city near Circular Quay!!!!!!!!!!
Â
The passenger’s certainly got their 1/50 shilling’s worth trip, being a five hour voyage back to Circular Quay & then 6 hours late back to home
Â
Derek
Â
Â
Â
From: Paul Jordan [mailto:research@paddleducks.co.uk]
Sent: Tuesday, 13 March 2007 11:10 AM
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk
Subject: Re: APAM- The Directors Cut!
Â
Check out the Manly Ferries
Â
Â
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Most of my references are still being unearthed as I rearrange my library at the conclusion of house reconstruction.
Australia's few train & tram ferries were not paddle vessels.
Most/all Murray car ferries were punts, and so used a winding mechanism onto a fixed cable. This was also true of Williamstown & Raymond Island (Victoria), Moggill (Qld).
Somebody has listed every paddle vessel in the Sydney ferry book.
Here is the Victoria list, from Jack Loney 'Bay Steamers and coastal ferries', Reed (1988 update of 1982 first edition). Isbn 0 909191 38 7
Port Melbourne - Williamstown (a local ferry run)
PS Agenoria
PS Comet
PS Fairy Queen
PS Geelong
PS Kangaroo
PS Queen
PS Gem (40 years on the service)
PS Royal Oak
PS Emu
PS Victoria
Melbourne - Geelong
PS Aphrasia
PS Breadalbane
PS Citizen
PS Duncan Hoyle
PS Geelong
PS Luna
PS Maitland
PS Melbourne
PS Phantom
PS Prince Albert
PS Reliance
PS Shandon
PS Thames
PS Vesta
PS Victoria
plus PS Bellarine (ex Murray PS Dispatch): Geelong to Point Henry tea gardens
Bay excursion
PS Golden Crown
PS Williams
PS Mystery
PS Lonsdale
PS Ozone
PS Hygiea
PS Weeroona
West coast: virtually all were SS, not PS
PS Juno
PS Manchester
East coast:
PS Corsair
PS Avon
PS Black Boy
PS Charles Edward
PS Murray
PS Thistle
PS Trio
Bass strait
PS Seahorse (Sea Horse?)
PS Newcastle (the last ocean-going paddlesteamer built for Australian waters, 1884)
PS Clarence
PS Clonmel
PS Shamrock
PS Yarra Yarra
Also mentioned:
PS Corsair
PS Emu (paddle tug)
There will be overlaps, as boats were sold and transferred to new territories. A common pattern was to be bought second-hand from UK or NSW to be used in Victoria, then set out (as a totally unsuitable vessel) to NZ, carrying hopeful prospectors to the Otago gold rush, then to sink en route.
I have yet to unearth my books on Yarra River or Lake Wendouree.
I am still heading up the Murray with my posts, currently at Colignan. I was looking for a good map to post; Derek has now posted a good one.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
Eddy's confidence is not misplaced.
...I would have thought that the larger distances between towns would make passenger ferries more likely, not less likely?
Going back before the days of the internal combustion engine, travelling by road was a slow process, so passenger ferries were widely used - Just look at the USA for many examples!
Hence my confusion over not seeing anything in the Aussie threads - And ferries for carrying road vehicles, originally horse drawn and later perhaps cars or trains, must have been used before bridges were built? It's much cheaper to build a boat than a bridge!...
Without going through Parsons, many boats had passenger accommodation on the second deck, behind the wheelhouse and officers' cabins. I suspect that meals were brought upstairs from a kitchen in a sponson cabin. Passengers would have included government officials, property owners, bank officials, ministers, magistrates, people travelling from sheep stations to the big cities for medical reasons or education etc.
I have mentioned in another post, before the late 1880s connection of Adelaide to Melbourne by rail there were three modes of travel:
* The sea voyage: quite uncomfortable and dangerous.
* A hybrid surface voyage by train, lake ferry, horse coach and train.
* The inland voyage by Murray paddlesteamer to Echuca, then train. This was slower, and seasonal, but safe and scenic.
With sparse settlement, the ferries would have been infrequent.
I have also come across a reference to multiple ferries competing for the Echuca - Albury sector of the inland link from Melbourne to Sydney.
Train from Melbourne to Echuca; paddlesteamer to Albury; horse coach to the advancing railhead from Sydney. From 1873, it was more efficient to ride the new railway to Wodonga. By 1883, the nation's largest two cities were connected by train (break of gauge at Wodonga/Albury).
I'll have to look up the Clarence River train ferries as I unpack my library.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
I have also read about a service that ran between Goolwa and Adelaide- out through the mouth and along the coast to Adelaide.
Can't remember when it ran or what boats, but I'm pretty sure it was a paddler service.
-
Most unlikely Sean (Adelaide - Goolwa by paddlesteamer through the mouth):
The mouth was largely unnavigable, and was dangerous, and was bypassed by a railway from 1854 for this very reason.
1854: Goolwa - Port Elliot
1864: Port Elliot - Victor Harbor (a safer port than Port Elliot)
1869: Middleton - Strathalbyn. Horse coaches ran from Adelaide to Strathalbyn, and on to Milang to connect by lake ferry to Meningie, and hence horse coach to the advancing railhead from Melbourne.
1883: Adelaide - Strathalbyn.
1884: Sandergrove - Milang. Trains now connected from Adelaide to lake ferries there.
1886: Nairne - Murray Bridge
1887: Murray Bridge - Serviceton and on to Melbourne.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
I swear I read something about it- it's a very early thing, failry early in river navigation on the lower Murray.
Maybe it was to Port Elliot.
I'll see if I can find where I read it.
It would have been before the railway was installed there is that the Milang one Roderick?
The railway (light railway?) that cut across country to Adelaide...
-
I'm pretty sure that Sean is right. There was a service in the late 1850s, I think you'll find that Cadell's group used a chartered vessel called Melbourne for a regular service through the mouth.
-
Anonymous Excelsior has made the unsubstantiated claim that Cadell ran a regular service through the Murray mouth.
The only available reference is Parsons, and the book gives no evidence of this at all.
It passed in though the mouth on 19.8.1854, and out again on 28.8.1854. The next quote from Parsons mentions the wrecking in the mouth on 16.11.1859.
Some boats passed through the mouth when being transferred to new owners and locations, but there is so far no evidence of a regular scheduled service.
Evidence might be found by searching the archive of contemporary Adelaide newspapers, looking for advertisements of available passages, but that hasn't been done yet.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
I apologise. I got the vessel wrong, but yes, Cadell had a couple of attempts (failed) to run a regular service through the mouth. Neither of the boats were paddlers. The first used the SS Corio & only lasted a few months in 1857 before she was grounded at the mouth and due to an insurance dispute the vessel was sold off. This service was an Adelaide-Goolwa run.
There's also mention of Cadell using the SS Ruby in 1860 to carry riverine wool through the mouth to Melbourne. There's no real indication of how long this operation continued, only that it was Cadell's last season on the rivers. So, presumably, there were only a few trips. I couldn't say for sure whether either of these runs carried passengers, but it's likely that there were a few berths.
If you want to know where I got this information, it came from Parsons. In my edition there are brief paragraphs on pages 22 & 23. Cadell's attempts at regular navigation of the mouth are also briefly mentioned in Ian Mudie's book (apparently the Ruby ran all the way up river to Wentworth). While you're looking at Parsons, though, you might want to look up SS Queen of the South. This vessel was built for George Johnston specifically for a regular service between Goolwa & Adelaide. Which it did for a year before there was an incident at the mouth which may, or may not, have been the reason for the government withdrawing the bounty paid to the owner for running the service. This service is also mentioned in Gwenda Painter's "A Different River".
-
The reason that Eddy has missed seeing anything on these: they weren't paddle.
* Clarence River, Grafton (NSW): Photos of ferries SS Swallow (converted in 1924) & SS Induna (converted in 1926) are at
www.sutcliffegallery.com.au/cat/ (/Transport.htm & /Grafton.htm)
They weren't paddle.
Swallow had three tracks: using either the centre solo, or the outer pair, according to the load beeing carried. It had twin funnels.
Induna had a single track, and only one funnel.
Only wagons and carriages being transferred to workshops crossed on the ferries. Passengers and luggage went by motor vehicle on the car ferry.
The rail section of the new twin-deck bridge (with a bascule span) was commissioned in 1932.
Information from articles by R Bremner in July 82 and Oct.83 New South Wales Rail Trasport Museum 'Roundhouse'.
* Hawkesbury River (NSW). In 1887, the railway from Sydney reach Brooklyn, and the railway from Newcastle reached Gosford. Pending completion of Hawkesbury River bridge and Woy Woy tunnel, SWPS General Gordon was used from 15.8.1887 to connect the two railheads via the the river and and Brisbane Water. It carried only passengers and mail, not railway rollingstock.
It had been built in 1886 at Terrigal:
length 117 ft, 36 m
beam 25.5 ft, 7.8 m
hull depth 5.5 ft, 1.7 m
draft 18 in, 45 cm
164 tons
vertical boiler driving a 55 hp engine (an unusually high rating; possible error in the source?)
The crossing of Broken Bay (the inland side of the Hawkesbury mouth) could be rough.
With the completion of the tunnel, the route was altered to run up Mullet Creek to a temporary station, a shorter and easier journey, from 16.1.1888.
A large punt (ie barge?) could be used to transfer three wagons or one loco on a single journey; apparently only in the Mullet Creek era. Earlier equipment would have been shipped to Newcastle (or built there).
The bridge was opened on 1.5.1889.
General Gordon continued to be used as an excursion vessel for many years.
Information from C C Singleton 'the Short North; the Sydney - Newcastle link railway' part 3, in Sept.65 Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin.
* The Manly tram system was connected to the northern Sydney system by a cable punt at The Spit. This was used only when transferring trams from one system to the other; passengers changed from tram to ferry to a waiting tram. The first twin-bascule bridge at the location was opened in 1924, but without a tram track. Passengers had to walk across the bridge. The Manly system was closed in 1933, and the trams were brought back to the main system using the punt. A new twin-bascule bridge was commissioned in 1958.
Information from:
* L A Clark 'North of the harbour', ARHS, 1976; Isbn 0 909650 05 5.
* www.manly.nsw.gov.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/Spit%20Bridge%20fact-sheet.pdf
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
The third large paddle steamer was WEEROONA. These were like large Clyde steamers in design
Â
Alistair
----- Original Message -----
From: thewharfonline (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 11:02 PM
Subject: RE: APAM- The Directors Cut!
On the Murray Eddy the boats were mainly used as cargo and work boats- passenger boats tended to just be a work boat with a spare cabin for someone to cruise on. Ferries weren't really a thing on the Murray- large distances between towns.
I'll get onto a map.
Car ferries (non paddler) are still used at some points along the river (Berri for instance) and I know that one or two of these were once powered by small paddlers.
For paddlers that are more like ferries I think you would have to look slightly further far afield.
PS Ozone, Hygiea and...the third one I can't remember on Port Phillip Bay in Victoria were passenger ferries. (Or as far as I am aware)
Then there are the Manly ferries...I think...in Sydney.
I think the use of paddler ferries wasn't too big here because of the distances between towns. Remeber Australia is much bigger than the UK so it often takes hours (by road) to get from town to town.
As for Rail Ferries I am aware of none.
APAM- Australian Paddler Appreciation Month
Show your support for Aussie Paddlers this month on www.paddleducks.co.uk (http://www.paddleducks.co.uk)
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-
Yes..that's helpful Derek. Thank you.
Â
I have Tom Mead's book and it's a shame he devotes only a brief part to the early Manly paddlers. I really would like to see more pictures of the ships you've listed and also the Port Philip paddlers which Roderick listed. Has anybody got any ideas where models/plans/drawings of these ships might be found? I'm currently scouring the Australian Maritime Museum Websites to see if any exist but so far no luck.
Â
Also (and I asked this question before) does anybody live close to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney and can give us a heads up of what paddler related matter they have?
Â
Â
----- Original Message -----
From: Derek L Warner Pty Ltd (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 3:19 AM
Subject: RE: APAM- The Directors Cut!
Hi PD’s & hullo PJ…….here is a listing of the paddle vessels that plied from waters of Sydney harbour in Australia & were termed as the Manly ferries or combined with duties of ferries/tugs
Â
The Brothers 1847>1886
Warlingtin 1851>?
Herald 1854>1884
Nora Creiner 1854>?
The Huntress 1854>1857
Planet 1855>?
Black Swan 1854>?
Phantom 1858>1878
Clommel 1859>1878
Culloden 1867>?
Breadalbane 1853>1884
Goolwa 1864>1919
Cobra 1871>1873
Commodore 1878>1898
Fairlight 1878>1912
Brighton 1883>1916
-
You really have to buy the books.
The images are copywritten, and can't be reproduced here.
One good site for the Sydney ones is
http://landover.no-ip.com/ferries/index.html
It lists 32 paddlesteamers, with images of about 12 (45 images, as some have multiple).
I have visited ANMM twice. Despite its pretentious name, Australian National Maritime Museum is not very national. Its themes are good, but hardly all-embracing. IIRC, it doesn't even cover the Murray or Darling, and they flowed through NSW (NSW still lives with a Premier State mentality).
I don't recall much on Sydney Harbour ferries either.
The displays which stick in my mind:
* Early migration by sailing ship. with interpretive material and sample interiors.
* Links with USA (a display funded by the USA government).
* History of Halvorsen.
* Recreation and beach picnics (including yachting, surfing, and a Kontiki-style boat made from empty beer cans).
* A sectioned marine engine (double or triple expansion?).
The bookshop is good, and most marine books (eg the Plowman series) are available there.
Some of the important boats moored alongside require a supplementary fee (or perhaps that was because my more recent visit was when entry to the main display was free, under a sponsorship deal).
Overall, I thought that NZ's national maritime museum (Auckland, in a similar setting on a touristfied former working harbour) did a better job of covering the important aspects of national maritime history.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
Hi PD's.....& PJ asks...........
does anybody live close to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney and can give us a heads up of what paddler related matter they have?
PJ.. I am 80 Km from Sydney, but as previously posted, the ANMM has zero on our Australian paddler history :rant - the Museum is in a truly beautiful water location @ Darling harbour with the backdrop of the Sydney harbour :bravo bridge & the external exhibits [James Craig, HMAS :boom Vampire, a Russian :ohno submarine etc are a great way to spend a day...just a pity about the lack of PD history - Derek
Oh BTW... I also think the South Australian Maritime Muesum in Port Adelaide is of greater historical interest than that offered by Sydney
-
Hello Roderick.
Â
You raise an interesting and frequently debated point regarding copyright material and one which, as an editor, I recognize concerns you greatly. I'm sure if this is off topic it can be moved to an appropriate spot.
Â
You said in your post:
 "You really have to buy the books.
The images are copywritten, and can't be reproduced here."
Â
I appreciate what you say and most certainly do buy the books. I have a huge paddler library.
Â
Since I'm no longer a moderator on this forum, I can't speak on policy, but I'm sure the moderators will correct me if I'm wrong in the context of this forum.Â
Â
The policy I maintained in the old Paddleducks Yahoo Forum was that it was OK to reproduce copyright images on the forum so long as:
Â
a) The dimensions of the material are reduced/altered/watermarked so as not to confuse, or in any way allow reproduction as an original.
b) Full text credit is given to the copyright holder and/or the source of the material in the absence of formal permission.
c) The material is immediately removed if it offends a copyright holder and upon which an apology should be given.
d) There is no attempt to gain financially from reproducing the material.
Â
Since Paddleducks is a not-for-profit forum and originally formed for the benefit of researchers, modelmakers and enthusiasts, there is little danger of being sued by a copyright holder so long as the above conditions are met. Having obtained a legal opinion on this very issue when I started the original Paddleducks forum, the consensus was that, so long as the material was published responsibly and within the above guidelines, there was little chance of being sued for copyright infringement. It would be extremely difficult to prove damages and would be unproductive and expensive for a copyright holder to pursue legal action, especially in a foreign jurisdiction. This is not to be confused with Trade Mark or Patent infringements which have their own regulatory bodies and subject to far more stringent recourse.Â
Â
I think you'd agree that in many cases, reproducing photos or text in a responsible manner and making sure appropriate credit is given to the copyright holder/source can even be helpful to authors in bringing attention to their original work. It has even been put forward that once material is published on the net it becomes public domain. I tend to disagree with this and believe it's a dangerous assumption. There are rules for public domain, although I have never been able to find a satisfactory or legally binding definition.Â
Â
To illustrate my point, you provided a link to a website called Landover's Sydney Ferries Gallery. I have no idea who "Landover" is or who puts out this website but I did notice they have published a large number of photographs without one single copyright credit! In fact I don't know if you noticed the second image of "The Brothers" (a ship that particularly interests me) at URL:
http://landover.no-ip.com/ferries/images/ferries/manly/paddle/brothers/index.php?start=2 (http://landover.no-ip.com/ferries/images/ferries/manly/paddle/brothers/index.php?start=2)
You'll no doubt have recognized this as John Allcot's original work which became the back cover for Tom Mead's well known book on the subject. Although there's a good description of the ship, there's no mention of nor any credit given to Mr. Allcot and not even any indication the artist has given permission to reproduce the image on the website. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd expect this to be a copy of an original work and likely copyrighted. If this is so then I think you'd agree this is a clear example of irresponsible image publishing. However, I'd be surprised if there has ever been any legal action taken over this or most of the other unaccredited material on this website as nobody is likely to be financially damaged by it and there is certainly no intention to defraud the copyright holders.
Â
I hope you won't take offence at my comments which are purely to make sure forum subscribers are not discouraged from posting images and that everyone here continues to have access to resources and information when it is posted responsibly as it most certainly is in this forum.Â
Â
I, for one, would still like to see images of those beautiful old Australian paddle Ferries which, from a historic perspective, deserve every bit as much recognition and discussion as their Murray river counterparts. Â
Â
Regards.
Â
Â
----- Original Message -----
From: Roderick Smith (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 9:52 PM
Subject: RE: APAM- The Directors Cut!sued
You really have to buy the books.
The images are copywritten, and can't be reproduced here.
One good site for the Sydney ones is
http://landover.no-ip.com/ferries/index.html (http://landover.no-ip.com/ferries/index.html)
It lists 32 paddlesteamers, with images of about 12 (45 images, as some have multiple).
SNIP
-
The third large paddle steamer was WEEROONA. These were like large Clyde steamers in design....
The book 'Paddlesteamers' by Bernard Cox has a photo of weeroona (in the chapter with other aussie boats), it does indeed look like a clyde steamer!
-
I have to agree with Paul, the odd photograph is not going to cause any problem as long as due credit is given to the copyright holder or the source of the original. It's only common decency after all!
It's a different ballgame if we're talking about publishing a full article or book etc on the forum - Then we would always try to obtain the copyright holders permission, unless it's out of copyright of course...
-
All literature states that the popular Port Phillip Bay excursion steamers were based on Clyde practice.
I haven't the time to do a more-detailed article today.
The best known were:
* Ozone: Built 1886 by Napier, Shanks & Bell (Glasgow, Scotland).
* Hygeia: Built 1890 by Napier, Shanks & Bell (Glasgow, Scotland).
* Weeroona: Built 1910 by A S Inglis (Glasgow, Scotland).
The definitive work is T K Fitchett 'Down the bay; the story of the excursion boats of Port Phillip', Rigby, 1973; Isbn 0 85179 632 X.
It was illustrated exclusively with watercolour paintings made by the author, who was born in 1896. Probably he is dead today, but not for 50 years. If I can't find suitable photos to post one of each, I will scan the relevant ones in b&w. I have also restored the photo of PV Gypsy Ellen which I removed after a comment from Sean; it is in the APAM list of modern & restored thread, ~p4.
I wrote an article 'Down the bay' as a set of notes for a railway-enthusiast group chartering MV Little Gem from Williamstown to Mornington, then published the article in RNV. I was approached by Australian Ferry Society to republish the article in AFS Newsletter (now titled 'Ferries Australia'), and have become both a member and regular author. In an age before motor cars and nightclubs, they were very popular for public recreation and for a young man to hunt for a young lady. There is a wealth of folklore and a great deal of public affection for them. As I mentioned in my introduction post, the ashes of my great uncle were thrown into the bay from one. 'Down the bay' was a very Melbourne phrase for close to 100 years.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
I take it you guys have the book "The wheels still turn" by Peter Plowman which is an overview of all Australian paddlers
Â
Alistair
----- Original Message -----
From: Roderick Smith (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 2:52 AM
Subject: RE: APAM- The Directors Cut!
You really have to buy the books.
The images are copywritten, and can't be reproduced here.
One good site for the Sydney ones is
http://landover.no-ip.com/ferries/index.html (http://landover.no-ip.com/ferries/index.html)
It lists 32 paddlesteamers, with images of about 12 (45 images, as some have multiple).
I have visited NMM twice. Despite its pretentious name, National Maritime Museum is not very national. Its themes are good, but hardly all-embracing. IIRC, it doesn't even cover the Murray or Darling, and they flowed through NSW (NSW still lives with a Premier State mentality).
I don't recall much on Sydney Harbour ferries either.
The displays which stick in my mind:
* Early migration by sailing ship. with interpretive material and sample interiors.
* Links with USA (a display funded by the USA government).
* History of Halvorsen.
* Recreation and beach picnics (including yachting, surfing, and a Kontiki-style boat made from empty beer cans).
* A sectioned marine engine (double or triple expansion?).
The bookshop is good, and most marine books (eg the Plowman series) are available there.
Some of the important boats moored alongside require a supplementary fee (or perhaps that was because my more recent visit was when entry to the main display was free, under a sponsorship deal).
Overall, I thought that NZ's national maritime museum (Auckland, in a similar setting on a touristfied former working harbour) did a better job of covering the important aspects of national maritime history.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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On regards to the National Maritime Museum in Sydney, I have attended once or twice and can not remember a great deal of paddler related material. But the one is South Australia, if I recall correctly, is a lot more Murray River related. I remember enjoying it much more than the Sydney one (and that could only be because of the paddler content (as I also have a large interest in maritime history and own various books from the vikings to the super liners of today).
-
Most have a web presence, try Googling.
QUEENSLAND
Townsville: on Ross River, close to the city centre, in historic and purpose-built buildings. General marine stuff, with a focus on the mysterious loss of the coastal ship Yongala nearby, and Townsville's role as a military city in WWII (when there was a strong fear that north Queensland would be invaded by Japan). Surprisingly, there is little coverage of the Hayles ferry to Magnetic Island: Hayles grew to be a major force in coastal tourism, before the empire was fragmented into multiple different private operations.
www.townsvillemaritimemuseum.org.au.
Brisbane: Queensland Maritime Museum, at a dry dock on Brisbane River, south bank, inner city. The floating display includes operating steam tug Forceful and RAN Diamantina (built in Queensland) and a lightship Carpentaria. I can't remember much about the interior display.
www.maritimemuseum.com.au.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Sydney: ANMM, discussed further up, www.anmm.gov.au.
There are two historic fleets at Darling harbour: ANMM's static one, and Sydney Heritage Fleet's operating ones (including the elegant Edwardian steam launch Lady Hopetoun). In a fit of honesty, the former Australian Heritage Fleet renamed itself to the more accurate SHF. It has several beautiful vessels in working order (but no paddle ones). www.australianheritagefleet.com.au.
VICTORIA
Melbourne: based on restored barque Polly Woodside, and the former Duke & Orr dry dock. I can't recall much of an interior display, just the two major pieces of engineering. The museum is closed from mid 2006 to the end of 2008 while the waterfront is redeveloped as a commercial and tourist precinct.
www.nattrust.com.au/trust_properties/melbourne_and_surrounds/melbourne_maritime_museum_home_of_polly_woodside
There is also marine material at the immigration museum (former customs house), Scienceworks (Spotswood, a former sewage-pumping station) and on the floating HMAS Castlemaine at Williamstown.
Lakes Entrance: A good display of lakes shipping, including some photos of paddle vessels in the visitor centre at the Princes Hwy entry to the town.
Echuca: Apart from the preserved operation paddlesteamers, there is a display at the historic wharf. Many nearby buildings are preserved in their 1860s condition. A former brothel is about to become an upmarket b&b [again!].
Ballarat: There is a small museum in a historic boatshed on Lake Wendouree. The lake had several small paddle vessels to take workers from the east end to the gardens at the west end for weekend recreation. An original boat was destroyed by arson in 2006 at its offsite restoration shed. In 2007, the lake is dry.
TASMANIA
* Devonport Maritime Museum & Historical Society: Gloucester Ave; Box 658 Devonport Tas. 7310; 03 6424 7100. The collection is housed in the former harbourmaster's house, plus extensions. It is open 10.00-16.00 (16.30 Oct.-Mar). There is an extensive coverage of Bass Strait ferries.
* Launceston Maritime Museum: Wellington St, Launceston Tas. 7250.
* Maritime Museum of Tasmania: 16 Argyle St; Box 1118L Hobart Tas. 7001; 03 6234 1427; www.maritimetas.org. It is open 10.00-17.00 daily (except Good Friday & Christmas Day). During 2000-01, ANMM helped this museum develop a new exhibition, reinterpreting the extensive collection. Themes include crossing Derwent River, Port of Hobart and the sea roads of south-eastern Tasmanian coastal communities.
* Pilot Station Maritime Museum: 399 Low Head Rd, Low Head Tas. 7253; 03 6382 1143. It is open 8.00 until late, daily.
* Many other museums have significant maritime items.
* Lady Nelson was the first boat to enter Port Phillip heads. A 16.7 m replica was built in 1988, and is operated in Tasmania for youth sail training. On Thurs.14.2.02, the replica marked the 200th anniversary of the original journey by repeating it, watched by hundreds of people from the shore. It would remain in the area for 3 weeks for commemorative celebrations.
* Australia's oldest registered ship, the trading ketch May Queen, returned to the water in Hobart on Sat.3.8.02 after 2 years in dry dock. May Queen is 20.1 m long, and was built in 1867 at Franklin, on Huon River. It continued in commercial service until 1973, carrying sawn timber and railway sleepers to Hobart. It was then gifted to the Tasmanian government, and is now in the care of a not-for-profit trust. During restoration, the blue gum hull (which retains most of the original timbers) was recaulked; some rotting deck timbers (celery top pine) were replaced. The masts would be refitted in the coming months; restoration would be complete in early 2003. In Aug.03, May Queen was posed next to Spirit of Tasmania II, as the oldest surviving and newest ships in Tasmania's maritime history. [since I wrote this as part of an AFSN article, May Queen has been commissioned fully, at the historic docks in the heart of Hobart]. www.svmayqueen.org.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Adelaide: The museum is at Port Adelaide in a historic precinct which is being transformed for tourism, and includes the former Port Dock Station Railway Museum (now pretentiously renamed National Railway Museum, but without a national collection), historic hotels, warehouses as art galleries. The maritime museum has several vessels, including operating steam tug Yelta, and is the base for the SA sail-training vessel One and All (which was being built when I visited the museum in the 1980s). I can't recall much of the interior display (in a former warehouse). Possibly the paddlesteamer display hadn't been assembled at that time.
www.history.sa.gov.au/maritime/maritime.htm.
Mannum:
* The visitor centre is based around Randell's dry dock, and is the base for PS Marion when not cruising. It has a display of memorabilia.
* Opposite was a private museum, with a large display of historic paddlesteamer photos. This was Mannum Heritage Centre, owned and operated by Rod Williams and his wife. Paddleducker James was corresponding with Rod, and owns many of his books. Rod died of heart attack in 2006, and his wife didn't keep the museum.
Renmark: Has PS Industry on display; I am not sure how large the static display is.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Perth: The WA maritime museum is at Fremantle, in one or two large cargo sheds. The static display covers mainly local items, including a preserved lifeboat (IIRC), and a preserved competition yacht.
www.museum.wa.gov.au/maritime
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Nothing?
Around the nation, there are lots of small local museums. Those in marine areas will have some photos and memorabilia as part of a general collection.
Overall: For paddleboats, it seems that Mannum and Port Adelaide are the winners.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
The Wentworth museum has a lot of paddler photos- a lot of the Parson's collection featuring a lot of the boats.
Renmark's static display includes a model of industry- with a gold coin donation the wheels come to life with some lighting and I think it speaks. There are another few models including the argo barge.
It's more of a tourist centre though...with the drawcard of the Industry "Out the back mate"
-
Roderick,
Is the museum your talking about the Mannum Heritage Centre??
Last time I was in Mannum - the Heritage Centre was shut and for sale. I used to by historic photos from there all the time, and was sadly dissapointed when it was shut, and I also knew the owners of the Heritage Centre.
I am not sure if someone else has bought it and started it up again...
-
I found another useful book to help prepare a response for Eddy's request:
A E Woodley 'Western Port ferries; past and present', Hill of Content, 1973; Isbn 85572 052 2.
Western Port is the second of the two bays which established the site of Melbourne. Mornington Peninsula separates Port Phillip Bay from Western Port, and became a popular holiday region (hence bay excursion steamers to Sorrento). Now urban expansion is spreading down the peninsula. In Western Port there are two islands: up the bay is French Island, still rural. At the mouth is Phillip Island. This was developed for tourism as Victoria's Isle of Wight. The towns are Cowes, Rhyll, Newhaven & Ventnor; the main hotel is Isle of Wight Hotel. The island has the famous penguin colony, also mutton birds, and seals on offshore rocks. It also had a motor-racing circuit from the 1920s or 30s. Both islands were (and are) served by ferries, but the book reveals that none were paddle vessels. Roro car transport was provided from 1933 on the Stony Point - Cowes route (the most direct route from Melbourne), using SS Killara. This was cascaded from Sydney after the opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge had made it redundant. Loading ramps were also transferred from Sydney. At the eastern end of the island, the short crossing from Newhaven to San Remo had an unpowered vehicular barge, towed by a small launch. A suspension bridge was opened over this channel c1937, but Killara continued in service until at least 1941. The narrow bridge was replaced with a wider one c1970.
I have no references for Swan River paddleboats (and Rottnest Island?). Somebody else mentioned these, and may be able to undertake the research.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
...I haven't seen anything in the Aussie threads about passenger carrying paddlers, or paddle ferries for cars/trains or whatever... Did such things exist? Surely they must have? ...Eddy
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Thanks Roderick (and others). I may not be saying much, but I'm watching the developing thread on ferries/passenger paddlers with great interest.
I find it fascinating to hear of vessels that aren't the normal "murray/darling" boats, although no disrespect is meant by that comment, so please don't take it the wrong way! I realise they were (and are!) a great part of Aussie maritime history.
-
I haven't found Yarra River or Lake Wendouree yet.
In googling for Rottnest Island paddlesteamers (none found), I came across the Australian shipwrecks website. In particular: http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/murray-main.html
lists some of the Murray River wrecks.
The compiler noted that most of these were incidental references in the sources, which were concentrating on sea wrecks.
I have about 20 photos of Port Phillip Bay paddlesteamers to scan from the Loney book. I will finish my current Murray River series before starting this.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
I have Capt. Bull's book on Gippsland ships "SAILING SHIPS AND PADDLE WHEELS". He's rather quiet on paddlers and it looks like only about three of them made their way up there.
Â
I'd love to see your images of the Port Phillip paddlers. Weren't there a couple of rather great looking double enders, Roderick? Where can we find plans for these?
Â
Â
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 6:06 PM
Subject: RE: APAM- The Directors Cut!
I have found my Gippsland book: I will go through it tomorrow.
[SNIP]
I have about 20 photos of Port Phillip Bay paddlesteamers to scan from the Loney book. I will finish my current Murray River series before starting this.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
From Peter Synan 'Highways of water; how shipping on the lakes changes Gippsland', Landmark Press, 1989, Isbn 0 949449 64 4 (hardback), 0 949449 72 5 (paperback). It is more an economics account than a book on boats as such.
p8: Photo of two unidentified paddlesteamers at Bairnsdale wharf.
p15: Painting of a PS at the entrance (distorted)
p16: Enterprise, the first steamer built on the lakes, designed for the lakes, launched in 1858. The author is vague, but it seems to be SS, not PS.
p19: PS Lady of the Lake chartered from 1864 (painting on p21). It was used to haul schooners through the treacherous entrance.
next chapters: lots of steamers mentioned, operated by GSN, but probably all screw.
p36: PS Gippsland built on the Clyde (Scotland), but never worked on the lakes: it was sold in Melbourne after its delivery run.
p36: PS Avon built in Liverpool; shipped in sections to Melbourne in 1867 for assembly, then to the lakes.
p38: Photo of PS Avon at Bairnsdale c1870 (it could even be one of the two in the p8 photo).
p40: After lots of references to SS Murray, there is now a painting of it, showing that it is PS. This is a very difficult book from which to extract information. Within my time limit today, I am skimming just the photos.
* p61: Photo of PS Tanjil; its paddleboxes are different from the two vessels in the p8 photo.
* p77: Photo of a PS at Sale; from the length of the name, it may be Avon.
* p88: Photo of a PS at the works for the new entrance, in 1887. The paddleboxes indicate that it is the leadig PS in the p8 photo.
* p92: Photo of a PS at the completed entrance; it seems to be the same as in the p77 photo.
* p115: A really good photo of PS Tanjil
* p130: A lot of text on the transfer of Ethel Jackson and Burrabogie from the Murray. Presumably both PS, but the text is vague. After sinking in 1891, Burrabogie was rebuilt as a screw steamer, and the photo on p135 shows it without paddles.
Summary: confirmed PS Lady of the Lake, PS Avon, PS Tanjil, PS Burrabogie, PS Ethel Jackson (confirmation from Parsons, not from Synan). Mystery: the second boat in the p8 photo.
PJ's post suggests that the mystery comes from some photos showing Tanjil (1), and others showing Tanjil (2). Very few are either identified or dated, and those which are may be wrong.
Famous boats Tambo, Omeo and the second Gippsland were SS, not PS.
This post has been expanded at www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3456.0
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
-
Roderick:
Â
I just went through Capt Bull's companion book, "SMALL SHIPS AND ADZE CHIPS" which, in the opening pages, contains an interesting synopsis entitled "Gippsland Lakes Shipping since 1880 (by Capt. James Bull) — and What Happened To Them". I've extracted the paddler references which seem to start in 1877.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
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"In 1877 the first paddle steamer "Tanjil" was built in Melbourne for the recently formed Lakes Navigation Company.". He says he spent a month as mate aboard her in September 1879 and "the only other steam boat that I saw on the Lakes, apart from the paddle steamer "Murray" was the little steam launch "Sarah". Later he says the first "Tanjil" was "an iron vessel which was totally destroyed by fire at Bairnsdale 1883. One paddle wheel is on show at the museum at Lakes Entrance."
"The paddle steamer "Murray". 228 tons, was one of the largest paddle boats in 1882. She was bought by Sydney owners and transferred to that port."
Â
The second p.s. "Tanjil" (1885) ran a regular service from Bairnsdale to Mossiface. near Bruthen. on the Tambo river, until 1936. She was laid up and the engine and boiler sold to Palmer and Dahlsen for a saw mill in Bairnsdale. She was sold to the Ports and Harbours and used as a barge for a few years. She was then broken up."
Â
"PS "Paynesville", a new boat that was built for a Bairnsdale Company but was a failure, both the boat and the company. She was 80 ft long and only 13ft beam. 7 ft draught, was slow and could not carry much cargo. On the way to Melbourne she sprang a leak and was put ashore on the beach near Ocean Grange."
"Paynesville" had a very short career — one year. She was put ashore a couple of miles west of Ocean Grange and soon broke up in the surf there. The boiler was visible for many years."
"In 1885 McCulloch and Company sent their paddle steamers "Ethel Jackson" and "Burrabogie" and made a determined effort to capture the trade."
Â
In his book "SAILING SHIPS AND PADDLE WHEELS" (Self published in 1974), Capt. Bull states that James McCulloch and Co. were not successful and "after running for a year or two, the Ethel Jackson was taken back to the Murray River and Burrabogie was laid up in the Lakes." On pages 148-151 in Part Two of his book he talks exclusively about the paddle steamers of the Gippsland Lakes and I've taken the liberty of reproducing this in full as it seems to be a fairly complete record and contains some fascinating anecdotes.
Â
Â
PART TWO
Captain James Bull leaves the sea for the Gippsland Lakes — a son takes up the story.
INTRODUCTION
In regards to Paddle Steamers (P.S.) the more research you do, the more vessels of various types you find to have visited the Gippsland Lakes, some, for just a few trips, but in this respect I will try and list the main Paddle Steamers in their right order, as part of the object of this book.
The tug boat P.S. "Tommy Norton'; must have been the first of her type and a friend in need to many sailing craft visiting the lakes in those early years, when she came from Williams-town where she was built. She came in 1864 and continued to act as pilot boat at the Entrance, being wrecked there in 1877.
Also one of the first was a fairly large P.S. "Charles Edward". This was long before the new entrance was built at Lakes Entrance, and the old entrance was east, nearly as far as the Bluff, near Bunga Arm. She was 129 ft. long but paddle steamers did not draw much water, and were well adapted to bar work, if they did get to get stuck on the bar they would keep the engines going and the paddle wheels turning, and so shift enough sand to cut a channel through.
The P.S. "Lady of the Lake" was built in 1864 and appeared early on the scene, acting as a tug bringing schooners and ketches in and towing them over the bar, using her paddles when necessary, as above to clear the bar.
With a screw steamer the action is quite different, if the propeller is kept turning the thrust drives the sand in a circle and this builds up on one side of the vessel, and so aggravates the trouble.
The "Trio" 138 tons, an auxiliary schooner with paddle wheels was running to Lakes in 1866 but did not stay long and after a few trips to Clydebank, up the Avon near Stratford, she went to Sydney.
The first "Tanjil" was built on the Yarra about 1877. She was fast and had passenger accomÂmodation and gave a good service from Sale to Bairnsdale, calling at Paynesville. There were three steamers belonging to the Lakes NavigaÂtion Company, at that time the other two were S.S. "Sarah" and S.S. "Bairnsdale" renamed "Bogong".
In 1870 two large Paddle Steamers started to trade from Melbourne to Gippsland Lakes.
The P.S. "Murray" was 228 tons and was the largest of the steamers running a regular service from Melbourne.
The P.S. "Avon" built in 1867, was over 100 ft. long and continued in the service for some years and was frequently ashore on the bar at Port Albert, where she called in for cargo, and at Lakes Entrance, but with her paddle wheels got over in all cases.
The P.S. "Paynesville" 1880 was built in MelÂbourne and for the Gippsland Lakes, but she was not a success, being too slow and had a very short life. When she was being sent back to Melbourne shortly after, she started to leak and was put ashore off Ocean Grange, and became a total loss almost opposite the town she was named after.
P.S. "Nell" 1883 was over 80ft. long. She was brought from Sydney to act as tug at Marlo and also to bring maize to Lakes Entrance for transhipment to Melbourne, she did both jobs efficiently for many years.
P.S. "Emu" I know she was at Lakes Entrance for some years from 1885, I can find out little about her except that she was a tug boat at Lakes Entrance and at times towed vessels over the bar and towed the stone barge with stone for the new entrance.
About the time the first P.S. "Tanjil" was burnt at the Bairnsdale wharf in 1885, the lakes shipping was going through a very busy period. McCulloch's, owners of many famous Murray river steamers, saw an opportunity to get established in the Gippsland Lakes area.
They engaged crews to bring two of their largest paddle vessels from the Murray River.
My father, James Bull, was one of those apÂpointed, as he had a Master's Certificate for deep sea work, and knew the local waters, was put in charge of P.S. "Burrabogie". He did not stay with her, but handed over to her own skipper on arrival, as he was at the time operaÂting a small tug, the S.S. "Ariel" at Lakes EnÂtrance.
The P.S. "Ethel Jackson" one of McCulloch's finest passenger vessels came from the Murray at the same time.
With these two vessels, McCulloch's tried to break in on the local shipping people, but were not successful and started a freight war which went on for about one year.
"Ethel Jackson" was then sold to a firm in Western Australia.
A few years later Burrabogie had her paddles removed at Johnsonville and was fitted with a small steam engine and given a propeller, and so became S.S. Burrabogie.
She had a long and useful service and is now in rotten row at the Paynesville Shipyard.
Â
P.S. "TANJIL" NO. 2.
It is fitting that this brief line up of local Paddle vessels should finish up with this sturdy old side wheeler.
She was the only one which kept her paddles and stayed to the finish of that interesting era, of about 40 years, from 1885 to 1925. She was then dismantled and sold to the Ports and Harbours dept. for a store barge. My friend and neighbour Eric Gooch told me that his mother as a girl launched the Tanjil No. 2. The girl was Lucy Alice Brough Abbott, daughter of Tommy Abbott, and she broke the bottle of champagne when Tanjil was launched at the junction of the Sale canal and the Thomson river in 1885.
As children, the Bull family saw little of their father, Capt James Bull, unless they went trips on the "Tanjil" which they did at every opporÂtunity.
She became to them not only a provider but also a second home. We found that hot meals were served for passengers and crew at all times, and that it was no trouble to make up a bunk on the plush cushions of the saloon. Our mother had died when we were young, and we had a stepmother at home, and this we did not like that much, moreover the saloon was next to the engine room and was always warm at night.
We young Bulls all learned to steer the ship, and you really had to steer all the time, as paddle vessels draw little water and sheer about the whole time.
While still a lad I also steered the S.S. J.C.D. It was possible to set a course at the Mitchell River light for the Tambo Bluff Beacon and go walkabout, she would keep a straight course.
I think I have mentioned the regulars but there were a few other Paddle wheel vessels, one I recall was P.S. Kangaroo, she stayed a few trips then hopped off to Sydney.
There was the P.S. Curlip built by Richard-sons for the Snowy. She was small and was conÂfined to the Snowy river and Marlo.
Â
*****************
So there it is and along with your post, gains a good insight into the paddlers of the Gippsland Lakes; a somewhat diversified fleet but nonetheless fascinating and well worthy of modeling. While there is not a lot of information on paddlers, I do recommend Captain Bull's two self published books "SAILING SHIPS AND PADDLE WHEELS" (1974) and "SMALL SHIPS AND ADZE CHIPS" (1978) as they make very pleasant and informative reading. Here is one of my favourite photos from the second book and clearly shows a model of PS "Tanjil" (not sure if this is 1 or 2). Notice the lovely hybrid profile of a Coaster and Murray River paddler.Â
Â
(http://cid:00d001c76909$14a6db10$6c01a8c0@RosanneLaptop)
Â
----- Original Message -----
From: Roderick Smith (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2007 4:56 PM
Subject: RE: APAM- The Directors Cut!
PJ, please post the three PS mentioned in the Bull book. I suspect that I own a copy (bought in Mar.2001), but buried.
What I found, on which to base today's post, is:
Peter Synan 'Highways of water; how shipping on the lakes changes Gippsland', Landmark Press, 1989, Isbn 0 949449 64 4 (hardback), 0 949449 72 5 (paperback). It is more an economic account than a book on boats as such.
p8: Photo of two unidentified paddlesteamers at Bairnsdale wharf.
p15: Painting of a PS at the entrance (distorted)
p16: Enterprise, the first steamer built on the lakes, designed for the lakes, launched in 1858. The author is vague, but it seems to be SS, not PS.
p19: PS Lady of the Lake chartered from 1864 (painting on p21). It was used to haul schooners through the treacherous entrance.
next chapters: lots of steamers mentioned, operated by GSN, but probably all screw.
p36: PS Gippsland built on the Clyde (Scotland), but never worked on the lakes: it was sold in Melbourne after its delivery run.
p36: PS Avon built in Liverpool; shipped in sections to Melbourne in 1867 for assembly, then to the lakes.
p38: Photo of PS Avon at Bairnsdale c1870 (it could even be one of the two in the p8 photo).
p40: After lots of references to SS Murray, there is now a painting of it, showing that it is PS. This is a very difficult book from which to extract information. Within my time limit today, I am skimming just the photos.
* p61: Photo of PS Tanjil; its paddleboxes are different from the two vessels in the p8 photo.
* p77: Photo of a PS at Sale; from the length of the name, it may be Avon.
* p88: Photo of a PS at the works for the new entrance, in 1887. The paddleboxes indicate that it is the leadig PS in the p8 photo.
* p92: Photo of a PS at the completed entrance; it seems to be the same as in the p77 photo.
* p115: A really good photo of PS Tanjil
* p130: A lot of text on the transfer of Ethel Jackson and Burrabogie from the Murray. Presumably both PS, but the text is vague. After sinking in 1891, Burrabogie was rebuilt as a screw steamer, and the photo on p135 shows it without paddles.
Summary: confirmed PS Lady of the Lake, PS Avon, PS Tanjil, PS Burrabogie, PS Ethel Jackson (confirmation from Parsons, not from Synan). Mystery: the second boat in the p8 photo.
Famous boats Tambo, Omeo and the second Gippsland were SS, not PS.
This compilation took 45 min.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Thanks PJ for the extensive compilation.
I enclose a poor map (from Symons). My better maps don't fit on the scanner.
In particular, it is wrong at Lakes Entrance (the former Cunninghame).
Lakes Entrance is not open to the sea.
The lakes narrow, and continue east past the town to a dead end where the original natural channel was located.
The artificial channel is just west of the town.
The long thin lake, separated from the sea by a sand spit, is Lake Reeve. It is usually to shallow and too reedy for powered boating.
The main lake, heading to Bairnsdale, is Lake King.
At the point south of Bairnsdale is the lake town Paynesville; the lake there transitions to become Lake Victoria. Further west, it is linked to Lake Wellington by the narrow Maclellan Strait (like a canal).
The final lake is Lake Wellington, with a reputation for sudden roughness (large reach for wind, on a shallow waterway).
The various rivers are flowing south from Great Dividing Range headwaters.
The early navigation of the lakes was to serve gold mining on the ridge of the range, and timber cutting from the southern flanks.
The land journey from Melbourne to Sale was muddy/boggy & slow. When the railway reached Sale (1870s) it was far more direct than coastal shipping. Partly, lakes shipping survived by connecting with trains, to serve pastoral properties around the lakes.
The railway continued to Bairnsdale in the 1880s. Again, shipping connected at Bairnsdale wharf to serve lakeside properties.
The railway was extended through Mossiface to Orbost (off the map to the east) in the 1910s, finally killing all lake shipping, and also the role for PS Curlip (covered in a different thread, with a link to the website which has a good map).
On this map, the twin-arm lake east of Cunninghame is Lake Tyers, which is usually blocked from the sea by a sandbar.
In a fit of extravagance, the port of Sale was expanded in the 1880s, with Thomson River converted to a straighter canal, and a swing-span bridge built at the site of La Trobe wharf. I have cruised in Jessie II on almost all of the waterways on this map: La Trobe River as far as the map shows; Thomson River about 4 km above Sale; Mitchell River about 4 km above Bairnsdale (where a rock dam blocks navigation); Nicholson River (between Mitchell and Tambo); Tambo River not quite to Mossiface (blocked by a sandbar, over which I could have walked the boat, but I was out of time), Lake Victoria, Lake King and Lake Tyers.
I have yet to venture onto Lake Wellington, and to Perry River (not shown) or Avon River. In general, I was in 6 m on the main lakes; and 2 m in the rivers to the former ports.
Some of the paddlesteamer names were derived area names:
Tanjil River is a La Trobe tributary.
Omeo is an old gold town high on the ridge of the divide.
Today, the Gippsland lakes and rivers form Australia's largest area of inland recreational waterways. Lakes Entrance is a major fishing port, and also a major retirement centre. The lake-shipping era is remembered in a major display in Lakes Entrance visitors centre, on interpretive panels at Sale port, and in photographs in various lake-town hotels and restaurants.
The Bull family established a boatyard at Metung, and popularised the concept of hiring 4-8 berth houseboats for marine holidays (1950s, possibly much earlier), well before this became common on the Murray. The business was later relocated to Paynesville. The Bull houseboats had traditional lines, and could cope with the waves likely to be found on the lakes.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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This major river skirts the plain holding Sydney from three sides, with tributaries from the south, the west and the north. It was sufficiently wide near the mouth that bridging it took until the late 1880s to achieve.
In the mean time, river communities were linked with ferries. The southern shore (ie outer northern Sydney suburbs) became a major national park, for weekend recreation. The inlets on the northern shore were developed for oyster cultivation. There were (and are) cable punts in the middle reaches, and self-propelled car ferries near Brooklyn (replaced by a bridge from 1945).
I referred to SWPS General Gordon in my post on Australia's few rail and tram ferries (p8 of this thread). After its 2 years of use connecting the railheads, it continued on the Hawkesbury for many years as an excursion vessel, probably connecting with trains from Sydney at Brooklyn (now called Hawkesbury River, and still an interchange for route and cruise ferries).
My only other Hawkesbury reference is:
Trevor Brown 'Working on the Hawkesbury; a memoir', Deerubbin Press, 1997, Isbn 0 646 32292 3.
It is an autobiography of a man who grew up at Brooklyn, where his father ran a slip, and went on to a career on the Hawkesbury ferries. All of the numerous boats mentioned in the book (covering the era 1920s - 1990s) are screw, not paddle. IIRC, only one was steam.
There was considerable interchange of boats between Sydney Harbour, the Hawkesbury and Newcastle as smaller operators traded older ferries. It is quite possible that some of the Sydney steam paddleboats were transferred to the Hawkesbury in the 1870s-90s, but I have no references.
MV Murray Explorer was a large cruising vessel, styled on a Rhine River cruising boat. It was built in 1979, and was sold in 1987 and transferred to the Hawkesbury. Despite the superb scenery of this waterway, overnight cruising was not a success. The vessel was transferred to Sydney Harbour, under another name (Sydney Harbour Explorer?), c1994.
At Bobbin Head (up a side arm from the river), Halvorsen established a boatyard producing classic elegant 1950s cruising launches for the private market and for hire. These were the epitome of style and wealth in that era. At Goolwa wooden boat festival a week ago, there were 11 Halvorsens assembled adjacent.
24.5.08 update: I have added a photo which I found in a facsimile edition of Nov.1948 Australasian Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin: small, and low quality.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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I know this topic is going back a couple of days, but... I've come across a reference in Parsons to a regular paddler service between Goolwa & Port Adelaide.
The Paddlesteamer Cadell ran this service from after the Queen of the South was sold in 1880, until the Cadell was sold in 1882.
I'll find a couple of pics of the Cadell & add them later. She was an interesting vessel.
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I did this research in 2004; the result was serialised in eight parts in AFS Newsletter [now Ferries Australia].
I have extracted the portions relevant for Paddleducks:
Notice the considerable interchange between NSW and Tasmania and Victoria.
I have conjectured that all unidentified types would be screw, not paddle. From context, I suspect that the early few would have been paddle; later ones would have been screw. The middle years remain a mystery.
Notice a long-lived paddlesteamer car ferry in this list.
Major operators were O'May brothers, Huon, and Channel and Peninsula Co.
* PS Surprise: length 17.7 m, the first steamer in Hobart. It was built in Sydney in 1831 (the first steamer built in NSW). It arrived in Hobart on 1.2.1832, to run Hobart Town - Kangaroo Point (and was the first steamer to New Norfolk). It was in service to 1841, then was converted to schooner Mary Jane.
* [PS/SS?] Governor Arthur: launched in Sullivans Cove in 1832, 19.3 m x 3.3 m x 1.4 m. It was the second steamer in Hobart. By the late 1830s, it was on the Launceston - George Town run as Steam Packet. Later it was sold to Melbourne, and became the second steamer on the Yarra.
* [PS/SS?] Derwent: launched at Port Arthur in 1840, 49 tons. It was the third steamer in Hobart, and was on the Hobart - New Norfolk run from 3.4.1840.
* [PS/SS?] Native Youth, launched at Battery Point in 1842, for Kangaroo Point and New Norfolk. From Apr.1844, it also ran to Franklin (Huon River), the first steamer there.
* PS Thames, built in England, iron, length 30.5 m. It arrived in Hobart on 10.11.1843, and ran to Huon River, and also to Coal River (Richmond). In Dec.1847, it was transferred to Melbourne. It was lost in Port Phillip Bay in 1852.
* PS Kangaroo (1): built in Sydney in 1840. It arrived in Hobart in 1847. In 1851, was transferred to Melbourne.
* PS White Hawk, built at Long Bay in 1849, 50 tons. It was destroyed by fire in June 1850.
* PS Culloden: 71 tons, 65 hp, 44.2 m x 5.2 m x 2.4 m (draft 1.8 m). It was displaced from Clyde River (Scotland) by a railway, reached Hobart in Sept.1853, and was used for coastal excursion cruises.
* PS Cobra: came from Scotland, and worked in tandem with Culloden, 91 tons, 29.9 m x 4.1 m x 2.7 m. Later it was sold to Sydney, to become a Manly pioneer.
* PS Mimosa: Built on the Clyde (Scotland), 41.1 m x 5.3 m x 2.6 m. It arrived in Hobart in 1854 for coastal services. It was sold to Sydney in 1858.
* PS Monarch: 60 tons, built in Scotland in 1846. It was in use in Hobart from Oct.1854, to New Norfolk, plus once per week to Cygnet later.
* PS Tamar was built in England in 1854 for Launceston Marine Board. It was an iron tug, 30.3 m x 5.7 m x 3.4 m. When replaced by the screw tug Wybia 30 years later, it was brought to Hobart for the channel trade, but was too deep for some jetties, and was uneconomical. It was sold to Mersey Marine Board, and finished its working days in Devonport.
* PS Kangaroo (2): 109 tons, twin hull, each 33.6 m x 3.5 m x 2.2 m. It was driven by a single large paddle between the hulls. It was in service as a Hobart - Kangaroo Point vehicular ferry from 1855 to 1926, a Hobart institution.
* PS Venus: was built on the Clyde (Scotland) as a tug, 24.7 m x 4.3 m x 1.8 m. It was in Hobart for the Kangaroo Point service from Nov.1854, but was unsuitable. It was sold to the Victorian government in 1858.
* [SS?] Enterprise: built at Battery Point in 1870 for O'May brothers (their first vessel), 14.0 m x 2.7 m x 1.4 m. It serviced Bellerive, but became too small for the traffic, and became pleasure craft Silver Queen.
* [SS?] Success: built at Battery Point in 1876 for O'May brothers, 17.4 m x 2.9 m x 1.7 m. It also became too small, and was sold to operate on Macquarie Harbour as Kathleen.
* [SS?] Collen [Colleen?] Bawn: built at Kangaroo Point for Bellerive. Became Phoenix, then Tenalga, then was sold to Sydney.
* PS Gem: was built in Sydney in 1878, 29.5 m, 4.3 m x 1.7 m. It was used on the Derwent for excursions to New Norfolk, and later as a sanitary transport from Hobart to Ralph's Bay. Later it was rebuilt with a round counter stern and straight stem, renamed Hopetoun, and was a most useful vessel in the HC&P fleet.
* [SS?] Minx: built in Sydney, and arrived in Hobart in 1880. It ran with Pearl then was sold to Union Steamship to be a tender at Trial Harbour from 1888.
* SWPS Esperance: built in 1884, 17.4 m x 4.9 m x 1.2 m.
* [SS?] Louie: was built in Sydney in 1884, length 17.4 m. It was brought to Hobart to freight oysters from Spring Bay, then was used for various other purposes until scrapped at Recherche Bay.
* [SS] Cygnet: 66 tons, steel, 36.6 m x 5.3 m x 2.6 m. It arrived in 1886. Except for one trip to Macquarie Harbour, it remained in the Hobart channel - Huon trade until 1904, when it went to Sydney for Manly. Later it was sold to NZ.
* [SS?] Glenturk: was built at Port Esperance for Tasmanian Hardwood Company, and was used in Macquarie Harbour.
* PS Waldemar was a double-ended paddle steamer built in Sydney for Balmain Ferry Co. in 1881. In 1903, it was brought to the Derwent.
* SWPS Lintrose: was an iron, shallow-draught, stern-wheeler, built in Scotland and shipped to Brisbane in sections, 38.6 m x 7.9 m x 1.8 m. In 1921, it was towed to Hobart, where the propulsion was changed to twin screws. It was lost in 1932 on Iron Pot Reef.
* PS Morse: was built at Macquarie Harbour in 1917, 30.5 m x 7.2 m x 1.9 m. James Rowe & Sons brought it to Hobart, removed the paddles, and installed a screw. As at 1957, it was still afloat, but out of commission.
First Bass Strait steamers: In 1842, regular steam services between Launceston, Melbourne and Sydney commenced with Benjamin Boyd's wooden paddlesteamer Seahorse, replaced in 1843 by Hunter River Steam Navigation Company's iron paddlesteamer Shamrock. Both were under 50 m in length.
Bass Strait: Loney lists 33 passenger ferries which were used at various stages, probably between Tasmania and Melbourne (as Port Phillip Bay was the focus of the book): Black Swan, Burrumbeet, City of Launceston, City of Melbourne, Clarence, Clonmel, Derwent, Duncan Hoyle, Elingamite, Flinders, Flora, Havilah, Lady Bird, Mangana, Newcastle, Oonah, Pateena, Penguin, Pirate, Queen, Rotomahana, Royal Shepherd, Shamrock, Tamar, Tasmania and Yarra Yarra.
King Island: Loney lists ten ferries which called regularly: Ida Clausen, King Islander, Koomeela, Marrawah, Rah, Tambar, Wauchope and Yambacoona. Other well-known vessels which called occasionally included Blythe Star, Loorinna and Wongala.
[With these, I didn't identify PS/SS in the Tasmanian article; those which were PS should have appeared on my Victoria list a few posts back. I have deleted the known modern SS & MV; I can delete a couple more with a little checking].
Recent years:
Fake PV Lady Stelfox has been mentioned in another thread. The paddles are decorative, not propulsive. It was built for Launceston, then was relocated to Melbourne.
The small private paddlesteamer Murray Queen was relocated from Echuca to the Port Huon area a few years ago. I have yet to track a photo or the exact location.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Interesting list, Roderick
Here is a photo of MONARCH at Hobart
http://eheritage.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/dbimages/MMT_P_1991-137_1_w.jpg
Captain James Williamson has a bit to say about her (The Clyde Passenger steamer, 1904). She was built in 1846 using the engines of the wrecked COUNTESS OF EGLINTON (1844). She left Rothesay (on the Clyde) 4th March 1854 and arrived Hobart 12 July, 1854 - this information he obtained from her log courtesy of the Hobart harbour master.
The engines were not removed till 1899 (so she must have been quite a survivor) and were "now" (ie 1904) being used to power a sawmill at Huon River.
I don't think CULLODEN was displaced from the Clyde by a railway. She was built in 1845 as a member of the large Burns fleet of steamers which was the dominant operator of the time - she served in both the Clyde and the West Highlands. Duckworth & Langmuir (West Highland Steamers) record that after leaving the Clyde she was for a short time on the Newhaven - Dieppe (English) cross channel service and also served on Belfast Lough. She finally left the Clyde in January 1853 for Melbourne and moved on to Hobart. Her registry was closed 27 April 1866.
Do you have any more info on COBRA or MIMOSA? I have no references to them.
The name is probably COLLEEN BAWN - there has been more than one Irish vessel with this name. Isn't a COLLEEN an attractive young lady?
Regards from an ice-cold England
David
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Notice how fast the APAM and CPAY threads have come together. Away from the Murray, Australian paddlesteamers owe a lot to their Scottish (particularly Clyde River) ancestry: construction and design. In a much earlier post, I referred to paddlesteamers in Argentina and India, all built in Scotland.
My principal reference for the Tasmanian paddlesteamers was the Harry O'May book, ~1957 (ie a secondary source). There will be errors in my summarising, and errors in his original research. The book is now a collectors item. I can access a copy in one branch of my municipal library, but only to special order, and I must wear silk gloves while handling it. It is not to be inverted onto a photocopier.
The era is not one in which prime material was reported or saved comprehensively. I agree with David's statement that Culloden was unlikely to have been displaced from the Clyde by a railway. I don't have any more on Cobra or Mimosa; continuing research will have to bring together material from Scotland, Tasmania and Sydney for those vessels which worked in more than one location.
It is interesting to see the link between paddlesteamers and railways, with rival companies operating their own fleets.
I include here the full set of references which I used for the Tasmanian article. Not all refer to paddlesteamers, and many are about the modern vessels. My scope was river, lake, coastal and Bass Strait ferries in all eras: historical through to operations today (that's why it went to eight parts), including a whole chapter on how the ferry industry rose to the occasion to cope with the collapse of Derwent Bridge (Hobart) after being hit by a ship.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
* Tasmania Cruises seems to be a booking agent rather than an operator: phone 03 6234 3336; fax 03 6234 3166; 129 Liverpool St, Hobart City, Tas 7000.
* Harry O'May Hobart river craft; Sealers of Bass Strait. nd. Whale boats, small craft, steamers and schooners; seems to date from 1957.
* T K Fitchett Down the bay. Rigby, 1973.
* T K Fitchett Vanished fleet; Australian coastal passenger ships 1910-1960. Rigby, 1976.
* Barry Pemberton Australian coastal shipping. Melbourne University Press, 1979.
* Ronald Parsons Steamers in the south. Rigby, 1979.
* Ronald Parsons Australian coastal passenger ships. 1981.
* Ronald Parsons Australian shipowners and their fleets. 1982
* Since I researched the article, Ronald Parsons has published a book on Bass Strait ferries.
* Jack Loney Bay steamers and coastal ferries. Reed, 1988.
* Graeme Andrews Ferries of Sydney. Sydney University Press & Oxford University Press, 1994.
* Tom Lewis By Derwent divided. Tall Stories, 1999.
* Faye Gardam Shifting sands; history of the Mersey River, Devonport. Devonport Maritime Museum & Historical Society, 2001.
* Australian Sea Heritage:
- 33, summer 92: History of Empress of Australia.
- 45, summer 96: Rowitta (now at Warrnambool maritime museum); May Queen.
- 47, winter 96: article on Denison Star (including a colour photo); item on ferries Lady Ferguson, Lady Wakehurst, Lady Northcott & Kosciusko (followup letter in issue 49); Lady Jillian withdrawn.
- 50, autumn 97: Item on Hobart ferries; photo of Bundeena & North Head; article on Cartela.
- 53, summer 98: ad for Martin Cash; photo of Matthew Flinders; Incat 45 on the Melbourne run.
- 54, autumn 98: Lady Wakehurst now in Auckland; article on Huddart Parker's Westralia.
- 55, winter 98: Article on little ships of Hobart; maritime-heritage guide to Tasmania; photos of May Queen, Brooke St cruise centre; Mirambeena (just privatised over protests)
- 56, winter 99: Photo of Harry O'May .
- 60, spring 99: Item on Reemere; photo of Tasmanian Achiever.
- 61, summer 99: Plans for Devil Cat for the 1999-2000 season.
- 73, summer 03: SoT I & II replace SoT; Bundeena returns to Sydney.
* Rail News Victoria: June 98; Jan., Feb., Mar. & Oct.99; Apr., May, June, Sept., Nov. & Dec.00; Feb., June & July 01; Jan., Feb., Mar., May, June & Sept.02; Nov. & Dec.03; Jan., Feb. & Mar.04.
* 3.8 & 15.12.98 Melbourne Herald Sun: TT Line Incat services.
* 1.12.98 Melbourne Age: Federal car-equalisation subsidy.
* 16.6, 24.10 & 28.11.99, 30.1 & 28.2.00 Melbourne HS: Summer DevilCat operation.
* 13, 15 & 22.9.99 Melbourne HS: Condor 10 replacing failed SoT.
* 19.2.00 Melbourne Age: SoT dinner cruises.
* 1.8.00 Melbourne Age & 6.8.00 Melbourne HS: Olympic flame.
* 15.2.02 Melbourne HS: Lady Nelson.
* 16.12.03 Burnie Advocate: Roche O'May.
* 18 & 20.12.03 & 3, 7, 13 & 15.1.04 Hobart Mercury: SoT III.
* www.tt-line.com.au/history.htm
* www.anl.com.au
* www.faktaomfartyg.com; Bass Trader (2), Brisbane Trader, Empress of Australia and Princess of Tasmania.
* www.faktaomfartyg.crosswinds.net/bass_trader_1976.htm: Bass Trader (2).
* www.anmm.gov.au/lib/spixsb.pdf: National Library picture index.
* www.australianheritagefleet.com.au/yLibraryDB/Museums.html: Tasmanian museums.
* www.nex.net.au/users/reidgck/BASS-S.HTM: Excellent pictorial history.
* www.seaheritage.asn.au: National Maritime Museum.
* www.incat.com.au/news/media.cgi?news_task=DETAIL&articleID=63730§ionID=63068: Incat photo gallery.
* www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=10989
* www.kingisland.org.au/kihist.asp
* http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.whittick/history/nairana.html: Nairana.
* www.nex.net.au/users/reidgck/BASS-S.HTM#A
* www.heritage.vic.gov.au/CityLaunceston1.html: Wreck of City of Launceston.
* http://images.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/Search/Search.asp?Letter=T&Title=T.S.S.+Loongana+arrived+new+in+1906
* www.simplonpc.co.uk/ (/TT-Line-Tasmania.html#anchor82433 & /Peter-Pan-3.html)
* www.rootsweb.com/~austas/mtlyell.htm: Mt Lyell mine fire.
* www.geocities.com/bilmac.geo/disaster.html: Mt Lyell mine fire.
* www.strait.co.nz/fleet4.htm: Straitsman.
* www.shiplink.info/contents1.asp?refno=3251: Straitsman.
* www.hamiltonislandweddings.com.au/default.asp?action=article&ID=54: Denison Star.
* www.cruiseindigo.com.au: Denison Star.
* www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Harbor/2971/marinecruise.html: PoT.
* www.simplonpc.co.uk/WhatShipQueries.html: PoT.
* www.ferry-site.dk/ferry.php?id=7362108&lang=da: Abel Tasman.
* http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3075710: Straitsman capsized.
* www.mattmar.com.au/Guestphotographer_napier.htm (ships at Napier, NZ): Straitsman.
* www.wavemaster.com.au/Design%20Catalogue.pdf: Gordon Explorer.
* www.incat.com.au: Incat fleet..
* www.railpage.org.au: Incat memories.
* www.geocities.com/treiziste/seacat.html: Sea Containers Incats.
* http://members.ozemail.com.au/~marinedb/Ferries_4_Sale.htm: Wilderness Seeker, James Kelly II, Gordon Explorer, Condor 10 and Denison Star.
* http://202.53.40.234/shipsinfo/wwwexpmvmt.asp: Daily shipping moves in & out of Melbourne.
* www.portdev.com.au: Port of Devonport, including many photos.
* www.burnieport.com.au: Port of Burnie.
* www.asa.com.au/listofships.asp: Australian Shipowners Association: Bass Trader (3).
* http://164.80.32.111/irm/content/about/about.html: Patrick Shipping.
* www.amsa.gov.au/Shipping_Registration/List_of_Registered_Ships: List of ships on the national register.
* www.pictureaustralia.org/apps/pictureaustralia: Bass Trader (1).
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Roderick
Â
You listed a lot of sources a few days ago.
Â
Do you know of "Paddle Steamers of Australia" by R H Parsons, third edition published in 1973, with an introduction by John C Tolley.
Â
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This appears to be a home-produced publication, 172 pages of foolscap typescript with an alphabetical listing of all Australian paddle steamers and a handful of pages of photographs.
Â
The previewed editions appeared in 196 and 1973.
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ISBN is 0 9599387 6 1
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Alistair
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Alistair's post was timely. I have spent the last month shifting my library from temporary storage back into my rebuilt house, and unscrambling. I found that I do own a copy of this reference, and will use it for preparing further responses (initially to the NZ thread).
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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I had two photos in an Oscar W post in the Preserved thread, explaining how a Murray-Darling towline worked. This was responding to a question raised in one of the model-construction threads. I have now relocated them here.
Here is PS Oscar W towing barge Dart as part of the 2001 'Source to sea' fleet, celebrating the centenary of Australian federation.
The barge had been fitted with two display rooms, camouflaged as deck cargo (bridge piles rather than wool, as that was the service in which Dart had been used in its working career).
The duo left Mannum facing upriver, then rounded up to head downriver to Murray Bridge.
In the first view, the towline is barely visible, but you can see how the towing vessel needed the steerage.
In the second, the towline is visible, angling up to the typically-high Australian central towing point.
In Australia, barges always had a helmsman.
Sean has mentioned that this was required to handle the tight and frequent bends on our rivers, and often the channel was much narrower than the river.
A related post, showing PV Mosquito, is elsewhere.
From Plowman 'Murray Darling paddleboats':
* Built at Echuca in 1908, 31.9 m long, 6.4 m beam, hull depth 1.5 m.
* 1942 sold to a Goolwa owner and relocated; onsold to the SA government, and used to tow vehiculr punts between the maintenance depot at Morgan and the various operating sites.
* 1959: sold to a Mildura owner, and used for excursions.
* 1962-63: towed Gem from Mildura to Swan Hill, delayed for months at Bitch & Pups, then to Echuca for excursions.
* 1965: sold to a Murray Bridge owner, who commenced an overhaul.
* 1986: sold to the SA government, and restored as the centrepiece of Signal Point interpretive centre at Goolwa.
It is now maintained and operated by a friends group, and has appeared at many river ceremonies. In the 1990s it journeyed through to Echuca. It was part of the 2001 Source to Sea fleet. In 2003, it was part of the Randell Cadell 150th anniversary fleet, to Psyche Bend (upriver of Mildura). In 2004 it was part of the ceremony for the 150th anniversary of the Goolwa Port Elliot railway. In 2006 it hauled barge Dart over some of the journey to Renmark, for local displays marking the 50th anniversary of the 1956 floods (I have an item describing this event in a thread somewhere). For the rest of the journey, the barge was towed by MV Nalta Yuki, today's work boat at Morgan for transferring punts. Work has been continuing on bringing Oscar W to survey standard, so that it can run revenue-making cruises at Goolwa. This was not completed in time for 2007 Goolwa Wooden Boat Festival, but will be completed in time for a 2008 voyage (to Echuca if water level allows) to mark the centenary of its construction. The 2007 voyage to celebrate the centenaries of Ruby and Canally have been deferred because of low water this year, and will take place in conjunction with Oscar W's voyage.
The other photos enclosed with this post:
* Oscar W leaving lock 11 Mildura, heading to Psyche Bend on its last day with the Randel Cadell 150th anniversary fleet, having steamed with the fleet since the start of the voyage at Goolwa in August.
* Oscar W carrying wool from Milang as part of the ceremonies for the 150th anniversary of the Goolwa - Port Elliot horse-worked railway. I took the photo from PS Industry. The choppy water doesn't show in this view, or the chop had subsided by this stage, as we were now close to Goolwa and more protected by Hindmarsh Island. PS William Randell was also part of this parade, but well back. There was an escort of private boats, and a tv helicopter. The photo shows not only a rainbow, but a pot of gold on Oscar W's rear deck.
I have also placed photos of Oscar W's winch in another thread, responding to a question about winches. There is one of Oscar W passing PS Marion in the Flood anniversary post in the Preserved thread. There is one of Oscar W moored with PS Industry in the Industry post in the APAM LoP thread.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Getting back on track: still in Mildura PS Melbourne. Was built in Koondrook 1912 for the Victorian Government for removing snags out of the river for the river trade. She measures 29m long and 6.5m wide she is powered by a 25hp compound steam engine with a boiler rated of 150psi, one of the more powerfull engines still around one boats today.
She was used by the governmet till the 1940s. She was sold to Evans Bro sawmill in Echuca to tow logging barges to and from the Barmah forest. Aswell as the occasional picnic for people coming up by train from Melbourne. By the 1960s she was laid up as the sawmill burnt in 1958 and was in bad need of repair, she was bought by Alby Pointon of Mildura for use in the tourist trade, she was slipped at Moama where she had extensive hull work, she arrived in Mildura in September 1965, by the end of 1966 she was rebuilt for carrying passengers and can carry up to 300 on its 2hr trips downstream through Mildura lock.
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In my APAM LoP voyage of exposition, I forgot to post my already-scanned PS Melbourne photos when I was at page 6. I enclose them now in this thread.
The family was at Swan Hill as the boat was heading downriver from Echuca to Mildura, yet to be converted to showboat configuration. It was stranded there for a few days, as a cogwheel in the bridge-raising mechanism had fractured, and a replacement part was being taken from another bridge. The boat passed under on Mon.30.8.65.
One other shows the compound engine: rare in Murray-Darling practice. The remaining one shows it at Psyche Bend, an unusual destination. This was on a charter cruise for railway enthusiasts who had travelled to Mildura on a special steam train. PS Melbourne has a railway headlamp, as evidenced by the panels on each side designed to hold an illuminated loco number.
There is a glimpse of PS Melbourne in the photo of the Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton on Chaffey Bridge, in the APAM LoP thread.
I have also updated my Rothbury post on page 6 to include a before-conversion photo to accompany the after-conversion one.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Pv Rothbury was built in 1881 near Gunbower and operated along the Murray and Darling Rivers as a towing boat towing barges laden with wool, wheat, timber and machinery.
She measuerd 25m long and 6.1m wide powered by a 30hp twin cyl steam engine.
On one day while at Wilcannia on the Darling River it had a towing race against the PS South Australian known for its speed. PS South Australian went first towing a barge and a paddlesteamer with its wheels lashed.
PS Rothbury then went towing the same load, but due to the eager fireman stoking the fire her pressure dropped and she lost by 9secs.
In 1901 it was sold to a large Riverboat Company and was based at Echuca, used for towing. In 1910 she was sold and moved to Mildura where she was used in the timber industry towing timber from nearby forests to the timber mills of Mildura. When trucks and excuvators were invented Rothbury became idle and was sold in 1967 to Alby Pointon who had bought the PS Melbourne a couple years earlier.
he converted her to a tourist boat, but removed the steam engine as it was beyond repair and a diesel engine was fitted.
Rothbury has been known as the fastest paddle vessel on the Murray as she has won all previous races, the last one in 2001 being the closest by rivals PV Akuna Amphibious and PV Jumbuck.
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Hi Michael,
The Melbourne & Rothbury would have to be among those boats that have changed the least over recent years.
I first saw the Melbourne in 1988, and from what I can see she actually looks much the same almost 20 years later, the same goes for the Rothbury, with only minor changes being made, ie. the different Funnel and slightly different Paddle Box Lattices.
The Pointon Family certainly keep their fleet in good order, even since they purchased the Mundoo back in late 2000.
In many ways, their fleet is similar to Murray River Paddle Steamers, ie. Canberra, Pride of the Murray & Emmylou.
The Rothbury sure is fast, I remember the Paddleboat Race at Mildura in early 1990, I think the Rothbury won every single race of the day, and it actually became quite boring seeing the same vessel winning each race.
The race consisited of 6 boats:
PS Melbourne - (unfortunately steam proved no match for diesel that day)
PV Rothbury - (the consistent winner)
PV Avoca - (possibly still diesel/electric back then)
PV Coonawarra - (faster than I thought)
PV Murray River Queen - (surprisingly fast)
PV Impulse - (impressive performance)
Do you happen to know the brake horse power rating of the Rothbury' Gardiner Diesel Engine, I'm thinking that it must be over 150 b.h.p. because the Pride of the Murray has a 135 b.h.p. Perkins Diesel, and she is of similar dimensions ie. just over 82 ft. long, (although the Rothbury would be heavier.)
Also, I'm not sure of the top cruising speed of the Rothbury - any ideas ?
I have seen the Pride cruising at a good pace, I'm guessing up to 12 or 14 knots, but I have heard that the Adelaide once reached 18 knots, although I think this was a good number of years ago, she is an old lady now and the river has more speed limits these days, - any idea of her current top speed ?
I've seen a photo of the Adelaide at full speed, and you can tell by the wash and the amount of water that was being broken at the Bow, the water was covering the plimsal line and was at least half way up the Stem Post.
The photo was taken about mid/late 80's because there were signs on the Paddle Box Lattices, and these were removed sometime in 1988.
It would be great to say that the fastest boat on the Murray was a 'Steamer', instead of a Diesel Paddle Boat, in many cases the old steam engines probaby can't keep up with the modern diesels which may have more power, but they don't seem to have quite the level of torque that the steam engines have.
Dave Fitton once told me that it takes at least a 10 b.h.p. Diesel to do the same work as a 1 n.h.p. Steam Engine - do you agree with this ?
Some of the diesels - yeah they may be faster, but they have too many parts, can break down more often - sometimes with no clue as to where the problem lies, and they lack character.
A diesel engine doesn't 'breathe' like a steam engine does and you don't have the same amount of vibration on a Steamer as you would with a Diesel Powered Vessel.
I was last on the Pride about 4 years ago, and although the machinery may have been up-graded since then, she had a very pronounced 'shudder', particularly when put into reverse, also the transmission was playing up and the forward gear jammed, she could only reverse, and one day I actually saw the Pride drift backwards into the MV Mary Ann, doing minor damage to the edge of the roof of the lower deck.
All else aside though, once you step aboard 'the Pride', you are constantly reminded that she is diesel, with the vibrations, smell of diesel and all that space !
Actually, I heard that she is Diesel/Electric now - is that right ?
OK, better finish up here as I've just realised the time, it's getting late !
Thanks again,
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I have brought two Rothbury photos out of the APAM Lop P&M thread (page 6) to this one.
It is the fastest paddle vessel on the river, having won every Signal Point race since the inception of the series.
In one enclosed photo, it has made a special public cruise downriver to Mildara winery to meet the Randell Cadell fleet coming upriver. There was a lengthy lunchstop, with traditional colonial Australian fare (prepared by Captain Leon Wagner's catering company; Leon is the leader of the PS Ruby restoration project).
Rothbury was also part of the Mildura fleet forming a guard of honour in the river as the Queen's Baton relay passed over George Chaffey Bridge at the start of 2006.
Mildura: PS Rothbury while still a working boat (timber transport). Mon.5.9.66. (Neil Smith)
Wentworth - Mildura: PV Rothbury at the Randell-Cadell lunch stop at Mildara Winery. Sat.6.9.03. (Roderick Smith)
With a displacement hull, there is a limit to speed. Applying any more power simply results in the screw cavitating. Is this true also for paddlesteamer? Is there a hull speed, and would overpowering simply result in cavitating the paddles? Could a paddlesteamer be powered to plane, and haul waterskiers in Echuca's famous Southern 80 event?
Answering Leith: AFAIK Avoca went from diesel electric to diesel hydraulic in 1978, when it was transferred from Murray Bridge to Mildura.
We did talk about Pride's transmission last week, but I can't recall the date or reasons for the change. Michael should be able to answer that question.
Steam is romantic, and part of authentic river history, but it is impractical for extended voyaging: the work, and the depletion of available firewood. There is a further aspect now: there is a shortage of qualified engineers. The same few people are shared over various heritage vessels, so they couldn't all steam on the same day. I have seen four younger people undertaking training, but none is up to the hours yet to be qualifield to run a commercial vessel, and perhaps only two have the experience to run all aspects of a private vessel (fire, water and lubrication), where a formal qualification is not required.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Hi Roderick,
Thanks again, yes I didn't think of the labour and fire wood shortage !
Although I have heard that many of the Echuca Shipwrights are often down in SA working on the Oscar 'W', Marion, Akuna Amphibious & Industry etc.
I also read an article in the Riv. Herald recently that concerned State Forests and the removal of timber from these areas.
The Commercial Steam Powered Fleet on the Murray is about a dozen I think:
PS Cumberoona - (Half the year - if that)
PS Canberra - (Daily)
PS Emmylou - (Daily)
PS Hero - (Still yet to operate commercially)
PS Pevensey - (A few days per week)
PS Adelaide - (A few days per week)
PS Alexander Arbuthnot - (A few days per week)
PS Melbourne - (Daily)
PS Ruby - (Still waiting on Survey)
PS Industry - (About once a month)
PS Marion - (Not sure on how regularly the Marion operates)
PS Oscar 'W' - (Currently out of Survey)
Plus many more Private Vessels which are not operating every day.
Anyhow, I heard that some of these boats run on well seasoned offcuts - Old Railway Sleepers, Fence Posts and Grape Vine Trellises and the like.
Not sure on how much timber is left out there ! - any ideas ?
Thanks,
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Hey Leigh, I reckon Melbourne and Rothbury are in better condition than Echuca boats. One of the captains says when he cleans Rothbury's bilge he just uses a vacuum as she's that good, Melbourne is currently up on the slip undergoing general maintenance.
I like the photo in Peter Plowmans book of PS Melbourne, PV Rothbury, Avoca, Coonawarra and Wanera cruising together. Altho I don't think it was for a race.
Not sure on Rothbury's power and I've never seen her flatout so couldn't tell you a speed.
I know if you opened Adelaides engines right up you will eventually sink her because her bow starts to go lower and the break rises!
IT would be good to send a few Echuca boats down for a race, I no Adelaide or even Hero would be a good rival. Even Pevensey moves along at a speed when opened up, altho you need the right crew as most of them won't do it, and its great to hear her exhust and her new gears humm.
There have been a few boats races in the Echuca area altho local politics and OHS have stopped it from happening:PS Emmylou vs Pevensey, PS Etona vs Enterprise, PS Adelaide vs Emmylou vs Etona, PS Adelaide vs Emmylou, PV Colonial Lass vs Lady of Barmah, and some for just fun... PS Emmylou vs Ranger, Billy Tea vs James Maiden, Billy Tea vs Ranger.
Perricoota has also done one of the quickest trips to Barmah when arriving the 'big end' was glowing!!
Pride was converted from diesel to diesel generator and an electric motor on each wheel, giving it independent drive, thats why she is always doing donuts! At the same time the rebuilt her upper deck.
I never went on her when she was just diesel so can't say whether the new engines are better but they are alot quieter for sure.
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PS Daisy was built 1896 at Echuca timber hull and framing measuring 15.5m long and 3.5m wide. She was powered by a single cyl steam engine 5hp. Not much is known of the boat but photo's show of her up the Darling River loaded with wool bales also with a barge of wool. She was later used as a houseboat and eventually sank below Red Cliffs (Mildura).
Her boiler and engine were abandoned on the river bank, will attach photo later.
She was refloated in the 1990's and moved to a local marina.
She had a new keel fitted couple of years ago and now work has begun on the flooring of the hull. A boiler has been aquired and the steam engine from PS Fairy will be restored and fitted.
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Thanks Michael,
It's good to see the odd 'salvage' photo here and there, it sounds as if they have done more to the Daisy than I thought !
Is she owned by the Rivers & Riverboat, Historical & Steam Preservation Society like the Success ?
It's unusual that the Melbourne & Rothbury seem to be in better condition than the Echuca boats, maybe they are slipped/maintained more often, or could it be a difference in the water quality ? -
I know that in Rich River Country - the water is full of Tanins because of the overhanging Red Gums.
Visually, the water does look a bit cleaner at Mildura, but good old Echuca still has more character !
I'm also thinking that the Hulls of the Diesel powered vessels may be kept cleaner because there are no blow-down valves, only bildge water and exhaust pipes - which reminds me - where is the exhaust located on the Pride, the funnel was scrapped in 2005 when she had the re-furb done, and she kind of looks funny without one.
The planks seem to get stained near the blow-down valves, the good old Tanblend Powder works pretty well but there is still a lot of muck in the water.
Up here in Bris Vegas - as we call it, we have my favourite Steam Tug, the 'Forceful' built in 1925, and still largely original, she is owned by the QLD Maritime Museum, and is currently awaiting major works on her Iron Hull, which has had that much sand blasting done to it over the years, they have worn it very thin in places. Basically the hull needs to be booked in for an 'Ultra-Sound' to try and determine exactly where, and how bad the damage is.
The Museum are looking for a considerable grant to get the work done, and they don't think that much will be happenning before the end of the year. The Forceful's steaming steaming season is from April through to Oct/Nov. as it's too bloody hot to steam her during summer, her boiler and engine room is a hot box even in the middle of winter.
Also on the Brisbane River, we have the 2 Kookaburra River Queens, (pictured in a previous thread.), they are 21 & 20 years old respectively, and are up for sale at present.
They are actually both wooden hulled, and despite their diesel engines, they really do have a character all of their own.
Unfortunately, they also need a lot of maintenance, the water is fairly corrosive as it's a tidal river ie. salty and this far north, the water temperature is just right for the invasive sea worm.
The harsh UV up here also takes its toll on the varnished Super-Structure/Railings etc. and Shipwrights are in short supply too.
My favourite of these 2 boats is the original - which is a side-wheeler, I have been on her a few times back in the late 1980's, including a BBQ trip out to an island beyond the river mouth.
The River Queen II - (the Sternwheeler) is a bit heavy at the stern end, and the Paddlewheel seems to create very little wash, even at full cruising speed.
They are built entirely out of QLD Timbers, are both 30.5 metres long and are powered by 200 b.h.p. Saab Scania Diesels.
From memory they cost a couple of million each to build.
Cheers,
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I noticed it's been forever since anyone posted in this thread... So I thought I'd get it going again by getting people's thoughts on this photo...
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I found that this whole thread got to be too long and unweildy. It is too hard to find specific boats in the middle of the thread, even with the search facility. Since Sean has abandoned it, I have taken to separate threads per boat, with the direct link to the part of APAM where a photo of the boat may be found.
Is this a quiz photo where you know the answer, or a mystery one where you don't know the answer?
My first reaction was 'as fake as all those penis-enlargement ads which come in daily spam'. The bow seems to be way too long for anything which I can recognise. However, the clothing on the passengers hints at post 1960, not 1930s. The smartly painted cabins look to be modern era, not authentic original.
Thoughts:
PS Kookaburra, which was vaguely upriver, and was long, but would have had more superstructure. No.
PS Ulonga: too much is wrong, including the wheelhouse. No.
PS Murrumbidgee before conversion for overnight cruising: too much is wrong. No.
PS Melbourne: too much is wrong. No.
PS Pevensey: early port days (1970s), with the wheelhouse and bow doctored with Photoshop or equivalent. My entry.
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Your first thought was quite right... The pic is one posted on this forum by another member a while ago. It was originally the Hero! I've adjusted it to represent the Excelsior (I know, predictable). I started manipulating it to see if I could make the Hero look a little better & then came the memory of Kevin Hutchinson saying that the two boats had very similar hulls, only the Ex was 25 feet longer. So I got carried away.
The bow has been annoying me because I had it a bit shorter & when I turned the pic b&w I also put on a lens distortion which stretched the bow out. I didn't notice until after posting the pic. I'm also disatisfied with the job I did of changing the paddleboxes and some of the background (if you look closely the same trees appear several times). The more I look at it however, the more I realise that the bow isn't that far out. The real Ex had a very long foredeck, I'll post a pic from the SA library below. It's probably a bit exagerated, but not by far. I'll post the colour pic before the foredeck stretching as well.
Considering that I've only had 2 days experience with photoshop I'm relatively proud of my efforts (a little self congratulation is never a bad thing... I mean someone's gotta)!!!
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Here's the pre b&w picture & a slightly earlier version as well. I've also added one which is proportionally better to look at, but wrong to be the excelsior as the hull is too short... and finally a novelty one which I call Muddy Murray - It's similar to a boat plan I've had in my head for a long while. It's funny how when you shrink the Hero's hull down it looks almost exactly like the Adelaide's!
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I've had a little too much time on my hands over the past few days...
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I had considered Hero, and rejected it on the paddleboxes (which was one aspect of rejecting Melbourne). I should have got it on the deck seating.
I hadn't thought that you had tinkered the paddleboxes too. That proves that you did a good job with your newly-acquired skill.
While you still have plenty of time, plonk PS Waverley into an Australian context. There are lots of SA reaches still with 10 m depth, so perhaps against the famous cliffs upstream of Mannum? Waverley beside Murray Princess?
In the railway hobby, UK railway enthusiasts were outraged. During its stint in Australia for the bicentenary in 1988, Australians prepared a photo and item of the famous loco 'Flying Scotsman' converted from 1435 mm gauge to Victorian 1600 mm gauge. It could never go home (but could go to Ireland). It was published in a monthly magazine, which was then swamped with letters to the editor.
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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The boat has entered commercial service, pitched at the wedding-charter market.
A full-time skipper has been lured from the Mildura area.
It was running a series of promotional morning/afternoon tea cruises through January & February.
The website is quite good: www.hero.net.au
Responding to a comment which I emailed, it now reads that overnight accommodation is for three couples in three cabins, each with a double bed.
In the early stages, it stated that accommodation was for six couples in three double beds, hinting at menage a quatre.
AFAIK most/all of the wedding photos on the website were of Hero's first major outing: the wedding of the owner's daughter.
I haven't yet had the chance for a cruise.
Perhaps 'Excelsior' could have named his multilength boat Accordion? I await the version which will fit through Tauwitchere lock.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria
She was only a paddleboaters daughter, but she had 'em going round in circles.
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I'm a returning member (who had to re-register). I'm trying to find out what became of the Jupiter's engine(s) which were removed for sale to the Japanese as scrap metal, but they were in good running order and had come from the Lady Augusta.
Purpose built passenger ferries were used in Australia, but mainly in areas like Sydney Harbour, Port Phillip Bay (the third vessel Sean mentioned was the Weeroona), the Gippsland Lakes, the Hawkesbury & the Swan rivers. In these areas, though, the day of the paddlesteamer was pretty short lived. Australia progessed to screw propulsion fairly early.
On the Murray there were only a couple of purpose built passenger vessels. Due to the river conditions, the lower population density & the large distance between towns (especially by river where the distance travelled was generally 2-3 times the distance by road), the Murray passenger boats were very different from those you would see on other systems. The current Ruby & the Pearl of 1891 were both purpose built passenger steamers.
The only area on the Murray where there were services similar to what you'd see elsewhere was Lake Alexandrina. Here there were vessels such as the Jupiter & Milang which operated ferry services. Their deckhouses were very simple compared to other boats. No upper deck & a lot of open space everywhere. The Jupiter was converted to this role, but I think the Milang was built for it. Although, other than the deckhousing, the Milang was similar to other boats in her hull & machinery.