Paddleducks
Paddler Information => Research => Topic started by: Eddy Matthews on March 13, 2007, 07:38:45 PM
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I noticed that someone had tried to upload a map showing the major Australian rivers, but obviously the upload failed for some reason. Anyway, here it is - I cannot give credit to the original uploader as I don't know who it was! :(
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It was me Eddy – I have explained it in another post - Derek
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From: Eddy Matthews [mailto:research@paddleducks.co.uk]
Sent: Tuesday, 13 March 2007 7:39 PM
To: research@paddleducks.co.uk
Subject: Australian rivers
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I noticed that someone had tried to upload a map showing the major Australian rivers, but obviously the upload failed for some reason. Anyway, here it is - I cannot give credit to the original uploader as I don't know who it was! (http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/images/smiles/icon_sad.gif)
Regards
Eddy
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Exported by Paddleducks Mail System.
http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11346#11346 (http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11346#11346)
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Sorry...........must be Australian Telstra :crash ..doing this to my PC...again
From: Derek L Warner Pty Ltd [mailto:dlwarner@bigpond.net.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 13 March 2007 4:41 PM
To: 'research@paddleducks.co.uk'
Subject: APAM- The Directors Cut!
Hi PD’s – here is a map of the inland river system and around the eastern seaboard near Brisbane [Queensland] running south east around to Goolwa in South Australia
Parsons quotes river distances as follows
Goolwa to Wentworth on the Murray = 617 miles
Wentworth to Walget on the Darling = 1129 miles
And my guess from Walget to Goonawindi on the Barwon = 280 miles
So with 2000+ miles in out hot inland would have driven most paddle captains & crew with the need for a cleansing ale or two
This is posted outside PD’s as I had a transmission failure re the file size… but @ 149 KB must be something else ………Derek
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Cheers Derek, at least it allows me to get an idea of the geography of the major Australian rivers, and I'm sure I can't be the only one!
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Interesting facts:
The Darling river is longer than the Murray River.
Combined the Murray Darling Basin drains 1/7 of the Nation.
...I'm doing geography this year and the first semester is all on the Murray! It's great!
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Hey Sean.....unless you are very sure that the marker of your History or Geography examination is either or neither of Labour/Liberal or Green political persuasions ..... do not quote that the "Combined the Murray Darling Basin drains 1/7 of the Nation"
This is a fundamentally mathematically flawed comment for or by the Politicians or and MEDIA :gather & is an :offtopic Koc... Up .... :thinking 'just tell them the truth' :nah 9/10 of the rain water that falls is evaporated prior to entering our precious water storage areas
So 1/10 of 1/7 of a litre or 1000Mg/l is nothing......Derek
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There are two primary websites for research:
Murray Darling Basin Commission: www.mdbc.gov.au
and CSIRO http://www.csiro.au/multimedia/pfqq.html (whole set of linked pages).
2 years ago I found good part in CSIRO identifying rainfall patterns and catchment proportions and evaporative lossed. I can't find it this morning. IIRC reducing evaporative losses could make a significant improvement to water supply: eliminating open-channel water distribution and adopting more-efficient irrigation techniques. For the first time in many years salinity from rising water tables is no longer the hot issue.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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I always thought the 1/7 was more focussing on the size of land coveragethe Basin takes up...14% according to the Murray Darling Basin site, which probably means I was still wrong.
Currently I would say the basin (water wise) drains nothing....I'd say very little of Australia drains anything.
http://www.mdbc.gov.au/subs/eResource_book/index.htm
That link...if you scroll down to the Australia Map shows the drainage areas in Australia including the Murray Darling Basin...good for context for international studiers as well.
So I stand corrected...I think...I'm still possibly slightly confused.
I've had a busy day though and I'm not really focussed.
Best part about geography- next week I'm on geography camp- to the Murray! Very Exciting- Three days of Murray river around Echuca, Cohuna, Kerang and other places.
I'm pumped!
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Now that you all have a map, here are some notes extracted from my Oct.03 article 'Randell & Cadell 150th'.
1854: Australia's first public railway, the horse-worked Goolwa - Port Elliot line, was opened without ceremony. While the date shown in South Australian Railways records is 18.5.1854, the line was probably in use from Dec.1853 (when track was complete, only the major cutting onto Port Elliot wharf was not complete). The SA governor travelled over the line in June 1854.
1850s-1860s: Randell & Cadell took steam vessels up most tributaries. Paddlesteamers ran on:
* the Goulburn (Seymour occasionally, Shepparton usually).
* the Murray to Albury.
* the Wakool and Edwards (Murray anabranches, right through and to Deniliquin rarely; lower reaches regularly).
* the Murrumbidgee (Gundagai rarely; Balranald, Hay, Narrandera & Wagga Wagga usually).
* the Darling to Bourke, and on the Barwon (the upper reach) to Mungindi (on the Qld border) rarely; to Brewarrina & Walgett usually; also on some minor anabranches and creeks near Wilcannia during floods.
The number of paddlesteamers on the river system increased rapidly. By the end of 1864, at least 30 paddle steamers and 25 barges had entered service. Since all trade would pass to SA, the other colonies responded in planning early railways. Melbourne Mt Alexander & Murray River had been unable to raise sufficient capital; its project was taken over by the newly-formed Victorian Railways in 1856. The line reached Echuca in 1864, and the port grew to be Victoria's second busiest, and the busiest inland port in Australia.
1870s-1880s: The hey day of river shipping. Paddlesteamers carried supplies (food, furniture, construction materials) in; produce (mainly wool) out. There were also hawking vessels. By 1865, 33 paddlesteamers had been commissioned; by 1870 there were 79; by 1875 there were 101; by 1880 there were 160; by 1885 there were 190.
Before there was a railway to Wodonga, the Saturday night Echuca train could connect with four rival paddlesteamers to Albury, each trying to be the first away. Cumberoona was usually the fastest; it once ran Howlong - Echuca in 36 h, inclusive of stops for cargo and passengers. VR completed its Wodonga line in 1873; construction materials had been brought from a Murray River wharf via a temporary line to near Chiltern. Deniliquin & Moama Railway Co. completed its Echuca - Deniliquin line in 1876. SA completed a line to Morgan in 1878; it became the second-busiest port in SA. The line to Murray Bridge was completed in 1886. NSW extended to Hay from 4.7.1882, and to Bourke from 1885; other Riverina lines were built in this decade. As railways reached commercial nodes established by river trade, the boats became just local feeders.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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WOW - 190 paddlers by 1885! So obviously we still have a lot more to learn about!
How many of the 190 are still in existance? Australia seems to have many more paddlers remaining than almost any other country, even if some of them are in pretty poor shape, the fact remains that they are still there!
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There were many more built after 1885. IIRC the last of the traditional era was Alexander Arbuthnot (1923; Sean has written it up in his APAM Director's cut thread?).
Perhaps the total reached 230?
Sean's list of surviving and modern vessels, which commenced the APAM thread 'surviving and modern vessels' in the research forum, listed ~125 boats. At a quick guess, 25 are survivors of the traditional era, of which about 10 are in close to original configuration.
There also many wrecks still visible (and others buried under mud).
A detailed answer to this question will be months off, and may have to wait for Sean or Michael to prepare it. They are in a better position than I am to prepare a response.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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The SA Tourist Board has released a delightful little booklet which higlighted all points of paddler interest including mapping out the positions of all known wrecks both above and below the surface.
I have a copy somewhere but it only covers the coorong and Murray mouth up to the SA border.
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Martin,
Where can I pick up a copy of that booklet?? Is it just one of the ones I could pick up from a tourist information centre??
I am interested, we own a house in Morgan (a rendered little cottage 1 street away from river frontage) and visit SA a lot..
We do have a rich heritage in the paddlesteamer era - but it is sad that school just dont teach that to anyone.. throughout my 12 years of schooling (neither primary or secondary taught me any Australian history whatsoever..
Also I heard on the radio that the Murray/Darling Basin is in the top ten of the quickest degenerating rivers in the world.. sad news.. I heard that on 774 this morning on the way to the bus.. a report released by WWF..
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James, just in response to your degeneration comment.
I was just (literally this morning and for the past few days) on the Murray on Geography camp, through which we spoke to many officials, government members and members of society.
The common message was- and they all wanted us to spread this message- "The Murray River is a healthy river" It is in a better condition than it was 30 years ago. Carp numbers are down, regulation is working more effectively and there are more plans in place than ever before for helping out the rivers health (The "Living Murray" scheme for instance"
I say it again the Murray River is in a very healthy condition.
All officials we spoke to immediately wanted us to disregard what the media had reported as well as the WWF. "We are currently in a drought, and we have been for a long time" was what we were told "Yet we are effectively finding ways to use Murray water wisely for the benefit of all, the river is healthier than it has been in the last 30 years."
We were lucky enough to sit in on a community meeting about the proposed Torrumbarry Cutting- a scheme that plans to bring water to the Gunbower, Perricoota and Koondrook forests. It was so intriguing to see a) democracy in action and b) the response of the community.
All thought it was important to help feed the forest- floods are required every 3 years for the health of the River Red Gum. Many of the farmers at the meet (we ended up driving out to the proposed location) had questions about how well maintained the increased waters in the area would be handled and whether it would effect their properties, whether increased water would increase grass growing and add to the fire risk, how the water would be used exactly (Minimum 30% of the Forest would be 'fed' maximum 70%) and where it would go (many outlets will be made including one back to the Murray).
Specific environmental flows would not be effective for feeding the forest because of the chokes (such as Barmah) located before these forests so the cutting would allow water directly into the channel.
The meeting was very good- and our classes learnt a lot at the meeting. The officials were incredibly impressed that we 'city folk' were there. They really wanted us to return home and tell other students about the great health of the river. The red gum forests are effected by the drought- they look in a sad state, loss of leaves etc- the river can be used effectively to help this and it is possible because of the health of our river.
I don't know if you noticed James but in the Herald Sun the argument that the river was in a terrible state was backed up with images of the Darling River.
To my knowledge only one major lock and weir regulation is set up on this river and it is much dryer than the Murray- for a few reasons, it is a longer river and much shallower. Not to mention we are currently leaving the summer period after which the river should be dryer. (Irrigators require a greater flow during summer to irrigate crops etc over winter they rely on rain- less water removed from the river)
Nowhere that I saw on this trip did I see the Mighty Murray look anything but.
The grand horse shoe bends, the surrounding lakes, the narrows at Barmah all looked stunning and healthy. Possibly the only worry is the silting up happening once again at Echuca- but that is brought on by river current as well as managed water level.
We have an incredibly healthy river here that is getting wrongly publicised. It is true (as with almost all areas in Australia) we need more rain, we are in a drought- no need for denial here. But it's time people went up to see the river for themselves.
Do it, seriously.
That is what all the people of the community that we spoke to, as well as officials, wanted us to tell you.
Don't believe everything you read in the paper- sometimes you have to get the true evidence for yourself.
If you want to know anything more about the various programs we encountered along the river- including managing salination, the Torrumbarry Cutting and various others, feel free to contact me. We recieved large amounts of publications from the Murray Darling Basin Commission and I would be happy to pass on information as they wanted us to.
(Oh and it was a great camp by the way!)
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Martin,
Where can I pick up a copy of that booklet?? Is it just one of the ones I could pick up from a tourist information centre??
I have a copy which I picked up and the relevent government department. It was a little while ago and it cost a small amount ($7 I think from memory).
If you want one I am happy enough to whip up the road and check some time late next week when I have the time.
Cheers
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Martin,
Thanks, but I will be in SA in the next couple of weeks.. Thanks anyway :D
Sean,
Thanks for all that info.. and it is great to hear about the Murray (Luckily I don't read the Herald Sun - but I read mostly The Age).. and what I heard was a quick snippet on the radio.. :)
I wish I had gone on the camp.. it does sound fun..
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Government Map Shop at the top of Richmond Road Keswick. (Just next to the entrance to the railway terminal is the place.
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Are we talking about "The River boat Trail"..???
We are taking a week or so to go looking at "boats" along the river starting next week, we could probably pick up a copy for you along the way.
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If it is the "River Boat Trail" I do actually have a copy of that which I purchased from the Mannum Info Center (PS Marion access point).. thanks :)
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Hi PD's..... :ohno...just released in Australian news today.... :sob the water level in our Murray river here in Mannum ...which is approx 80 km to the Murray mouth is confirmed as below sea level & this is the first time since records were kept which was around the 1829/30 period when Captain Charles Stuart started surveying the rivers :sorry .....but we people from OZ are tough :yeah ...we will survive
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gee.. thats shocking (literally shockin) because I was over in Mannum not that long ago and it was low - but i didnt think it was that low.
If it is below sea level how does the river flow "up" to sea level at Goolwa? or is there no flow?
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I believe that, at the Goolwa barrages, the water is higher on the sea side than on the river side. As the barrages are not completely watertight there is a seepage of salt water into the river which is increasing the salinity of the lower Murray and lakes (no wonder the Oscar W people are not too keen to get up steam!).
Anyway, I'll be down there later this week to see for myself.
Stephen.
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There is a very nice schematic map of Murray levels, of the style found in primary-school classrooms.
I can't find a copy on the web fast.
The only relevant figure which I can find is that the average fall over the last 160 km to the sea is 2.5 cm/km, ie 4 m in 160 km.
Before the locks and weirs were built, salinity reached to somewhere above Swan Reach, and dolphins (or was it porpoises?) could be seen there.
As at March, I heard conflicting rumours:
* Goolwa lock would be opened only at low tide (to prevent ingestion of salt water).
* Goolwa lock wouldn't be opened at all.
Tauwitchere lock was chained out of use (it is a do-it-yourself, for small boats). That would also have been to prevent salt ingestion (and the approaches were bare).
According to Murray River pilot, pool level from Goolwa to lock 1 is 75 cm; presumably the quote has come from the river level dropping by 75 cm.
According to a September release, shown as part of the comprehensive www.mdbc.gov.au site, the lower level was likely to drop to -0.6 m before the year was ending. However, this is measure according to a standard datum, and I am not sure what that datum is: mean sea level, an an all-year average, and on a whole-nation average? Even if it relates to the sea level at Goolwa, if the tidal range is greater than this, there will be times of day when the river is above the tide, and times when it is below the tide.
The latest weekly report states that the level in the lower lakes is 0.1 m above the datum, which is the lowest level since April 1968.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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gee.. thats shocking (literally shockin) because I was over in Mannum not that long ago and it was low - but i didnt think it was that low.
If it is below sea level how does the river flow "up" to sea level at Goolwa? or is there no flow?
We have a shack about 20km upstream from Mannum and the flow has been minimal for at least six months with the water level continually dropping...... but below sea level? That is just depressing!
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I have just been to www.mdbc.gov.au, and couldn't find the latest flow figures in SA below Lake Victoria. Likewise, there is no mention of the planned closure dates of various locks this year, for major maintenance (I have heard times of 15 weeks per lock).
I did mention depths in my report of Jessie II's most recent cruise, Tocumwal - Yarrawonga. This was showing as 80 cm on the webpage, and I was above 80 cm for most of the time. The problem was snags, not lack of water. At times, to avoid snags, I was running into 30 cm depths by leaving the channel. I was following a boat which needed 100 cm for the props; 60 cm for the hull. It was running with the motors trolled to 60 cm, and bounced over seval snags (so did I, with my motors needing only 30 cm). Low water is a worry, but Australian riverboat designs were optimised for low water; snags turn low water from tricky into impossible. Where I cruised 2 weeks ago is now only 70 cm. I am not cruising from Yarrawonga to Albury this week: no information on depths or snags, but mainly because I would be too slow to keep up with the boat which I am trying to photograph.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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I'm beginning to wonder if the world has flipped on it's head?
Australia is experiencing drought conditions, with some rivers which are at their lowest level for decades, whilst here in England we've had torrential rain for the last two years (not all the time, but it seems like it!) with more flooding than we've ever seen before....
We've got trans-atlantic telephone cables - Maybe what we really need is a trans-pacific pipeline to get some of our excess water down-under?
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Don't mention Pipeline's Eddy- there's proposed Pipeline's to run to Melbourne from up North from river that run off the Murray.
Tell me how a river that so far supposedly isn't supporting itself can support the city folk....
A few nice rain storms would be nice though- but feel free to keep your torrentials.
Sean
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Just think Sean - Apart from the cost of the pipeline it would be free water! As we're in the north, it's downhill all the way to Oz, so no pumping costs! :hehe
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Eddy,
I agree with Sean re the pipeline but your idea of free water would never happen, at least in Victoria. If the Government can make a buck out of it they will.
Peter W
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Why do you think you have to register to get a water tank! You're right, making a buck.
However, we are still a commonwealth so maybe mother england could supply us with some help.
It might not be too far out of the question.
Mind you Eddie there's a fair amount of water in the ocean that our governments also want to convert- but the people of Australia prefer to wait for rain at the moment.
No idea seems to be taking off with very successful results.
Sean
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Why do you think you have to register to get a water tank! You're right, making a buck.
However, we are still a commonwealth so maybe mother england could supply us with some help.
It might not be too far out of the question.
Don't expect to get the help for nothing though - We have 17.5% VAT (purchase tax) on everything we buy, petrol/diesel is taxed at over 80% (currently over £5 - $13 US per gallon)..... Come to the glorious UK and get ripped off by the government!!
Why do you think so many brits are leaving the country?
I rest my case m'lud....
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wow PD's.......petrol (currently over £5 - $13 US per gallon) in the UK .......:ranting :offtopic :ranting :offtopic :shoot...that sure ain't duck feed is!!!!!!!!!! ??? ??? ???
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There are already several major pipelines in Australia:
* Perth - Kalgoorlie. The dry mining centre was fed from water dammed in Darling Ranges, and piped for 600 km. On opening day, nothing happened when the tap was turned on. The engineer (O'Connor?) committed suicide. Within hours, the water was flowing.
* Murray Water is pumped to serve Eyre Peninsula (Whyalla), Adelaide, and south-east SA.
* The Snowy scheme of the 1950s diverted coastal water into the inland (the Murray system) to add to the stock of water for irrigation. It was used for electricity generation on the way.
Responding to drought, there have been several pipeline proposals.
* Undersea from Tasmania to Victoria. However, Tas. has had it own dry spells. In one year it had to hire a ship as a power station for Hobart to eke out depleted hydroelectric supplies.
* Goulburn River (a Murray tributary) to Melbourne. That is tied to water uses in other states to keep the Murray balance. NSW was very profligate in allocating water rights, with large tracts of cotton and rice. Qld also sqanders water on cotton.
* Brisbane has only just had its storages filled after prolonged shortages. A short pipeline would connect Brisbane's supply to Gold Coast. Another short one was being rushed from nearer central Queensland. A much longer one was proposed from the far north.
* A very ambitious pipeline would connect far north-west WA to Perth and to southern states. AFAIK this one is doomed technically: too much energy would go into pumping.
* Victoria is looking at a desalination plant. These are usually regarded as too energy inefficient.
* Short-term droughts have been ameliorated with trainloads of water in earlier years, notably Broken Hill before the Menindee Lakes (Darling River) scheme was completed.
Meanwhile, not making headlines, more efficient reticulation and irrigation practices are being put in place. The whole west Victorian scheme has been moved from channels into pipes. Savings of 20% of water not being lost to evaporation are predicted/achieved.
The original Murray Darling scheme was a three state agreement (SA, Vic. & NSW); Queensland (the source of much water) was not a party. The scheme was to promote irrigation and navigation. Only 13 of the planned 26 locks were completed, and the spacing of locks 6 & 7 did not meet the design goal (each lock was to be accessible from the pool of the one below it). Yarrawonga was built without a lock; Chowilla (aborted) would have been built without a lock; the proposed Wellington weir would be built without a lock. The nation's population has grown vastly since then; the biggest three cities hold over half of the national population. Green issues are loomed: NSW leaves snags in the river to encourage native fish for recreational fishermen; it refuses to dredge critical links between otherwise-navigable reaches. The formerly-navigable reaches of the Murrumbidgee and Darling are blocked in eight places with weirs without locks. Victoria wants to extract water from the Murray to put it back into the Snowy for environmental flows. The only boating which politicians see is local waterskiing, not river voyaging.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Just in case anyone is interested I have some photos taken recently of Lake Carlet about 25km upstream from Mannum. I also have a couple of recent photos of the level in the river itself too!
The water level has been dropping quite consistently to the point that water is no longer able to flow in or out and the fish have been dying.
(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o88/lnernut/pdriver45.jpg)
This is standing in the lake looking out at the inlet from the River Murray. This was taken about two weeks ago and although there is still water in the deeper parts of the lake behind the photographer, this is a particularly depressing photo.
(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o88/lnernut/pdriver23.jpg)
This photo is standing near the inlet looking into the lake. Taken about six months ago, the extra water is quite obvious. The line of rocks in the foreground is a man-made wall to attempt to regulate the flow into and out of the lake. At normal water levels it is possible (not necessarily advisable) to drive a ski boat or dinghy over this wall without hitting.
I am a member of many forums, and cant remember the protocols re photos without going hunting. If it is preferred these photos get uploaded to the photo section let me know and I will gladly oblige and delete them from here.
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Hi PD's ......& thanks Martin for these horrific snaps ....lets hope our new PM {when he gets back from visiting QE11} will consider the plight of our national waterway....but don't hold your breath :ranting
...:sorry...I know this in not a political forum ...but why does the USA prohibit the growing of cotton or rice in certain waterways?
cause it uses all the bloody water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...you ding bat Parliamentarians
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Hello all, well lner I agree the sights you've shown are very distressing to see even from this distance. It really does not bode well for the continuity of population of these sparsely wet and semi-arid areas. Let's all hope the politicians see some sense and stop any irrigation to allow the river and lakes to recover even a small amount in the near future. Ok I agree that this will probably have a devastating effect on those farmers who rely on irrigation for their crops but you've got to ask "at what price? "The consequences are truly scary if the environment is allowed to rule like an avenging monster. Martin get onto your local politician and make him see sense!
Derek we should censor you a little for the politico outburst but you're a reasonably moderate man I think so I won't this time ??? and will give you a similar example.
When asked why Britains' oil reserves are running low in the North Sea a sage old man replied "It is because all of the dipsticks are in Westminster and not the North Sea, where they'd be better suited and we'd be better off"
cheers
Jim
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Trust me, the pollies are all having their own fights over this one. The latest today is that NSW are talking about legalizing the growing of hemp to use in the manufacture of various texiles to minimize the growing of cotton further up the river system!!!! ???
The funny thing is hearing people further upstream saying they are not noticing a huge difference. That I guess is the benefit of being upstream from the locks
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I am putting a series on tourist cruises here, rather than with the specific boats involved. There is a good river map on p1 of this thread.
Starting by 1915, and continuing to about 1951, the big paddlesteamers were used for tourist cruises, often in conjunction with the railway systems. Round trips were provided from Melbourne and Adelaide, and connections were available from Sydney (road from Albury to Echuca).
The river ports were Echuca (1864), Swan Hill (1890s), Mildura (~1903), Renmark (late 1920s), Morgan (1870s) and Murray Bridge (1880s). All but Renmark had rail connections linking the main station and the wharf. Because of the lake crossing, Milang and Goolwa seem not to have been served by tourist cruises.
My starting point has been a series of travel posters put out by Victorian Railways. I have yet to find links to the full set. Here are three:
www.prov.vic.gov.au/images/12903/12903-p00001-000642-030.asp PS Marion
www.prov.vic.gov.au/images/12903/12903-p00001-000657-030.asp PS Gem
www.prov.vic.gov.au/images/12903/12903-p00001-000779-050.asp PS Marion
Other researchers are working on a possible dating. While not purely art-deco, I suspect that the posters are not
1920s, and far more likely to be 1938-48.
Paddlesteamers had always carried passengers, but far more as route service.
Tourism (in conjunction with railway connections) had been promoted
from at least 1915, and possibly in all earlier decades.
Before there was a Melbourne - Adelaide railway, the river route was promoted as
safer than the sea route (the notorious shipwreck coast) and more comfortable
than horse vehicles: train to Echuca, paddlesteamer to Morgan, train to
Adelaide.
As at 1915, Gem Navigation Company was advertising two schedules:
* Murray Bridge - Renmark & return over Wed.-Tues.
* Morgan - Mildura & return over Sat.-Fri.
Those boats must have been flying (and voyaging all night): those running times
were much faster than I can achieve in my own cruising launch.
After reorganisation, the company was offering tourist services from Melbourne
via Echuca to Adelaide from 1916.
* Marion (which features in at least one of the posters): Echuca - Murray
Bridge.
* Gem: Mildura - Morgan.
* Ruby: Renmark - Murray Bridge.
It is interesting that Ruby was in the lower reach, not the upper, as it had the
shallowest draft.
This era was at the commencement of the construction of locks & weirs; most were
completed in the 1920s, with a couple lingering into the 1930s.
After another reorganisation in 1919, one aim was to provide passenger services
in conjunction with tourist bureaus in NSW, Vic. & SA. Complex mix & match
itineries were available, including Morgan to Renmark & return (no railway to
Renmark yet), and Adelaide - Melbourne Adelaide via a choice of Swan Hill or
Mildura.
It seems that the lack of reliable water, which plagued PV Coonawarra in the
1950s, was a factor in scheduling. However, Marion was usually slipped at
Echuca, so must have made at least occasional voyages.
Another of the big passenger steamers, PS Ellen (which my father recalled at
Swan Hill in his teenage years in the early 1920s) was stripped and sold in
1926.
The late 1920s included regular Christmas - New Year holiday voyages.
Ruby & Marion ran Morgan - Swan Hill; Gem ran Morgan - Mildura.
The company was feeling the loss of freight revenue, with former traffic now
being railed out of Balranald.
1934: a motor service was established between Albury and Echuca, giving the
river trade access to the Sydney market.
The program was then split into Echuca - Mildura (Marion), connecting with
Mildura - Morgan (Gem).
The spare vessel was Renmark, not Ruby (which was sold in 1939).
They heyday seems to be the 1940s: every year was busy. Cruises continued until
Gem was damaged (1948) and Marion was withdrawn (1951).
From the 1929 VR brochure (a friend has the 1931 one, which was similar):
The season ran from July to November.
Various round trips from Melbourne were available, based on Swan Hill - Mildura
- Morgan, with rail links Melbourne - Swan Hill, Melbourne - Mildura, and
Melbourne - Adelaide - Morgan.
Only the paddlesteamer schedules were shown.
Interestingly, all photos (the Victorian and the SA reaches) feature PS Ruby,
and not the other two survivors of the former big four.
Here is just part of the total program:
Swan Hill dep. Tuesday night (connect with day train from Melbourne).
Mildura arr. Thursday afternoon (presumably an overnight train to Melbourne as
at 1929).
320 miles [510 km] in about 40 h, 13 km/h.
Mildura dep. Friday late night.
Swan Hill arr. Monday night. [presumably stay on board, to leave on Tuesday's
day train].
Clearly this was a bit slower than the downstream voyage.
Today, this reach is one of the hard ones: the notorious Bitch & Pup rapids, and lots
of shallow running out of the influence of locks and weirs.
Euston Weir gives good depth for about 60-80 km upstream; Mildura Weir gives
good depth to Karadoc or Colignan; upstream from there are several nasty rock
bars. In 2009-10, a day boat is making public voyages: 8 days Echuca to
Mildura, with bus return. Just the Swan Hill - Mildura stretch takes 5 days:
Swan Hill - Tooleybuc - Euston - Colignan - Mildura.
1922 train times:
Melbourne 8.20; Swan Hill 17.20
Swan Hill 12.10; Melbourne 22.55.
Melbourne 17.16; Mildura 8.40
Mildura 7.30; Melbourne 22.00
I don't know if this hybrid was still in force in 1929. The boat didn't leave
Mildura downstream until 10.00 Friday, do possibly staying aboard for the night was an
option.
Oct.1933 tmes:
Melbourne 7.50; Swan Hill 17.20.
Swan Hill 11.40; Melbourne 22.30
Melbourne dep. Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat. overnight to Mildura, so no Friday morning
connection. Perhaps boat schedules had changed then?
Mildura dep. Mon., Wed., Thurs. & Fri., overnight to Melbourne: connection possible.
I haven't yet looked at the connections for the Mildura - Morgan boats.
References:
Lots are available by entering the relevant names into the search box in the Paddleducks site:
Oldest: Ruby, Gem, Marion, Ellen, Renmark, Pearl
Newer: Murrumbidgee, Coonawarra
Newest Murray Princess, Murray River Queen, Murray Explorer, Proud Mary, Emmylou, Hero
Navigation upstream of Echuca: www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3918.0
Gwenda Painter PS Marion; its life and times.
Books on Gem and on Coonawarra, not checked yet.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o88/lnernut/pdriver45.jpg)
This is standing in the lake looking out at the inlet from the River Murray. This was taken about two weeks ago and although there is still water in the deeper parts of the lake behind the photographer, this is a particularly depressing photo.
Just for an brief update, there is now no water whatsoever in the lake. Bearing in mind that the lake is approx 8.5km long. Although for the most part it is not particularly deep that is still a hell of a lot of water which is now AWOL.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=lake+carlet&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=56.398622,76.992187&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Lake+Carlet+SA&ll=-34.868187,139.497185&spn=0.103379,0.150375&t=h&z=13 (http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=lake+carlet&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=56.398622,76.992187&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Lake+Carlet+SA&ll=-34.868187,139.497185&spn=0.103379,0.150375&t=h&z=13)
This is what it should look like and I will post a more recent photo shortly.
Martin
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Since Federation (1901)there has been 87 committees and countless sub-committees,all with their snort in the trough.The only thing that they have managed to agree on,is that the Murray -Darling basin is a river system.
Wrong,today the system is basically a drain in dire need of a good clean.The blame game is played out along the entire length of the system.Fact of life,the river can not sustain the high water usuage for agriculture,the Green movement attitude to the river and the removal of snags etc.The government grab for cash in allocating water lic's.
Sadly I am personally worried about the legacy that I am leaving my grandchildren.