APAM- The Directors Cut!

[thewharfonline]

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
__________________________________________________________
Sources:Parsons, Ronald Ships of the Inland Rivers Gould Books, 1987
Plowman, Peter, Murray Darling Paddleboats Rosenberg, 2005

[thewharfonline]

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

[thewharfonline]

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!)

[michael]

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!

[Roderick Smith]

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

[AlistairD]

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
_________________________________________________________
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


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[Roderick Smith]

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

[Roderick Smith]

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?

[paddlesteamerman1]

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

[michael]

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!

[Roderick Smith]

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

[Roderick Smith]

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

[anth]

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  : 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...

[derekwarner_decoy]

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  

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         so they used steel plate from below the water line & extra wood in the lengthening process - Derek

[thewharfonline]

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?